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U.S. progressive metal pioneers FATES WARNING have started work on their upcoming, twelfth studio album, to be released next year via InsideOut Music.

FATES WARNING guitarist and main composer Jim Matheos comments: "I'm happy to announce that all the music for FW12 is now written. Still some work to do on lyrics and final arrangements, but the plan is for us to start tracking in December with a release date planned for the first half of 2016. In the meantime, I hope to see and meet a lot of you on the upcoming U.S. dates."

FATES WARNING's upcoming U.S. tour in support of their current album. "Darkness In A Different Light", will start out October 9 and run up to November 2.

FATES WARNING's eleventh studio album, "Darkness In A Different Light", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was issued in North America on October 1, 2013 via InsideOut Music.

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Featuring founding guitarist Jim Matheos alongside classic-lineup members Ray Alder (vocals) and Frank Aresti (guitar), longtime bassist Joey Vera and drummer Bobby Jarzombek, "Darkness In A Different Light" was produced by Matheos and mixed by longtime FATES WARNING engineer Phil Magnotti. The effort was mastered by Maor Appelbaum (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, SEPULTURA, ANVIL) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in California. The cover artwork was designed by Conte di San Pietro.

In addition to the standard CD jewel case and the digital download format, "Darkness In A Different Light" was made available in Europe as 2CD mediabook edition and as gatefold 2LP version (180-gram vinyl in black, red or white vinyl) with four bonus tracks.

Speaking to Stormbringer webzine, Alder stated about how his vocal approach has changed over the years: "Yeah, [when I first joined FATES WARNING] I was young and everybody was doing the screaming and I thought that was cool. As I got older and progressed as a singer and realized what I wanted to do, I found it really silly. And then, even [singing] live in the old days, I tried not to do it as much. It just seemed silly to me. It doesn't make any sense. But as I grew as a singer, I knew what I wanted to do, and I realized that, I think, soul is more important than range. And it seems as though my voice just said, 'Yeah, I agree with you. Fuck it!' And it just kind of changed on its own. But, I mean, I like my voice where it is now. I have no problem… Again, I like where I am. Some people wanna hear the high screams, but… sorry! [Laughs]"

Asked if FATES WARNING has had to change the instrumental parts of some of the band's older songs in order to better suit his new vocal style, Alder said: "You've gotta work around different things where the high parts are, and a lot of the times I think it sounds much better the way it is, lowering certain things and [hitting] different notes. In hindsight, I wish I'd done what I'm doing now back then. [But] it was a thing at the time. Geoff [Tate] isn't really doing those anymore either… That's what we get for smoking and singing too much."

Regarding how he keeps his voice in shape when he is on tour, Alder said: "My main thing is I try not to smoke as much and definitely try not to drink as… It's not like the old days anymore. Of course when we were younger, we would party every night, and then I would really lose my voice. But now it's casual; [I have] a couple of glasses of wine and relax with everybody."

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral