QUEENSRYCHE (ABO #009)

QUEENSRYCHE
BAND IN A BOX (1983-2007)

Although often labelled as a progressive metal band, I feel Queensrÿche is much more than that.
The band was formed in the early 80's in Seattle, a bad time for American metal as the rock scene was, then, mostly dominated by AOR bands such as Foreigner, Journey, Mister Mister or Reo Speedwagon, there was thus no commercial goal in playing this music.
A five piece with twin guitars and a high-pitched vocalist, Queensrÿche soon drew comparisons with Iron Maiden and, indeed, their self titled EP and debut album, The Warning, displayed a similar heavy metal as both bands included progressive aspects in their music.
Two years after establishing themselves as one of the very few rising stars of American heavy metal, the band took a whole other path with their second album (Rage For Order) where new wave and pop influences surfaced. In my humble opinion, this was a groundbreaking and fantastic album, one I still can't grow tired of more it than 20 years after it was released. Sadly, Rage For Order didn't meet its audience and found nothing but contempt among metal-heads.
The band, struggling to survive this unfair blow, then produced a more classic concept heavy metal album that still remains one of his fans favourites: Operation Mindcrime. A fine album actually though it saddened me to hear the band take a step back in its evolution. Next, they produced what remains their biggest hit, Empire. A more commercial album but laden with terrific songs including the chart-topper Silent Lucidity, a beautiful ballad with string arrangements by Michael Kamen. The band, then, toured a lot to confirm the praise they received so that it took three years to see a new Queensrÿche album hit the stores. And what a terrific album that was! Promised Land has some of Queensrÿche's finest material (Out Of Mind, Promised Land and its Pink Floyd influences, Lady Jane, Someone Else? with only a piano and Geoff Tate wonderful voice) and a more organic sound that fits the songs so well.
From there, the band's creativity decreased from an album to another. 1997's Hear In The Now Frontier still has quite a handful of good songs but suffers from a kind of "grungy" production that doesn't give the compositions the clarity it would have deserved. It was also the final album including founder/guitarist/main composer Chris de Garmo. The next two albums, 1999's Q2K and 2003's Tribe are but a pale reflection of what the band used to be. Very few songs can be saved from either albums (I only used two from Q2K and one from Tribe on this compilation). I have to admit I lost faith in the band's talent by then.
But a new era may have begun with 2006's Operation Mindcrime II, sequel to their most revered album. Sure, one can see the band's decision to produce a follow-up to what metal-heads consider an ultimate classic as a commercially-aimed decision, but, the fact is that the quality of the songs proved a return to form I wasn't expecting. It's not the good ole 'Ryche I loved in the 80's and 90's but it's no longer the ghost the band displayed on their two previous albums.
Finally, the band released, last year, a cover album. My hope were quite high when I saw the tracklisting included Floyd's Welcome to the Machine, Police's Synchronicity II (a personal favourite), Queen's Innuendo or Peter Gabriel's Red Rain and I have to concede that I was disappointed by the overall result. Nethertheless, two of those eleven covers worked for me : Red Rain (though it doesn't reach the soles of the feet of Gabriel's version) and Black Sabbath's Neon Knights where Goeff and co prove they're, more than anything else, a true good heavy metal band. Those two songs are, therefore, included in this compilation.
Enjoy the lot and leave a shitload of comments!

CD1
1. Queen Of The Reich
2. Warning
3. Roads To Madness
4. Walking In The Shadows
5. I Dream In Infrared (acoutic mix)
6. Gonna Get Close To You
7. Neue Regel
8. I Will Remember
9. Revolution Calling
10. Mission
11. Suite Sister Mary
12. Jet City Woman
13. Della Brown
14. Silent Lucidity

CD 2
1. Scarborough Fair (Simon & Garfunkel)
2. Out Of Mind
3. Bridge
4. Promised Land
5. Lady Jane
6. Someone Else?
7. Sign of the Times
8. All I Want
9. spOOl
10. Liquid Sky
11. The Right Side Of My Mind
12. Rhythm of Hope
13. I'm American
14. One Foot In Hell
15. The Hands
16. Re-Arrange You
17. Neon Knights (Black Sabbath)

18. Red Rain (Peter Gabriel)