Fates Warning "A Pleasant Shade Of Gray"

A Pleasant Shade of Gray is a concept album by the progressive metal group Fates Warning, released in 1997. It contains one song divided into twelve parts and is noted for its darker mood and more progressive style.

A Pleasant Shade Of Gray is a single song that is divided into twelve tracks. The album is notable for its darker mood and mixture of progressive rock and metal with hints of industrial, classical, and psychedelia. Jim Matheos wrote the album following Fates Warning's 1994 tour in support of Inside Out, with Matheos mailing tapes to Ray Alder and Mark Zonder. The record was recorded after two weeks of live rehearsals. It took approximately one month in Carriage House studio with Terry Brown producing to complete the recording. Then-former Armored Saint bassist Joey Vera and former Dream Theater keyboard player Kevin Moore were recruited to complete the recording lineup of Matheos, Alder, and Zonder.

Matheos said that the genesis of A Pleasant Shade of Gray's stark departure was the similarity of the previous two albums. "I think all of our records have been drastically different with the exception of Inside Out and Parallels [...] Looking back, that might not have been such a good move. We repeated ourselves and when we stepped away from it at the end of touring with it we weren't pleased with that; so this time we've done something radically different."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jim Matheos.

1. "A Pleasant Shade of Gray"

• I. "Part I" (1:53)
• II. "Part II" (3:25)
• III. "Part III" (3:53)
• IV. "Part IV" (4:26)
• V. "Part V" (5:24)
• VI. "Part VI" (7:28)
• VII. "Part VII" (4:51)
• VIII. "Part VIII" (3:31)
• IX. "Part IX" (4:45)
• X. "Part X" (1:19)
• XI. "Part XI" (3:34)
• XII. "Part XII" (9:08)"

Total length: 53:46

In 2007 the album was re-released by Metal Blade Europe with a bonus DVD of the Pleasant Shade of Gray Live video, previously only on VHS.

Note: This album contains one song divided into twelve chapters. After the last song, there is 20 seconds of bell ringing.

Catering: George Hideous, Fidel Horrendous and Arthur Letsgoberg at Salad Face International 

Art direction and design: Ioannis and Steven Jacaruso at Vivid Images Int.

Released on CD in Europe by Massacre Records.

Released on CD in the US by Metal Blade Records.

Released on tape by Wizard in 1997.

Re-released on CD with a bonus DVD by Metal Blade on October 6th, 2006.

The Dvd contain the "A Pleasant Shade of Gray - Live",

originally released in Video/VHS, in 1998

Japanese edition bonus track:

1. Part II (Remix Version) (04:41)

Note:

The same track is to be found on their 1997 "A Pleasant Shade of Gray: Part II" single.

Recording information:

Recorded, produced and mixed at the Carriage House, Stamfod CT, November - December 1996.

Mastering at Oasis.

Pre-production: Bill's Place.