This is a
Fates Warning's best-of collection, spanning from
Night on Brocken to
Inside Out, but not including the
Matheos solo recording
First Impressions. The songs included are a decent representation of the group's output and make for an interesting historical timeline of the band's growth. The one glaring exception is the omission of "Nothing Left to Say," which is one of their fans' most revered songs. The unreleased versions of "At Fates Fingers," "We Only Say Goodbye," and "Circles" are good, but not worth getting the CD for. This recording is not recommended for fans hearing the band for the first time, as the mixture of their early metal years ("Damnation") with the more recent progressive direction ("Monument") may be too misleading. The constant explanation that is needed to legitimize the band as progressive sparks the question of why they never changed their name, especially since guitarist
Jim Matheos is the only original member. ~ Robert Taylor