It’s all got a bit Handbags-at-dawn with Queensryche recently, the latest chapter being the Geoff Tate version rushing an album out to try and get the jump on this the “Wilton/Jackson/Rockenfeld” Queensryche. All this petty squabbling over the name does keep throwing up one question more pertinent to Queensryche. Geoff Tate is the voice of Queensryche, instantly recognizable, as soon as he starts singing most fans recognise a new Queensryche track. But does his voice alone denote what IS a Queensryche track? Well, most people who have heard the Geoff Tate Queensryche will now realize that even if it is called Queensryche, it can still come across like a messy, direction-less, poorly written tribute album. And his re-recordings? Seriously? If Tate wanted to prove once and for all that it’s not really Queensryche without the other guys he couldn’t have done a better job!
But back to this album, and is it Queensryche WITHOUT Geoff Tate? Well, I’ll come back to the vocals in a minute, because what makes a Queensryche track for me is Michael Wilton’s guitar-style, riffs and chord progressions, Eddie Jackson’s driving bass playing and the fabulous drumming of Scott Rockenfield. These three musicians and their arrangements make a Queensryche song…but yes, the vocals are what truly finishes it, completes it, and makes it instantly recognizable as a Queensryche song.
So obviously this album’s typical Queensryche intro, leading into the opening bars of ‘Where Dreams Go To Die’ immediately backs up this point. But nothing prepares you for the WTF moment of the vocals kicking in. Geoff Tate, in his prime and at his best, singing classic Queensryche vocal lines!! Honestly! An album hasn’t sounded so instantly “Queensryche” to me since Promised Land. If I hadn’t just heard how “watered down” Tate’s voice now sounds, I would be ecstatic to hear a classic metal vocalist back to his best. But it’s not him is it? Nope, this is find-of-the-decade Todd La Torre. OK, it’s a shame Crimson Glory found him first, but Glory main-man John Drenning should know better than to crow about this great vocalist he’s got, then do bugger-all with him for three years until he finally crossed paths with a member of Queensryche. It’s a no-brainer for Todd really. Nice one John…now you have another excuse to wait ten more years to complete a new Crimson Glory album…
But Wow – this IS Queensryche. It can be no-one else. It’s classic Queensryche…but it’s somehow current too. It sounds fresh, yet familiar. It’s like each song is 2013 Queensryche with added…something from the past. For instance, the aforementioned ‘Where Dreams Go To Die’, has plenty of the “Empire” era in it, the dynamic ‘Spore’ has me recalling “Rage For Order” (but with a latter-day chorus) and ‘Redemption’ has a real feel of ‘Damaged’ from “Promised Land”. Three tracks chosen at random, as an example, and long-term fans of the band will find many more to please them I’m sure.
I just don’t see how we can have 2 Queensryche’s when you have this monster of a line up against what sounds like a tribute act or at best a Geoff Tate solo album. The fight is over – don’t let lawyers profit from all this. Pull your head in Geoff, maybe go and have a chat with Biff from Saxon to see if both sides prosper from behaving like this! OK, Geoff Tate WAS the voice of Queensryche, but he’s moved on and despite doing everything to the contrary, he had shown that he isn’t any more. Queensryche have a new singer and seemingly effortlessly, they sound better than they have in years.
(8/10 – Andy Barker)
25/06/2013 at 4:24 am
agreed!
26/06/2013 at 1:03 pm
Going to have to check this one out! I’ve always suspected Todd could carry off Queensryche material better than Tate, especially now Geoff has the added problem of performing with his head stuck firmly up his arse.
28/06/2013 at 9:56 am
Haha, very good! Maybe that really IS Tate’s problem!