''No Exit'' is the fourth studio album by

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...

band Fates Warning, released in 1988 through

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distr ...

.Rivadavia, Eduardo
"No Exit - Fates Warning"
''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

''. All Media Network. Retrieved 2014-07-16. It is the first Fates Warning album to feature current singer

Ray Alder Ray Alder (born Raymond Balderrama, August 20, 1967) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist of the progressive metal band Fates Warning since their 1988 release ''No Exit''. He is of Mexican descent. He has released two albums ''Engi ...

, who replaced John Arch after the release of '' Awaken the Guardian'' (1986), as well as the last to feature drummer Steve Zimmerman, who left the band just prior to the recording of their subsequent album '' Perfect Symmetry'' (1989). The album's title was inspired by ''

No Exit ''No Exit'' (french: Huis clos, links=no, ) is a 1944 existentialist French play by Jean-Paul Sartre. The play was first performed at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in May 1944. The play begins with three characters who find themselves waiting ...

'', a 1944

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

written by French philosopher

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and lit ...

Music and style

Musically, ''No Exit'' is fairly similar to the band's previous efforts, although incorporating more elements of

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

while still maintaining the complex structures and powerful vocal performances found in the earlier albums. Although the lyrics are less influenced by fantasy themes which were predominant in the earlier albums, the philosophical element is still present.

Reissues

''No Exit'' has had two major reissues. The first was in 1992 as part of a double album with '' Awaken the Guardian''. The second was a remastered edition containing three bonus tracks and a DVD of live material, released on September 4, 2007 to coincide with Metal Blade's 25th anniversary.

Reception

Eduardo Rivadavia at

gave ''No Exit'' four stars out of five, saying "Usually regarded as the finest release from Fates Warning's early years, when their progressive leanings were tempered with no small amount of classic metal riffing, ''No Exit'' is a typically difficult album to come to grips with." The album reached No. 111 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200"No Exit - Fates Warning , Awards"
''

''. All Media Network. Retrieved 2014-07-16. and remained on that chart for thirteen weeks, longer than any of the band's albums before or since. "Fates Warning - Chart history" '' Billboard''. Retrieved 2014-07-16. In a 2007 article by

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

, it was ranked No. 14 on their list of "Top 25 Metal Albums".T. Spence D; T. Ed (2007-01-20)
"Top 25 Metal albums"
.

. Retrieved 2014-07-16.

Track listing

Personnel

–

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

, arrangement * Jim Matheos –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

, arrangement *

Frank Aresti Frank Aresti is an American guitarist and composer and former member of progressive metal band Fates Warning. Background Aresti was in a metal band called Demonax before joining Fates Warning. His first appearance was during the tour of 1985, ...

– guitar, arrangement *Mark Castiglione –

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

*Steve Zimmerman – drums,

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

, arrangement *Joe DiBiase – bass, arrangement *Phil Magnotti –

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

, mixing *Roger Probert – mixing,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

Max Norman Max Norman is a British record producer and recording engineer active since 1973. He produced many acclaimed heavy metal releases. While Norman was resident engineer at Ridge Farm Studios in London, Ozzy Osbourne was recording his debut solo ...

– mixing, executive production

Chart performance

References

External links

Fates Warning: No Exit (25th Anniversary Remastered Edition)
at Sea of Tranquility {{Authority control Fates Warning albums 1988 albums Metal Blade Records albums