Ultimate-Guitar readers are probably well acquainted with Fates Warning. The Connecticut band has been cranking out some of the most forward-thinking Progressive-Rock/Metal for nearly 25 years. Along the way, the band has help trail the way and influence bands like Dream Theater, Spock’s Beard, and Three.
In 1989, they released what many consider their hallmark album,
Perfect Symmetry. Intricate rhythms and layered melodies on songs like “
Part of the Machine” and “
At Fate’s Hands” made it clear that this was a band willing to push their sound into all kinds of thrilling directions.
When MTV and college radio started playing the album’s single, “Through Different Eyes,” the group began to get on the radar of people who wouldn’t usually listen to acts like Fates Warning. After a brief flirtation with a more accessible direction on their next album, Parallels, the band luckily retreaded back to their adventurous instincts on their later output.
Still, Perfect Symmetry remains the band’s crowning achievement. With Metal Blade Records releasing an expanded edition of the album which includes demos and a DVD of live shows from the era, Carlos Ramirez caught up with Fates’ guitarist/songwriter, Jim Matheos for Ultimate-Guitar. In this piece, the guitarist talks about the making of the record, Prog-Metal fans, and Weezer front man, Rivers Cuomo.
Ultimate-Guitar: When you first started getting serious about playing guitars, did you have any mentors and what is some of the advice you got that you can share with the U-G readers?
Jim Matheos: Well, I really didn’t have any mentors. Haha! I just had a real passion for music and it went from there. So I would tell any young guitarist that if they absolutely have the need and passion to play, it should work out. I was really determined.
So you were a self-taught player?
Yes. I mean, I did pick up some harmony books and things like that to help me early on. But I forgot most of that stuff throughout the years anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I did practice a lot when I was younger.
Looking back, who were the guitarists that really informed your playing?
Without a doubt, Michael Schenker (Scorpions, UFO, Michael Schenker Group) was my absolute favorite guitarist when I was a kid. He was everything to me. His playing was just jaw-dropping back then! Another player who loved was Al DiMeola. He’s just an incredible guitarist. And there is David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) obviously. I would say those were the guys who really made me want to get better.
With Fates Warning, I think the perception from some fans was that you guys were always practicing when you weren’t on tour. I think that went for all of the really technically proficient bands back then.
Actually, it’s really not true. At that point, we were on tour so much or writing new material that we really didn’t have to practice on our own at home. I think touring is the best kind of practice anyway. Playing, as a unit, really makes you better and we toured for No Exit (their previous album to Perfect Symmetry) a lot so were in great shape. Like I said earlier, I practiced on my own a lot when I was younger but during the making of Perfect Symmetry I wasn’t into doing scales or whatever at home. I was through that phase already. Our drummer Mark (Zonder) still takes all kinds of classes to learn new techniques and styles.
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| "We were real guitar geeks and really into the equipment stuff back then." |
I know Fates Warning as a Connecticut based band but I noticed on the credits to the reissue that the pre-production was done in Los Angeles.
Well I had just moved out to L.A. during that time and Mark was already based there. Actually, the only guys in the band still living in Connecticut were Frank (Aresti) and Joe (DiBiase) at that point.
The reissue includes all the demos for the album. I noticed that for the most part, the final arrangements are about 90% identical to the demos. How much did Ray Adler’s vocals influence the way you wrote the sections? Did he have a lot of say in terms of shifting the arrangements to fit his melodies and vocal cadence?
He had absolute influence in that he was always there in the writing phase so he did have a say the whole time. I think on Perfect Symmetry Ray really started to find his voice and range. It was our second album with him and he did some incredible stuff. It’s also when he started to sing in a lower range and we welcomed that because that’s the direction we wanted to head into anyway. Before that album, in terms of singing, we were like, “the higher the better!”
The track “The Arena” had some high vocals though.
Yeah! That one is still like the older Fates stuff. Ray sang in like G or something crazy high like that! We wanted to get more progressive and have the vocals be in a lower key was great for us.
Around the time of Perfect Symmetry, bands like Queensrÿche, who were similar to you in the sense that you had challenging arrangements but still had a real focus on songwriting started to find a much more mainstream audience and commercial success. Was there any sort of pressure from Metal Blade Records, or even within the band, to try and take it to the next step in the commercial sense?
No, not at all actually. The label certainly didn’t get on us about that. They were and remain to be very supportive. The only time they have something to say critically, it comes from the standpoint of a fan. So Brian’s (Slagel, founder of Metal Blade Records) support has always been great to have. I mean, we did start putting pressure on ourselves after “Through Different Eyes” from Perfect Symmetry started to do so well. We went in a more commercial direction on the following album, Parallels.
From my perspective, it seems like the more old-school Fates Warning stuff on the album was written by Frank. I think a song like “The Arena” could have been on your older albums. Do you think this is a fair observation?
I don’t know if I agree. I think the songs blend really cohesively. They all have a Metal feel in some way.
How much of an impact did having Mark Zonder joining in on drums have to the band and album?
It was a huge change for us. From the very first practice with Mark, the rest of us looked at each other just stunned! It opened us up to so much. He helped us go in that progressive direction we wanted to go in. It was an even bigger change than when Ray joined a few years before.
Wasn’t Mark in the L.A. based Metal band, Warlord?
Yes exactly. But right before he joined us, he was playing in an electronic, pop type of band. I don’t remember their name but they were not Metal at all! I even think they had a hit song.
Do you remember your fans’ reaction to the album when the album originally came out?
There was a lot of surprise I think. No Exit had heavier riffs for the most part so our more Metal leaning fans were not ready for the more progressive aspect of the newer material. But overall, I think people were receptive in the long run.
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| "I would tell any young guitarist that if they absolutely have the need and passion to play, it should work out." |
So do you think Fates Warning fans fall in 2 categories; the more traditional “Metalhead” fans and then the “Prog-Metal” people?
Yeah, I would agree with that idea. The thing is people expect the Metal people to be more close-minded when it comes to change but I really feel that the Prog-Rock fans tend to be more judgmental. It’s like, if the songs aren’t all 8 minutes long, they aren’t good enough. It’s not what you would expect from people who are supposed to be “progressive.”
Do you recall what kind of guitar set-up you primarily used on the sessions?
I think I mostly used a white 76’ Gibson Explorer for the studio sessions. We were real guitar geeks and really into the equipment stuff back then. We had a guy who helped us with the guitar stuff on the album and he worked for ART and he had something called the “Powerplant” and we used that on the album. I was never really happy with the guitar sounds on that record.
Which guitarists are really piquing your interest at the moment?
For the most part, I don’t follow so many players. I do follow bands though. Right now, I can’t stop listening to Opeth. I also love Porcupine Tree. Oh wait! I’m really into this guitarist named David Rawlings.
Doesn’t he work with Gillian Welch?
Yeah, that’s him! He produces her too. He’s more of a country and bluegrass type of player and I absolutely love what he does.
I had to ask you; I read somewhere that you gave Rivers Cuomo from Weezer guitar lessons back in the mid-80s.
Yeah, that is true. Haha! He took some lessons but I don’t really remember too much about him or the lessons. What I do recall him bringing some Bach or Mozart piece on the 3rd lesson. His finger positioning and comprehension was so advanced. He was picking stuff up so quickly, I didn’t think he needed me anymore.
Interview by Carlos Ramirez
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