Queensryche

[Iceni]

Probably the first older progressive metal group I ever discovered. I heard them on the radio and investigated, and I really liked Empire. In any event, I've heard others on this forum say good things about them so I thought it'd be good to start a thread.

[BlutAusNerd]

Empire is too poppy for me, I definitely prefer their material before that album. Their older releases are great heavy/power metal, and Rage For Order is good, but Operation: Mindcrime is where it's at. It took me a while to realize why, but that's one of the few albums that receives high accolades that I can honestly say isn't even a little bit overrated. It's fucking incredible in every way, I haven't listened to it since our roadtrip to Denver Doomfest and I've still got the songs stuck in my head.

[H34VYM3T4LD4V3]

Only heard 1 song by these guys, I don't believe in love, pretty good

[BlutAusNerd]

Re: Queensryche

Only heard 1 song by these guys' date=' I don't believe in love, pretty good [/quote'] You would dig the shit out of their first album and EP. Look up the songs Queen of the Reich and En Force for examples. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

[Iceni]

I did enjoy Operation Mindcrime, and even the early albums sound good to me. I am in the middle of exploring their later stuff just now. How does the post-Empire stuff sound? I know people had mixed views on American Soldier... The funniest thing is, I actually heard these guys on the radio first.

[RelentlessOblivion]

I've only got the EP and Operation Mindcrime but both are just fantastic in every way

[H34VYM3T4LD4V3]

Re: Queensryche

You would dig the shit out of their first album and EP. Look up the songs Queen of the Reich and En Force for examples. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

I shall check those out

[ReturntoCarthage]

First album and EP are undeniable classics. Tate's vocals are full of energy and the solos and mixtures of classic heavy metal riffs with some prog touches even on The Warning make it memorable heavy metal, everything afterward including Rage for order is subpar garbage.

[Iceni]

I liked Operation: Mindcrime, I think it still had a prog bent by combining a more ambient feel with keyboards while retaining some loud riffs and soaring melodies one would expect from 80's metal/hard rock, accompanied with a slightly more serious subject matter.

[BlutAusNerd]

Re: Queensryche

I liked Operation: Mindcrime' date=' I think it still had a prog bent by combining a more ambient feel with keyboards while retaining some loud riffs and soaring melodies one would expect from 80's metal/hard rock, accompanied with a slightly more serious subject matter.[/quote'] It's more progressive in the way it is written than actual playing techniques. Some of the playing does have progressive tendencies though, and certainly plenty of talent went into it. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

[Iceni]

It's more progressive in the way it is written than actual playing techniques. Some of the playing does have progressive tendencies though' date=' and certainly plenty of talent went into it.[/quote'] I do know it's a concept album, but I rarely listen to a given album as a whole because I prefer songs to stand out on their own. That might just be because I'm cheap and I want a good riffage for my dollar ratio. That's why I'll never buy any Opeth... I've only heard a little bit of their early material but it is pretty interesting from what I remember.

[MacabreEternal]

The new Queensryche album is allegedly very good (the Queensryche without bonkers Tate that is). I've read one review that states it to be the album that should have come between "..Mindcrime" and "Empire" which counds promising to say the least. I will wait to hear it myself before making a final judgement though.

[deathstorm]

i have it on preordered from century media with deluxe verison so awsome new cd with la torre

[NTNR]

All their material up to and including 'Promised Land' is great. Their first EP is a bit boring and 'Hear in the Now Frontier' has some good stuff, they stopped making quality music after said album. I have liked what little I've heard from the La Torre fronted version but will need to hear more and be blown away by it before I'd consider buying it. I'd probably see them now however.

[RelentlessOblivion]

I liked the EP I thought it was great stuff, especially Queen Of The Reich

[MacabreEternal]

Just listening to the (limited) stream on I-Tunes and it's enough to make me want to buy it. La Torre is a great vocalist - his style fits perfectly with the bands direction. I have just been playing "Empire" on loop since I got home form work and it now rates above "..Mindcrime" in my book (which is a bit of a strong statement considering the mastery of "..Mindcrime"). The majesty of "Silent Lucidity" the hooks of "Jet City Woman" and "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" and the consistency of quality overall make it too strong to resist. I find "..Mindcrime" is muted somewhat by it's concept set up. I know it's a story and it shouldn't start at a million miles an hour but I just find "Empire" more accessible by comparison. "..Mindcrime" is still fucking awesome though!

[Iceni]

Great to hear! I liked Empire too (and more than Mindcrime, I think): it's the album that got me into the band. Another Rainy Night Without You is still my favorite song by them, I'll admit.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Mindcrime is one of those albums that if you just listen to individual songs it doesn't seem all that great but when you put all those parts together it's phenomenal. It's the same feel I get from Rush's 2112 if you just listen to the individual parts it's ok but not great but all together it's greater then the sum of its parts

[JMD]

I've been a QR fan for quite a while. I first heard them back when the EP came out and followed them right up through HITNF. After that I stopped buying the newer stuff as it did nothing for me. Year after year, album after album I tried to figure what was going on with them, the material seemed to get worse with each album. I picked up the new self titled Queensryche album with Todd singing and it's fantastic. One of the best QR albums to come out in quite some time and one I'd put right up there with their best work.

[Iceni]

Mindcrime is one of those albums that if you just listen to individual songs it doesn't seem all that great but when you put all those parts together it's phenomenal. It's the same feel I get from Rush's 2112 if you just listen to the individual parts it's ok but not great but all together it's greater then the sum of its parts

The only band I will allow to do that is Diabolical Masquerade on the Death's Design album.

[FatherAlabaster]

Gotta say... I listened to some of the new album on streaming radio and I was unimpressed. It might be the first thing they've put out in nearly 20 years that doesn't flat-out suck, but it's not really all that good either. The vocalist sounds great, but I found the songs to be a little too slow and lacking in overall energy. I could hear everything on there being bumped up by five or ten BPM and played with some guts. Maybe it'll grow on me. But man, the heart of the Queensryche that I grew up with was Chris DeGarmo.

[ReturntoCarthage]

I know there are even a few moments where I swear to god the nu-metal riffs just slaughtered my expectations. I made it to song four before I stopped De la torre's vocals are poorly utilized/layered, and the riffs sound like they toured with Disturbed and their guy used his leftovers and branded them with the QR logo TM.

[FatherAlabaster]

I don't know what's up with the nu-metal influence. I hear it too. I think they've been caught between Michael Wilton's uninspired riffing and Geoff Tate's dream of intellectual pop superstardom since Q2K. Maybe they think those parts are "stripped down and heavy" instead of just lacking in imagination and drive... Whatever the reason, they should have stopped after Promised Land instead of grinding their brand into the dirt with so many bad albums. Then I might feel excited about this new thing, instead of listening to it once out of a sense of obligation.

[RelentlessOblivion]

I think they've forgotten how to be Queensryche to be honest. All that time under Tate's influence has seen them lose touch with what made them a good band and now we're left with this misguided attempt to recapture their former glory instead of simply giving up the ghost.

[FatherAlabaster]

When talking about Queensryche... Let's just never forget that this actually happened: i0_THrxYs1w