Queensryche (Official Thread)

[Magic]

Although I personally didn't like Dedicated or Frequency Unknown I actually do agree Magic some of those albums had some good stuff to remember. I am curious to your thoughts on Operation Mindcrime II?

Operation Mindcrime II is just ok. You can tell the band was in chaos just by the music. It lacked that cohesion you get when band members are happy and working together. It’s like an orchestra without a proper conductor on the podium.

The production was off, too. The sound quality was substandard for Queensryche. The rhythm section was muted. In my opinion, OM II sounded rushed; it could have been tweaked a bit more and I think we all would have felt better about the album.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Operation Mindcrime and The Warning will always be my favorites. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on their discography, @Magic . It makes me want to give more of them a chance outside of the first handful of albums. I thank you especially for recommending American Soldier... Which I went and listened to recently a few times over. It was a touching surprise. Very emotive and dark.

 

[Magic]

2013.
This was a pivotal year for Queensryche(s). A lot going on in 2013.

Both versions of Queensryche released albums.

Geoff Tate files a lawsuit to prevent old members from using the name “Queensryche” as well as old songs. The old members file a counter law suit to prevent Geoff Tate from using the “Queensryche” name and old songs.
Queensryche #1

• Todd La Torre – lead vocals
• Michael Wilton – lead guitar
• Parker Lundgren – rhythm guitar
• Eddie Jackson – bass, backing vocals
• Scott Rockenfield – drums, orchestral arrangements

Queensryche #2

• Geoff Tate – lead vocals (on all tracks)
• Kelly Gray – guitar solo (on track 1)
• Robert Sarzo – guitar solo (track 3)
• Rudy Sarzo – bass (on tracks 1, 5, and 9)
• Simon Wright – drums (on tracks 1 and 5)
• Randy Gane – keyboards (on tracks 1, 5–6, and 8–10), bass (on track 10), orchestration (on track 14), answering machine message (on track 12)

Additional musicians

• Craig Locicero – rhythm guitars (on tracks 1–10)
• Jason Slater – bass (on tracks 2–4, and 6–8), keyboards (on tracks 7–8), theremin solo (on track 2), recording, production, mixing
• Martín Irigoyen – all guitars, bass, and drums (on tracks 11–14)
• Evan Bautista – drums (on tracks 2–4, and 10)

Guest appearances (in order of appearance) Jon Levin (Dokken) – guitar solo (on track 3) Chris Cannella (later of Deicide) – guitar solo (on track 4) Ty Tabor (King's X) – guitar solo (on tracks 5 and 8) K.K. Downing (Judas Priest) – guitar solo (on track 6) Paul Bostaph (Slayer) – drums (on tracks 6–9) Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) – guitar solo (on track 7) Dave Meniketti (Y&T) – guitar solo (on track 9) Chris Poland (Megadeth) – guitar solo (on track 10)

As you can see above Geoff Tate didn’t have a fully organized band in 2013, but he had a lot of help from some big names in heavy metal.


On to the album releases…..



From Queensryche #1. “Queensryche”. I have listened to this album numerous times. I like the album. It is my opinion that the remaining band members, along with new vocalist, Todd La Torre, have returned to previous progressive metal form….and in a big way. La Torre fit in perfectly. The vicious dueling guitars are back along side a bombastic percussion.


If you were to play the following song without knowing who, what, or when; it could be mistaken for early Queensryche….DeGarmo & Tate days.

In This Light

Queensryche #1 waste no time flexing their progressive muscles with an opening song written by the newcomer to the band, Parker Lundgren. Very melodic, catchy, and a galloping, hard hitting pace. “So here we are again”……

Where Dreams Go To Die

Per my norm, I always pluck out the ballad, especially when the ballad is damn good.

Open Road

I have thoroughly enjoyed “Queensryche”. Thank gawd they returned to progressive metal form. However, a better choice could have been chosen for an album title. 9/10



From Queensryche #2. “Frequency Unknown (FU)”
I listened to this album a couple times. Enough to be familiar with the album. I am not overly impressed with Frequency Unknown. It isn’t a bad album and it has a very impressive list of musicians helping Geoff along his new path. I went into this album not expecting another “Ryche” album, and I wasn’t setting super high expectations. What we get is a decent hard rock album with some excellent guitar solos.

Running Backwards (Kk Downing solo). Dark, deep, distortion maxed, with good vocals…catchy but lyrically dull…

My Pick off the album…a ballad…with Megadeth’s Chris Poland on solo. Beautiful song, IMO. Best on the album!

The Weight Of The World

Overall, FU is a decent album. Consistently good sound quality, good vocals & harmonies. 7/10

 

[Magic]

2014.
Lawsuits are Settled.

Queensrÿche Reveals More Details About Settlement With Geoff Tate

Queensrÿche has posted a statement on its website, QueensrÿcheOfficial.com, that sheds more light on the settlement agreement it entered with former singer Geoff Tate. It also took the time to announce that a new album is coming in early summer 2015.

www.billboard.com

Queensryche Reveal Amicable Court Settlement With Geoff Tate

The members of Queensryche have reached an amicable settlement with former frontman Geoff Tate concerning their name and performance rights.

loudwire.com

Geoff Tate becomes Operation Mindcrime.

 

[TACdtf]

There is a book coming out in 2024 that I want to get my hands on…

View attachment 220186

From what I have seen online, this book tells the story of what transpired during their tours across the world and explains what happened to the band…why they dissolved.

Not sure if everyone knows this, but DeGarmo became an airline pilot post Queensryche. Talk about a big life change!

Brian is a friend, and is also a regular poster on DTF. My name is in the book..lol.
He used a couple of my stubs, I believe.

He ran AnybodyListening.net, which was an online QR resource. Part of that site was a great forum called The Breakdown Room that he closed both down a few years ago.

Why? I found Promised Land to be very good!

So I know I'm generally in the minority here, but I just think it's not a great album.
If I back up to Empire, I did like it, but I was getting worried about what they'd do next. Do they further go down the road of getting..softer, more commercial.

I think I heard Bridge first, and my gut reaction was like..oh here we go, cashing in on the success of Silent Lucidity, with a song not nearly half as good. Then I think I heard I Am I, which i thought, and still think, was a hot mess. So I was out on the album. I did go see them that summer, even recorded them, and I thought it was an amazing show. I bought Promised Land shortly after.

One song that was really awesome outdoors on a hot July night was Out Of Mind, but the studio version just doesn't hold up. And songs like Disconnected and Lady Jane...what are we doing??

Obviously I love Damaged and I think One More Time has aged really well. the title track is pretty cool too. I just think there's way too many weak points on the album. And you can already hear the deterioration with Tate.

 

[TACdtf]

I thank you especially for recommending American Soldier... Which I went and listened to recently a few times over. It was a touching surprise. Very emotive and dark.

American Soldier is a solid focused album.

 

[TageRyche]

They are the band I've seen the most in concert. Operation: mindcrime is my all-time favorite album.

I even wrote an article in my Cassette Chronicles series about it. READ IT HERE!

 

[TACdtf]

They are the band I've seen the most in concert. Operation: mindcrime is my all-time favorite album.

O:M is a great album, and was a relief after Rage For Order, which I did not take to in real time.

 

[Magic]

O:M is a great album, and was a relief after Rage For Order, which I did not take to in real time.

I knew you would have something to say about Rage for Order….lol. It is kinda heavy on ballads, and fairly commercial. I don’t mind the “commercial” aspect and ballads are a-ok with me.
I am no QR fanatic, but each one of us hears things differently. What cranks my gears may make you want to vomit.

 

[TACdtf]

I knew you would have something to say about Rage for Order….lol. It is kinda heavy on ballads, and fairly commercial. I don’t mind the “commercial” aspect and ballads are a-ok with me.
I am no QR fanatic, but each one of us hears things differently. What cranks my gears may make you want to vomit.

Yeah, I came in on Queensryche when I heard the EP, specifically Queen Of the Ryche. A local radio station did a metal show on Saturday nights so that's where I heard it. Warning is one of my all time favorite albums, but I was thrown with RFO. The look aside, I just couldn't latch on to the music. Now I will say that it has aged very well, and I like it, but I don't love it unconditionally.


Regrettably I skipped out on seeing them. I had tix to Ozzy/Metallica in Providence in April of 1986. The show got postponed to September, but with QR opening. I though The Ultimate Sin blew so since Metallica wasn't playing, I sold my tickets.