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Fates Warning began in the early 1980's playing a traditional style of heavy metal. However, they quickly began to adopt a more technically proficient style and are considered by many to be the first true prog-metal band. While the band has subsequently moved in more melodic and ambient directions, they have remained a vibrant and well-respected cornerstone for the prog camp within the heavy metal strata. Their 1983 debut found the band in more traditional heavy metal territory but it was 1985 follow-up, The Spectre Within that guitarist Jim Matheos and Co. moved towards more complex arrangements. Home to standouts like "Traveler in Time," "Epitaph" and "The Apparition," the transitional effort is both an important record in the history of Fates Warning and the prog-metal genre.