Ray Alder (7,710 views)

[Zedd Squared]

Member Of: Fates Warning (1987-present), Engine (1999-2002), Redemption (2004-2016), A-Z (2020-present), North Sea Echoes (2023-present)
Voice Type: Tenor
Vocal Range: F♯2-G♯5

High Notes:

G♯5 ("Nothing Left to Say", "Quietus")
G5 ("Acquiescence", "Daylight Dreamers", "Exodus" live Philadelphia 1989, "Pull Me Under" live California 1998)
F♯5 ("Exodus" live Philadelphia 1989, "Fata Morgana" live Allentown 1989, "In a Word", "Nothing Left to Say", "Shades of Heavenly Death", "Static Acts")
F5 ("Acquiescence", "Anarchy Divine", "The Apparition" live 1989, "The Arena", "The Eleventh Hour", "Shades of Heavenly Death", "Silent Cries", "Taste")
E5 ("Closer to the Heart", "Damnation" live Connecticut 1992, "Exodus" live Philadelphia 1989, "Eye to Eye", "Fata Morgana" live Allentown 1989, "Guardian" live John Arch Duet 1994, "Ivory Tower", "Part of the Machine", "Prelude to Ruin" live 1998, "Rise Again", "Shades of Heavenly Death", "Static Acts", "Through Different Eyes")
E♭5 ("Acquiescence", "Anarchy Divine", "In a Word", "Ivory Tower", "Nothing Left to Say", "Quietus", "Shades of Heavenly Death", "Teach Me")
D5 ("The Arena", "Blink of an Eye", "The Eleventh Hour", "Fata Morgana" live Allentown 1989, "Guardian" 1994 Soundcheck, "Part of the Machine", "Point of View", "Take Hold of the Flame" live Seattle 2019, "You're Awake")
C♯5 ("Cold Daze", "Daylight Dreamers", "Exodus" live Philadelphia 1989, "Eye to Eye", "Fata Morgana" live Allentown 1989, "In Trance", "Ivory Tower", "Leave the Past Behind", "Life in Still Water", "Nothing Left to Say", "Part III", "Part XI", "Part of the Machine", "Prelude to Ruin" live 1998, "Quietus", "Shades of Heavenly Death", "Static Acts", "Teach Me", "Through Different Eyes", "Window Panes")
C5 ("The Apparition" live 1989, "At Day's End", "Blink of an Eye", "Borrowed Time", "The Broken Past", "The Center of the Fire", "Changes", "DysUtopia", "Edge of the Blade", "The Far Side of the Horizon", "The Machine Gunner", "Mine", "Monster", "Part of the Machine", "Point of View", "Shades of Heavenly Death", "Shades of the Night", "Silent Cries", "Sometimes", "The Strand", "Suffocated", "Teach Me", "Turn a New Leaf", "A World Apart", "You're Awake")
B4 ("Blind My Eyes", "Borrowed Time", "The Broken Past", "Carve a Smile", "The Cast-Out", "Crown of Thorns", "Damnation" live Connecticut 1992, "Day & Night", "The Death of Faith and Reason", "The Destination Onward", "Down to the Wire", "Draw the Line", "Escape Hatch", "Eye to Eye", "Face the Fear", "The Far Side of the Horizon", "The Fullness of Time: II. Despair", "Glass Houses", "Guardian" live 1994, "Hold the Line", "In Trance", "Invader", "Island in the Stream", "Jane", "The Killing Floor", "Leave the Past Behind", "The Light and Shade of Things", "Lost", "The Machine Gunner", "Memory", "My Oblivion", "Nothing Left to Say", "One", "Outside Looking In", "Part VI", "Part IX", "Part XI", "Part XII", "Perfect", "Prelude to Ruin" live 1998, "The Real Thing", "The Road", "The Road Goes On Forever", "Shelter Me", "Shuttered World", "The Silence Broken", "Stranded", "Superholic", "Take Hold of the Flame" live Seattle 2019, "This Hollow Shell", "Threads", "Trial by Fire", "Tunnel at the End of the Light", "Unfolding", "The Way Home", "We Move Around the Sun", "We Only Say Goodbye", "Where I'm From", "White Flag", "Window Panes", "You're Awake")
B♭4 ("Acquiescence", "Alone", "And Yet It Moves", "The Arena", "At Day's End", "At the Waters Edge", "Bear Your Cross", "A Beautiful Lie", "Begin Again", "Bleed Me Dry", "Blink of an Eye", "The Broken Past", "The Center of the Fire", "Changes", "Cold Daze", "Crawl", "Dreams from the Pit", "Edge of the Blade", "The Eleventh Hour", "Fascination Street", "From the Rooftops", "The Ghosts of Home", "Home", "I Am", "I Don't Need", "Inside Room 6", "Into the Black", "Ivory Tower", "Keep Wandering", "The Killing Floor", "Left Here", "Liar", "The Light and Shade of Things", "The Longest Shadow of the Day", "Losing Ground", "Man of Glass", "Midnight Desert Rendezvous", "Mine", "Noonday Devil", "Now Comes the Rain", "One Thousand Fires", "Peel", "The Perfect Star", "Realize", "Pale Fire", "Part of the Machine", "Perfect", "Point of View", "The Real Thing", "River Wide Ocean Deep", "Sapphire", "Save Me", "Scarred", "Seven Stars", "Shades of Heavenly Death", "Shades of the Night", "Shine", "Shuttered World", "Simple Human", "SOS", "The Strand", "Stranger (With a Familiar Face)", "Suffocated", "Superholic", "Taste", "This Hollow Shell", "Those Words I Bled", "Trial by Fire", "Tunnel at the End of the Light", "Turn a New Leaf", "Wait", "Walls", "Window Panes", "Wish", "A World Apart")
A4 ("Alone We Walk", "The Art of Loss", "At Day's End", "Begin Again", "Black and White World", "Bleed Me Dry", "Blind My Eyes", "Blink of an Eye", "The Cast-Out", "Changes", "Chasing Time", "Closer to the Heart", "Damaged", "Day & Night", "The Death of Faith and Reason", "Departure of the Pale Horse", "Desire", "Desperation, Part II", "The Destination Onward", "Don't Follow Me", "Down to the Wire", "Draw the Line", "Dreams from the Pit", "DysUtopia", "Escape Hatch", "Face the Fear", "Fall on You", "Falling Star", "The Far Side of the Horizon", "Firefly", "Fistful of Sand", "The Fullness of Time: I. Rage", "The Fullness of Time: III. Release", "The Fullness of Time: IV. Transcendence", "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding", "Glass Houses", "Hands of Time", "Heal Me", "Home", "Hope Dies Last", "I Am", "In Trance", "Inside Room 6", "Island in the Stream", "Jane", "Keep Breathing", "Kneel and Obey", "Leave the Past Behind", "Let It Rain", "Leviathan Rising", "Liar", "Life in Still Water", "Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen", "Love Kills Us All/Life in One Day', "Love to Love", "Man of Glass", "Memory", "Monument", "My Oblivion", "No Tickets to the Funeral", "Noonday Devil", "One", "One Thousand Fires", "The Origins of Ruin", "Outside Looking In", "Pale Fire", "Parker's Eyes", "Part II", "Part III", "Part IV", "Part V", "Part VI", "Part VII", "Passengers", "Perfect", "Pieces of Me", "Point of View", "Pull Me Under" live California 1998, "Rain", "Rise Again", "Run Away", "Sapphire", "Scarred", "Scars", "Seven Stars", "Shelter Me", "The Silence Broken", "So", "Some Days", "Sometimes", "SOS", "Something for Nothing", "Still Remains", "Stranded", "Stronger Than Death", "Suffocated", "The Suffocating Silence", "Those Words I Bled", "Threads", "Throwing Stones", "Tunnel at the End of the Light", "Under Dark Skies", "Unformed", "Used to Be", "Wait", "Waiting for Some Sun", "Walls", "The Way Home", "What the Water Wanted", "White Flag", "Window Panes", "You're Awake")
G♯4 ("Alone", "Alone We Walk", "And Yet It Moves", "Another Perfect Day", "Bear Your Cross", "A Beautiful Lie", "Black and White World", "Damaged", "Day & Night", "The Death of Faith and Reason", "Departure of the Pale Horse", "The Destination Onward", "Draw the Line", "The Eleventh Hour", "Empty", "Eye to Eye", "Fascination Street", "Firefly", "Focus", "From the Rooftops", "The Ghosts of Home", "A Handful of Doubt", "Heal Me", "I Don't Need", "I Know", "In a Word", "In Trance", "Into the Black", "The Killing Floor", "Kneel and Obey", "The Last Song", "Left Here", "The Light and Shade of Things", "Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen", "The Longest Shadow of the Day", "Losing Ground", "Love Kills Us All/Life in One Day", "The Machine Gunner", "Monster", "Monument", "Nothing Left to Say", "Now Comes the Rain", "Outside Looking In", "Part III", "Part XI", "Quietus", "Realize", "River Wide Ocean Deep", "The Road", "The Road Goes On Forever", "Run Away", "Save Me", "Shine", "Silence the Enemy", "Silent Cries", "Simple Human", "Something for Nothing", "Still Remains", "Stranger (With a Familiar Face)", "Stronger Than Death", "The Suffocating Silence", "Superholic", "Through Different Eyes", "Turn a New Leaf", "Under Dark Skies", "Under the Sun", "Used to Be", "The Way Home", "Where I'm From", "White Flag", "Wish", "A World Apart")
G4 ("Afterglow", "Alone", "The Art of Loss", "At Day's End", "At the Waters Edge", "Bleed Me Dry", "Blind My Eyes", "Borrowed Time", "Carve a Smile", "The Center of the Fire", "Crawl", "Crown of Thorns", "Day & Night", "Desire", "Don't Follow Me", "Down to the Wire", "Dreams from the Pit", "Escape Hatch", "Face the Fear", "Fall on You", "Falling Star", "Fascination Street", "Focus", "The Fullness of Time: II. Despair", "The Fullness of Time: I. Rage", "Guardian" live 1994, "A Handful of Doubt", "Hands of Time", "Hold the Line", "Home", "Hope Dies Last", "Island in the Stream", "Keep Breathing", "Let It Rain", "Leviathan Rising", "Losing Ground", "Lost", "Love Kills Us All/Life in One Day", "Love to Love", "Man of Glass", "Mine", "One", "One Thousand Fires", "Parker's Eyes", "Part V", "Part VI", "Part VII", "Part IX", "Passengers", "Path of the Whirlwind", "Perfect", "Quietus", "The Real Thing", "Realize", "Rise Again", "River Wide Ocean Deep", "Sapphire", "Save Me", "Scars", "Shades of the Night", "Shelter Me", "Slouching Towards Bethlehem", "Some Days", "The Strand", "That Golden Light", "Thirty Silver", "Those Words I Bled", "Under the Milky Way", "Unformed", "Waiting for Some Sun", "Walls", "We Only Say Goodbye", "What the Water Wanted", "What Will You Say?", "When Snow Falls", "A World Apart")

Low Notes:

E3 ("Black and White World", "The Cast-Out", "Desperation, Part II", "Escape Hatch", "Fall on You", "The Far Side of the Horizon", "The Fullness of Time: II. Despair", "The Fullness of Time: I. Rage", "Heal Me", "In Trance", "Life in Still Water", "Love to Love", "Memory", "Midnight Desert Rendezvous", "The Origins of Ruin", "Part II", "Part IX", "Part XII", "Peel", "Quietus", "The Real Thing", "Realize", "Sapphire", "Silence the Enemy", "Some Days", "Stranded", "This Hollow Shell", "Those Words I Bled", "Threads", "Throwing Stones", "Turn a New Leaf", "Under Dark Skies", "Unfolding", "Unformed", "Used to Be", "We Move Around the Sun", "We Only Say Goodbye")
E♭3 ("Bear Your Cross", "The Broken Past", "Face the Fear", "From the Rooftops", "The Ghosts of Home", "A Handful of Doubt", "I Don't Need", "Into the Black", "Keep Breathing", "Keep Wandering", "The Killing Floor", "The Light and Shade of Things", "Love Kills Us All/Life in One Day", "Love Reign O'er Me", "The Mission", "Quietus" 1988 demo, "River Wide Ocean Deep", "Save Me", "Taste", "Touch the Sky", "The Way Home", "Where I'm From", "Whispers on the Wind", "Wish", "A World Apart")
D3 ("The Art of Loss", "At Day's End", "Begin Again", "Crown of Thorns", "Desperation, Part II", "The Eleventh Hour", "Escape Hatch", "Flowers in Decay", "The Fullness of Time: I. Rage", "The Fullness of Time: III. Release", "The Fullness of Time: IV. Transcendence", "Inside Room 6", "Keep Breathing", "Keep Wandering", "Let It Rain", "Lighthouse", "Love Kills Us All/Life in One Day", "Love to Love", "No Maps", "Open Book", "Parker's Eyes", "Part VI", "Pray Your Gods", "The Real Thing", "Slouching Towards Bethlehem", "Some Days", "Still Remains", "The Strand", "Stranded", "Stronger Than Death", "That Golden Light", "Thirty Silver", "Waiting for Some Sun", "The Way Home", "What Will You Say?", "When Snow Falls")
C♯3 ("Adela", "Alone We Walk", "The Destination Onward", "Empty", "I Don't Need", "The Killing Floor", "The Light and Shade of Things", "Love Kills Us All/Life in One Day", "Memory", "Midnight Desert Rendezvous", "Monument", "Part I", "The Perfect Star", "Stranger (With a Familiar Face)", "Taste", "Used to Be", "Where I'm From", "Wish")
C3 ("Alone", "At Day's End", "Bear Your Cross", "The Far Side of the Horizon", "Falling Star", "Fascination Street", "Keep Breathing", "Keep Wandering", "Lighthouse", "Mine", "Shades of the Night", "So", "Still Remains", "Teach Me", "That Golden Light", "Tree of Life", "Under the Milky Way", "Unmoved")
B2 ("Alone We Walk", "The Center of the Fire", "Empty", "Falling Star", "Flowers in Decay", "Inside Room 6", "Monument", "No Maps", "Part VI", "Pray Your Gods", "Slouching Towards Bethlehem", "This Hollow Shell", "Throwing Stones", "When Snow Falls")
B♭2 ("Changes", "Now Comes the Rain", "Shades of the Night", "Where I'm From", "Wish")
A2 ("The Center of the Fire", "Flowers in Decay", "No Maps", "Under the Milky Way", "Wait")
G♯2 ("Alone We Walk")
G2 ("Shades of the Night", "Under the Milky Way")
F♯2 ("Touch the Sky")

Ray Alder's wonderfully smooth and emotional singing style is instantly recognizable. He's been fronting Fates Warning since 1987 and has continued to evolve and adapt his vocal style to the various musical worlds that they have traversed, all while maintaining a tremendous quality of vocal tone. Their cerebral and progressive metal style grants him plenty of room to explore his vocal capabilities, but he generally chooses to emphasize emotional content over technical demonstrations, allowing his voice to age something like a fine wine. In the first few years of his career he was a total 80s metal screamer but he quickly transitioned into a more soulful vocal style that has since become his trademark. He hasn't been stagnant since that transition however, as his work with Redemption and especially Engine showcased a more aggressive and direct approach that expanded his style even further. Ultimately, I consider Ray to be one of the most criminally underrated voices of his genre, and one of the few who continues to remain relevant both artistically and as a singer to this day.

Note: I have counted all of the tracks from the A Pleasant Shade of Gray album as their "Part" number in order to avoid cluttering the OP. I have also listed all of the sections of The Ivory Gate of Dreams by the section title (such as Acquiescence or Daylight Dreamers) for the same reason.
.......................................................
*Underlines mark notes in backing vocals or otherwise muffled/obscured in the mix.
*Blue marks soft and/or disconnected sounding falsetto notes.
*Green marks screamed notes.
*Grey marks solidly pitched vocal fry notes.
*Italics mark spoken notes.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}G2 ("This Hollow Shell" ^[1]
F2 (Sung in Making of "Parallels" Documentary ^[5])
B♭1 ("Monster" ^[5])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Album Ranges}Fates Warning

No Exit (1988): E♭3-G♯5
Perfect Symmetry (1989): E♭3-F♯5-G♯5
Parallels (1991): D3-F5
Inside Out (1994): B2-C5
A Pleasant Shade of Gray (1997): B2-C♯5
Disconnected (2000): C3-B4
Fates Warning X (2004): B♭2-B♭4
Darkness in a Different Light (2013): C3-B♭4
Theories of Flight (2016): C♯3-B4
Long Day Good Night (2020): G♯2-B4

Engine

Engine (1999): B2-D5-F5
Superholic (2002): C3-C5

Redemption

The Fullness of Time (2005): D3-B4
The Origins of Ruin (2007): C♯3-B4
Snowfall on Judgment Day (2009): C3-B♭4
This Mortal Coil (2011): D3-D5
The Art of Loss (2016): A2-C5

Ray Alder

What the Water Wants (2019): A2-B4
II (2023): B♭2-C5

A-Z

A-Z (2022): C3-C5-E5

Figure of Speechless

Tunnel at the End of the Light (2022): B2-C5

North Sea Echoes

Really Good Terrible Things (2024): F♯2-A2-G♯4-B4

[Zedd Squared]

This thread has finally been updated with some bolds. Definitely missing some standout ones I suspect as the Engine and Redemption discographies aren't as well engrained into my head, but it's a starter set y'know?

[Zedd Squared]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOG1pY7KmU4&t=54
Huh so Alder hit a second kinda countable G2! This is a really good guest vocal appearance overall though, very passionate and a good usage of his lower register in general (nice C3s and Bb2s).

[Zedd Squared]

Finished adding notes from the new Fates Warning album to this OP. In doing that update though it led me to re-examine his fry C2 and I'm starting to think it's countable.

Here it is: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOA7GdcKCq4&t=226

Thoughts? Also, does it actually get to Bb1 on "and we're ALL"?

[Hennessy Macklemore III]

Maaaan, that's one of those fry notes that I would say is TECHNICALLY countable as a grey note, but I feel annoyed about doing so lol, because it's such a disconnect from the rest of his range and creates such a wide gap for an underwhelming note. It's kinda like Jonny Hawkins and Daniel Heiman's fry notes - if they had more notes closer to that range I might not mind as much, but both of them bottom out in the mid to upper second octave, then have all these random first octave fry notes that I'm not sure what to do with.

But yeah, I hear it bottoming at B♭1. Make of that as you will haha

[Zedd Squared]

Finally felt like notewatching again for the first time in 5 months or so and got this OP updated with all the notes from the new A-Z album. Pretty fun stuff and he hits more C5s than he has in quite a while (plus a semi-backing E5, though it sounds a little unusual in terms of identity).

[MrToddington]

Ray Alder sang a bit of Pull Me Under with James LaBrie/DT back in 1998.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7OBzPhMbQ4&t=1h24m

Some bog-standard A4s at the 1:24:00 timestamp, but then a random G5 shows up at 1:24:20, lol.