The Queensr˙che Discography Thread

[Zook]

Operation: Mindcrime was my introduction to Queensryche. I heard the singles on the radio in the early 90s, but they were just another band on the radio. Same with Metallica. I wouldn't call myself a metal fan until 2004 when I discovered Iced Earth. I like to credit Fozzy for truly opening the door to Metal for me, but really, I owned a couple Megadeth albums before even knowing Chris Jericho had a band. In fact, I bought Megadeth's Risk in '99 after they played on WCW to introduce the return of Goldberg. In early 2004, I was introduced to both Iced Earth and Iron Maiden. I might have delved into Maiden a few years prior, but while driving with my step dad one day to work, we were listening to the radio and the DJ was talking about Maiden, and I asked what they sounded like or if "they sounded like Slayer", to which he replied, yes! I don't think he's heard much or any Slayer.

Anyway, come late 2004 my step dad bought tickets to Queensryche and took my brother and I on October 23 (I still have the ticket stub). The day prior I bought Operation: Mindcrime since they would be playing that in its entirety. I've only heard Eyes of a Stranger and probably I Don't believe in Love as those were the big singles of the album. We listened to the album on the way to the venue, but didn't finish it, and I don't think I listened to the album the day before although I could be wrong. Either way, my ears were still fresh. They played the hits first, and I remember my step dad commenting on the difference in the line up. He actually was a big fan of Queensryche and apparently was in attendance at the taping of Live in Tokyo. He also said he just missed Metallica and the band partied with his friends one night. Pretty sure his friends were just fucking with him. But he was a big metal fan, and owned a ton of cassettes and music video VHS tapes. I guess he grew out of that music 'cause before 2004, he showed no interest in it. In fact, it wasn't until after I started listening to Maiden that he bought himself Ed Hunter. Enough about him.

The concert was a lot of fun. I really liked the stage production, and the band sounded great. I couldn't tell you if Tate was shit or not compared to when he wasn't. He sounded good to me. I didn't notice anything off, although I didn't really like the rendition of Silent Lucidity, but I just wanted it to sound like the studio version. They played some newer songs as well that I don't think my step dad even recognized. I also remember as Mindcrime began, someone next to us was speaking along with the nurse. It was like I was in another dimension. I was a fan of Disturbed and Godsmack, Linkin Park and to a much lesser extent, Korn and the like. Even seeing a massive crowd singing along to Disturbed 2 years earlier wasn't the same as this Queensryche concert. I was delving into a whole new world, and one that would change my life. Would this have even happened had I not walked into that comic store one day as Iced Earth was playing? Would my step dad have eventually introduced us to the music he used to listen to that wasn't Fleetwood Mac or Led Zeppelin?

 After the concert, not sure how long after, I bought Queensryche's back catalogue and Empire. Queen of the Ryche and Prophecy are awesome, but the other 3 songs, not so much. The Warning has some decent songs. Take Hold obviously. Rage for Order is weird. I did enjoy most of it, but they were experimenting heavy with that one. Operation: Mindcrime is a masterpiece and sits firmly in my top 10 albums of all time. Hell, it might even be in the top 5. I haven't messed with that in a long time. It took a long time for Empire as an album to click. That one had a lot more singles, and ones I thoroughly enjoyed, but the deep cuts took some time. I didn't bother with anything after Empire, although I did give Promise Land a listen. Outside of Bridge, I didn't like it. Reading how much worse they'd get after that didn't give me any reason to continue exploring the band. Being such a huge fan of Mindcrime I, I was hyped for II when it was announced. Unfortunately it was garbage. Even though it was the same length as I, it just felt so much shorter, and the songs didn't go anywhere nor were they memorable. O:M I zipped by, but every song had a purpose, and had your full attention. I didn't like The Needle Lies for a very long time, but I can say now that there are no bad songs on the album.

Operation: Mindcrime is brilliant.

[bosk1]

The end of Suite Sister Mary is probably the best QR moment ever.

"You're miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!!!"

Following by the reprise of that epic riff and the ending with the choir vocals.

 

That's a contender.....but IDK.... That "The UN-DER-GRROOOOOOOOOUUUUUNNNDDDD (they'll say)" from The Mission is pretty freakin close.

It's those deep breaths because he's been running around the streets in the middle of Needle Lies that gets me every time, then he's off again 

You know, interestingly, I didn't really even much notice The Needle Lies for a long time.  I mean, I knew every word and every note of it from listening to Mindcrime so much.  But still, it never stood out or really grabbed my attention.  What changed that was the live performance.  MAN, this song cooks live.  And that pause they throw in after the solo before restarting it again REALLY pumps up the crowd.  Love it.

[KevShmev]

Just gave this album another listen and I don't get it. Like I stated earlier I only heard a few songs aside from the hits and O:M before the start of this thread; now after listening to the warning and rage those are much better then O:M in my opinion. The song writing isn't there.

A vast majority of the songs I would classify on the surface as merely good (with the above average ones being Speak, Spreading the Disease, The Mission and Suite Sister Mary and Eyes of a Stranger), and to expand on what I said about Tate being the star of this album, if you put this album in the hands of a lesser vocalist, it would be nothing more than a good, solid album, but Tate elevates most of the songs with his singing.  It's like, every song that rocks at all has the same guitar tones, similar musical vibe, etc., but Tate's vocal delivery carries the songs and the emotion of the story, not the music, in most of the songs, IMO.

That's a really interesting perspective. I don't disagree on Tate -- his performance takes the record to a whole different level. But I do disagree on the quality of the songs. I think what Queensryche achieved on Mindcrime was coming to a happy place in regard to melding the style of their influences and original experimentation and sound into something that maintains an understated complexity, but is also appealing to a melodic ear on the radio at the time. The ultimate conclusion of that would be the next record, Empire, when the sound was warmer, but we'll get to that..

However, all that said, I think the other point that needs to be remembered were that the songs were all reliant on one another to drive the story. So it's not surprising that Tate's performance brings things to a higher level, because it was the story that drove the way the songs were written musically. Most songs are written musically first, and then lyrics are crafted (not all the time, but generally, and especially with QR). With Mindcrime, the lyrics weren't written first, but the story outline was -- the scenes were sketched out, which dictated the writing of the music.

I should add that my perspective in no way was meant to belittle the rest of the band or what they did on this record; they did a damn fine job.  I just think that Tate is the star and takes what would have otherwise been just another good record to levels it never would have gotten to without him. 

As big a douche as Tate is, his performance on this album, and the other albums prior to 1997, is something no one can ever take away from him.

[jingle.boy]

Just gave this album another listen and I don't get it. Like I stated earlier I only heard a few songs aside from the hits and O:M before the start of this thread; now after listening to the warning and rage those are much better then O:M in my opinion. The song writing isn't there.

It could be one of those "you had to be there at the time" things. You can't replicate the era around it and how groundbreaking and different it was from what everyone else was doing and we are thirty years later.

I was thinking this could be it as well, but I just don't see how that rationale holds up.  Great music is great music - whether current, a year later, a decade later, or whatever.  I didn't get "in" to Zeppelin until 1987.  16 years may have "aged" their music and sound (relative to what was current in 1987), but it was still great music.  How many bands/albums of the 70s, 80s and 90s still get "discovered" today?  The only way this argument holds up is if someone's musical tastes have changed - IE, this kind of prog metal would have appealed 28 years ago, but tastes have changed and it doesn't now.

I don't know if that's the case with Reaper (and dude, please don't take any of this as an attack).  I didn't listen to much Dio back in the day, but when I did finally get listening to a few years back, my reaction to Holy Diver wasn't "meh, this is ok".

I get it when albums don't 'click' ... Keepers of the Seven Keys didn't do much for me (puts on flame suit specifically for Tim).  It's just kinda surprising when it doesn't click for such a monumentally ground breaking and universally revered album. 

TASTES!

[PowerSlave]

Just gave this album another listen and I don't get it. Like I stated earlier I only heard a few songs aside from the hits and O:M before the start of this thread; now after listening to the warning and rage those are much better then O:M in my opinion. The song writing isn't there.

It could be one of those "you had to be there at the time" things. You can't replicate the era around it and how groundbreaking and different it was from what everyone else was doing and we are thirty years later.

I was thinking this could be it as well, but I just don't see how that rationale holds up.  Great music is great music - whether current, a year later, a decade later, or whatever.  I didn't get "in" to Zeppelin until 1987.  16 years may have "aged" their music and sound (relative to what was current in 1987), but it was still great music.  How many bands/albums of the 70s, 80s and 90s still get "discovered" today?  The only way this argument holds up is if someone's musical tastes have changed - IE, this kind of prog metal would have appealed 28 years ago, but tastes have changed and it doesn't now.

I don't know if that's the case with Reaper (and dude, please don't take any of this as an attack).  I didn't listen to much Dio back in the day, but when I did finally get listening to a few years back, my reaction to Holy Diver wasn't "meh, this is ok".

I get it when albums don't 'click' ... Keepers of the Seven Keys didn't do much for me (puts on flame suit specifically for Tim).  It's just kinda surprising when it doesn't click for such a monumentally ground breaking and universally revered album. 

TASTES!

Actually, something that may have helped some of us foggies that were there at the time was the political climate, and how some of the story line approached that. While much of it is still relevant today, I think that societies' way of viewing it was evolving at the time and the story nails it. The message helped draw us in more than if it had been a collection of standard rock songs from a lyrical standpoint.

You've got a needle freak that likes banging a nun, and shooting politicians. What's not to like? 

[ReaperKK]

Jingle I can completely agree with you that great music is great music. O:M isn't a terrible record, the vocals are great and some of the riff age is good I just don't really connect with it. I was excited to see this thread because I wanted to give QR a chance again and I feel like Warning really hit me harder than O:M. I'm still pumped to give the rest of the albums a listen as they come.

[jingle.boy]

^ and that's totally cool.  I totally understand when things don't click, or have that "wow" factor ... I just can't always chalk it up to "you had to be there at the time".  Some music just doesn't click, even when it is great, or when you'd think it would/should click (for me, that's Haken... just don't get it).  Powerslave does make a good point, that some of the lyrics are late 80s specific - "while we can pay for wars in South America".  I always assumed that was a Contra reference.

[MirrorMask]

Apologies if someone's sensibilites are touched on this, but I remember some years ago "updating" the lyrics and singing in my head "I'm tired of all this bullshit they keep selling me on TV about the terrorists plan" and "But now the holy dollar rules everybody's lives, gotta invade Iraq, doesn't matter who dies".

If at all, it works within the metric of the verse.

[Mister Gold]

Apologies if someone's sensibilites are touched on this, but I remember some years ago "updating" the lyrics and singing in my head "I'm tired of all this bullshit they keep selling me on TV about the terrorists plan" and "But now the holy dollar rules everybody's lives, gotta invade Iraq, doesn't matter who dies".

If at all, it works within the metric of the verse.

At the risk of getting a bit too political here, in light of what's potentially going on these days between Trump and Russia, I've been debating whether or not the original line is now relevant once again. Although Russia isn't a communist country any more, I think. Pretty sure it's an oligarchy? But yeah, "terrorists plan" works just as well today too.

~

Anywho, Operation: Mindcrime... I've had a bit of a love-hate relationship with this jewel over the years. It's such a perfect album to me. It's inspired a lot of my own creative thinking as a storyteller in writing and cinema. The songs are some of the greatest works ever conceived in the history of metal.

... And I just had to discover it so early on in my days as a metalhead in the middle of high school about nine years ago.

Don't get me wrong- practically all the bands and albums I listened to over the course of 2007-2008 were iconic staples of heavy metal (ranging from Dio to Black Sabbath to Metallica to Iron Maiden to Megadeth, et cetera). Mindcrime was just one of the members of the pack at that time... but when I went back and realized the full extent of Queensryche's genius from the days of the EP up to Promised Land in my community college days, I think I started to resent the album a bit.

"How dare I start off with the masterpiece?! No, clearly it gets better somewhere else!!! It has to!" Such was my drama.

And to be perfectly frank, there's elements on other early albums that I do like more about them than on Mindcrime. For example, the Cyber Gothic mood and musical complexity of Rage for Order is so unique and inspiring to me. That strange blend of reality and fantasy appeal to me a tad bit more than the considerably more gritty narrative of Mindcrime (at least at a surface level- the gothic tone is still very much present in it). Yet the pacing on Rage for Order isn't as seamless to me as Mindcrime is. RfO is a considerably shorter album, but some parts of it drag a bit. In contrast, Mindcrime speeds right by, even with the additional length of time.

I don't really see Mindcrime as being much of a prog metal album. At least, not in comparison to something like Rage for Order, or Fates Warning's Perfect Symmetry or Voivod's Nothingface. But it's a different sort of prog.

Samsara once said to me and some other folks back at his old forum (the Breakdown Room) that he saw the run of Operation: Mindcrime to Promised Land as being a shifting merge of Iron Maiden and Pink Floyd: For Mindcrime, the Maiden elements took precedence while the Floydian aspects acted more as accentuations. Empire then is a fifty-fifty combination of the two, while Promised Land shows the band finally being more driven by its Floydian tastes and showing elements of Maiden here and there. And to that comparison, I full-heartedly agree.

So yeah. Hail to you, Oh Mighty Mindcrime. I love you to death, but why did you have to spoil the rest of the band's work for me ever so slightly?

[TAC]

I get it when albums don't 'click' ... Keepers of the Seven Keys didn't do much for me (puts on flame suit specifically for Tim).   

 

[Phoenix87x]

I know its a ways off, but I kind of like Mindcrime II which I almost feel guilty for after reading that it was pretty much just tate and stone and the band was pretty much excluded

Now high school aged me back in 2006 knew absolutely none of that. All I knew was that one of my favorite bands just released a sequel to one of my favorite albums and I listened to it quite a bit. Part One is still way better of course, but still for what it is. I like OM II

[MirrorMask]

Seeing Mindcrime and Mindcrime II back to back live, second row, was a blast. And the sequel was kinda cool here and there. Of course I enjoyed Mindcrime "a little" more.

[Cruithne]

My favourite album of all time.

There's nothing close to filler on there. Almost all of the full songs could've been singles (except Suite Sister Mary and possibly not Spreading The Disease) and the closest thing to a song on the album that doesn't either set the scene or really drive the story along is Breaking The Silence, which is an ace song anyway.

I flip-flopped over the years about whether or not I believe the story to be really strong or a bit hackneyed, but in the end I came to the conclusion that you have to look at the story in the context of when the album was released, not how it may sometimes seem 25/30 years later.

Everything is perfectly balanced for the band at this point. There's just the right amount of theatre for Tate, just the right amount of a commercial sheen to the songwriting, just the right amount of a progressive depth without getting in the face of the song, great guitar solos throughout and still plenty of Whip credits despite DeGarmo clearly leading the writing for the album.

[bosk1]

I know its a ways off, but I kind of like Mindcrime II which I almost feel guilty for after reading that it was pretty much just tate and stone and the band was pretty much excluded

Now high school aged me back in 2006 knew absolutely none of that. All I knew was that one of my favorite bands just released a sequel to one of my favorite albums and I listened to it quite a bit. Part One is still way better of course, but still for what it is. I like OM II

I don't want to get too far ahead of the thread, and I'll elaborate later, but I'll just say this:  There is a lot to like on that album.  I think that, minus a song or two here and there, the first 2/3 or so is actually pretty good.  But the overall problems I have that I can't get past in taking it as an entire album are:
1.  The last 1/3 or so, both in terms of music AND story are really, really bad.
2.  Mindcrime just didn't need a sequel.  And if the band wanted to do one, Tate shouldn't have been so blatantly revisionist in retelling history to try to make it sound like it was planned all along when it clearly wasn't.

But more on that later. 

Mindcrime!!!  To this day, I still almost involuntarily make little Mindcrime inside jokes.  Like if someone picks up a phone call and their tone of voice in saying "Hello?" sounds remotely like Nikki, I'll whisper, "Mindcrime!"  Or stuff like this:  https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=28146.msg1252072#msg1252072 

[jammindude]

To this day.....I am incapable of rolling down the electric window in my car without saying, "Kill her.  That's all you have to do."

[MirrorMask]

On Valentine's Day, I don't Believe in Love is my first troll choice to post on Facebook 

[Phoenix87x]

I first heard Mindcrime I  back when I was like 13. I remember hearing "I don't believe in love" and was like "wait, you feel pain associated with love, how is that possible?" It was so confusing to my young, naive and idealistic mind. 

Now as an adult, I truly understand that song.

Overall, I pretty much love every song on OM-I   Its just truly fantastic

[Setzer]

To this day.....I am incapable of rolling down the electric window in my car without saying, "Kill her.  That's all you have to do."

Doing it on a manual window doesn't quite have the same effect 

[Lowdz]

To this day.....I am incapable of rolling down the electric window in my car without saying, "Kill her.  That's all you have to do."

Not just me then.
I also left an answer machine message on my mates old phone with Geoff's Empire quote...

[TAC]

You guys are not alone!

[DoctorAction]

A school friend lent me this on cassette soon after it came out. I put in in my Walkman and set off on my evening paper round. As I approached the end of the first side it started to rain. Then Suite Sister Mary came on with matching rain sound effects... Was totally blown away.

Remains an all time favourite to me. What impresses me now is how well they pulled off that melodramatic tone and have it not descend into farce. Tate is near-hysterical throughout and it just picks you up and drags you along with it.

It had something to say AND is concise. (CoughTheAstonishingCough)

Love this and the Maiden thread.

[Samsara]

For those following the thread -- I'm working on Empire. I'm about halfway through it. Eyeing the end of the week. I need to research a couple things and I've been busy.

[jingle.boy]

For those following the thread -- I'm working on Empire. I'm about halfway through it. Eyeing the end of the week. I need to research a couple things and I've been busy.

Excuses are for losers.

[Samsara]

For those following the thread -- I'm working on Empire. I'm about halfway through it. Eyeing the end of the week. I need to research a couple things and I've been busy.

Excuses are for losers.

 

Well...

[TAC]

For those following the thread -- I'm working on Empire the last good Queensryche album. I'm about halfway through it. Eyeing the end of the week. I need to research a couple things and I've been busy.

No problem. Might as well go out with a bang!

[Samsara]

For those following the thread -- I'm working on Empire the last good Queensryche album. I'm about halfway through it. Eyeing the end of the week. I need to research a couple things and I've been busy.

No problem. Might as well go out with a bang!

Your distaste in PL is understandable, but misplaced. A ton more good music to go. Been discovering a lot of good in all QR records, including Dedicated to Crap...err..Chaos. But we'll get there.

I'm basically done with Empire now. Just need to clean it up and get pics. I'm figuring tomorrow.

[TAC]

All good!   Can't wait for Empire!

[Kwyjibo]

Can't you feel it coming ...?
Can't you hear it calling ...?

[jingle.boy]

Can't you feel it coming ...?
Can't you hear it calling ...?

[wolfking]

This album is a masterpiece.  When I was an early teen discovering metal Queensryche obviously came up when getting into Priest, Sabbath, Maiden, Helloween etc.  OM blew me away, it was something a bit different, but the sound of the whole album was majestic and captivating with the songs to boot.  Such a brilliant, perfect concept album.  Hearing that voice too for the first time was just a revelation.  Love the story, love the songs, love the performances and came in at number 7 in my top 50.

[Samsara]

Empire



Lead vocals: Geoff Tate
Lead and rhythm guitar, background vocals – Chris DeGarmo
Lead and rhythm guitar – Michael Wilton
Bass guitar and background vocals – Eddie Jackson
Drums and percussion – Scott Rockenfield

Overview

Fresh off the success of Operation: Mindcrime, Queensr˙che did a 180-degree turn from the path of metal and and concepts, and went commercial hard rock (at least Queensryche's version of it) with Empire. Instead of having a lyrical theme(s) (such as The Warning or Rage for Order), or be connected musically and lyrically with a story (Operation: Mindcrime), Queensr˙che focused on writing standalone tunes. There was a deliberate eye toward gaining a broader audience, but the band maintained a firm grasp on its musical integrity.

Released on Aug. 20, 1990 (Sept. 4 in other parts of the world), Empire was a true crossover record for Queensryche, and EMI Records marketed the hell out of it, shooting videos for the album's six singles: "Empire," "Silent Lucidity," "Best I Can," "Jet City Woman," "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" and "Anybody Listening?" The strategy paid off in a life-altering way for Queensryche, as the group went from a cult metal band to hard rock icons in just over six months. Simply put, it was the right record at the right time: Empire ultimately sold 3.5 million copies worldwide.

Metal fans at the time were a little taken aback by the more polished sound from Queensryche, particularly of the songs after “Empire” that were “less heavy.” Although some judged the band a sellout for the shift, a closer examination of the record quieted many of those initial fears. Queensryche also continued championing its mantra of never repeating itself from record-to-record – a wise public relations statement that also had a ring of truth to it and helped the group sustain a fan base as it continued to evolve.

The Songs

Despite its crossover appeal, Empire is distinctly Queensryche in every regard. While the songs stand solidly on their own merits instead of being linked together, the lyrics were carefully crafted to tackle various political, societal, and personal topics. These include gun control (Best I Can), America's drug problem (Empire), environmental issues (Resistance), personal relationships (The Thin Line, Jet City Woman, Another Rainy Night, Hand on Heart, One and Only), and homelessness (Della Brown). The mostly serious bent on the lyrics further cemented Queensryche's nickname as the “thinking man's metal band.”

Musically, the band's sound is noticeably warmer and more enveloping than the harsher and more metallic sound of previous Queensryche records. The songs are still progressive (to a degree), but they breathe more. In an interview in 2002, Tate and DeGarmo remarked how it was a big change for drummer Scott Rockenfield, who on Operation: Mindcrime perhaps played the most aggressive of his career, and with Empire, was tasked to slow everything down.

Seattleites have often said you can hear the essence of the Emerald City throughout the songs, and as someone who spends a lot of time in Seattle, I can hear it and tend to agree. It's more of a vibe and feeling, but it is certainly there to my ears. While DeGarmo and Wilton's trademark twin guitar work is still present throughout Empire, the songs have a more streamlined and open feel to them, providing a lush soundscape for Tate to embrace his mid-range vocals and deliver haunting, yet beautiful melody lines.

One of the finest (in this writer's opinion) example of this is the epic closer, “Anybody Listening?” The intro-verse-verse-chorus-solo-verse-chorus-chorus-outro solo format is fairly typical, but the combination of acoustic and electric guitars, with the rhythm section coming in during the choruses helps punch forward Tate's inspiring lyric lines and powerful melody to create a dramatic and memorable tune.

The oddball song of the record is ironically its biggest hit, “Silent Lucidity.” Originally, the song wasn't even going to be on the album. DeGarmo had written it, but initially hesitated to submit it. It tells a timeless story, not just about dream control, but the relationship between a young child and their parent and protector at a young age. The influence of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour on DeGarmo shines through on the song, but the band didn't think it fit with the other songs on Empire. Producer Peter Collins and engineer/mixer James “Jimbo” Barton heard the potential in the cut, however, and made sure the track made the album, and it went on to become Queensryche's most famous song.

Empire had a few b-sides as well. Some may remember a tune called “Last Time in Paris,” that the band played live during one stretch of the tour in support of the album. That song, along with “The Thin Line,” were submitted to those producing the movie The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, starring Andrew Dice Clay, for possible inclusion on the soundtrack. The producers were told they could pick one of the two for the film, and they selected “Last Time in Paris,” noting (according to DeGarmo) that “The Thin Line” was “too dark.” So, “Last Time in Paris” became a soundtrack song, and a fairly popular b-side for Queensryche (it still gets played on Sirius/XM's Hair Nation channel regularly).

Queensryche's cover of “Scarborough Fair” by Simon and Garfunkel, which was recorded during the Rage for Order sessions, was finally released as a b-side (on the "Empire" single) on this album cycle. There weren't any other original completed tracks from the demo sessions. There were some instrumental jams and the usual slightly different initial versions of the songs, but for the most part, all the tunes the band completed for the record were used.

The one gem most fans get a kick out of hearing is the demo version of “The Thin Line” that includes Tate playing the saxophone. The arrangement and lyrics to this version are a bit different, and reminiscent of the Rage for Order time period. Tate takes a lengthy sax solo at approximately the same basic spot where the twin guitars of DeGarmo and Wilton have the solo on the album version.

"The Thin Line" (sax version) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxlWdMEElH8

Interesting note: “Another Rainy Night (Without You)” marks the songwriting debut of bassist Eddie Jackson. This was the first song he was ever credited on with Queensr˙che. In addition, the band made not one, but two different versions of the video for this song. More on that when we get to Building Empires...

The Empire Singles



Recording

Empire was recorded in spring 1990 in two different locations: Vancouver Studios in Vancouver, Canada, and Triad Studios in Seattle. In addition to the aforementioned Peter Collins and Jimbo Barton, Paul Northfield, and Tom Hall were also involved in the recording of the Empire album. Orchestration was once again handled by Michael Kamen, who took care of the strings on “Silent Lucidity.” Finally, former Tate bandmate Randy Gane leaves the voicemail message prior to the start of the “Empire” song, forever immortalizing him as the “two ton, heavy thing” guy.

Interesting fact: Jason Slater (Operation: Mindcrime II producer and primary songwriter) said the Empire album was used by a number of producers and engineers (both in-house and private) to “test rooms” at various recording studios because of how stellar the mix and overall sound was. (Slater was an in-house engineer for Warner Bros. Before going out on his own.)

As popular as Empire became, not everyone in the band was confident about its prospects prior to release. According to an interview conducted by Malcolm Dome in 1990, but only published in 2014, DeGarmo had his doubts about Empire and the future of the band. Titled “Queensryche: The Dark Empire,” DeGarmo reveals to Dome his frustration with his bandmates and uncertainty about what they had produced.

“Whenever we finish a record, I think it's time to leave. Or we should split up,” DeGarmo told Dome. “I am drained, and fed up. I don't have the energy to deal with the other guys. I get annoyed with them all, because I feel they've let me down. But then, I also think I've let them down. Is that the way all musicians think? It's that love/hate thing we have, isn't it? Empire is maybe the worst album we've ever made, or the best. I can't judge it.”

See https://anybodylistening.net/5.html for more.

Versions

Empire was originally issued on vinyl, CD, and cassette. Empire was remastered and re-released on CD with three bonus tracks in 2003. This version, however, is mastered very hot and is red lined. From an audiophile perspective, it is suggested that those without a copy of Empire, or simply need a replacement, seek out the original 1990 version. The three bonus tracks consist of the aforementioned “Last Time in Paris,” “Scarborough Fair,” and a song called “Dirty Lil Secret.”

Note: “Dirty Lil Secret” was not recorded or written during the Empire period. It is a b-side for Queensryche's next studio album, Promised Land, and will be covered when we get to that record. It is this author's opinion it was simply added on to the Empire remaster for space reasons (and it has a similar vibe to “Last Time in Paris”).

In addition, a 20th anniversary edition of Empire was released in 2010. It contains two discs. The first is the 2003 remastered version of the record. The second features live tracks from the Empire album, recorded at Queensryche's 1990 performance in London, along with the gig's encore (including a rare live version of “Hand on Heart” that was dropped from the set after November 1990). The centerpiece of the show, the performance of Operation: Mindcrime, is available on the 25th anniversary release of the Operation: Mindcrime album (discussed previously).

Empire was also released in DVD-A format, featuring a 5.1 mix of the album. Various editions of Empire on vinyl also exist, with the recent ones featuring the poor 2003 version mix of the record.

Support Tour

The "Building Empires" tour was Queensryche's first full-fledged album support campaign where the band would truly be headliners. It kicked off in Europe in November 1990, and didn't conclude until early 1992 – a span of more than 180 shows. The almost 2.5-hour spectacle featured the Operation: Mindcrime album performed in its entirety, along with a good dose of the Empire record and a couple of older tracks. Using a huge stage, laser show, synchronized video and other amenities, Queensryche concerts were no longer simple gigs. They were multi-media productions. We'll discuss the tour more once we get to Operation: LIVEcrime and Building Empires...

Once Queensryche got off the road, Empire continued to sell, but the band then focused on performing various one-off gigs and award shows through 1992. Most notably, Queensryche performed an acoustic set for MTV Unplugged on April 27, 1992. The aired performance included renditions of “I Will Remember” and “The Killing Words” from Rage for Order, “Silent Lucidity” and “Della Brown” from Empire and “The Lady Wore Black” from the EP. Unaired footage of the show reveals multiple takes of all five songs, plus renditions of “Anybody Listening?” from Empire, covers of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair,” and a humorous teaser of “Suite Sister Mary” off of Operation: Mindcrime.

Queensryche also appeared at the Rock the Environment benefit show at The Gorge, in George, Wash., on June 6, 1992. The band played an assortment of material, including an electric version of “Anybody Listening?” and a rendition of “No Sanctuary” from The Warning. They concluded the evening by performing in a jam session with members of fellow Seattle natives Alice in Chains and Heart. The show would completely cap the support cycle for the Empire record, and it would be more than two years down the road before Queensryche released another studio album and toured.

Samsara's top-three from Empire: Anybody Listening?, Empire, Jet City Woman

Next up: Operation: LIVEcrime and Building Empires...

[TAC]

Great write up, Brian!

When I think back at Empire's release, what I remember most is how much Queensryche changed it up AGAIN. They were now really masters of the unexpected. The metal of Warning, the WTF of RFO, and the near perfection and energy of O:M. And now they released something else that made me think.

On one hand, it's unmistakably Queensryche. The vocals, musicianship were all there. But it had a much more commercial sound. 90-91 was a weird time for 80's bands...Iron Maiden released easily their worst album. Metallica and Helloween released sub par albums, Gary Moore went blues, and Dio and Queensryche each released albums that made me pause. I would never guess that more than 25 years later, I would consider Empire and Lock UP The Wolves as the last great albums each band made.

The other thing about this commercial sound was that I remember being very concerned about what Queensryche would do next. Could a return to hard rock, a la RFO to O:M be next, or would they continue down a different "lighter" path in the 90's. More on that later I guess.


I saw them in July of 1991 at the Providence Civic Center. They had Suicidal Tendencies opening..an odd pairing. They would play O:M in its entirety on this tour so that was cool.

They would come back and play the Boston Garden in the fall, but for some reason, I didn't bother going. Aside from Scott Rockenfield, I didn't find them a great live band, and I didn't really care to go into Boston to see the same show again. I kind of regret not going.

[MirrorMask]

Excellent read! 

I have to confess that, to me, Mindcrime is the Jupiter of the "musical constellation" of Queensryche for me - all the other albums combined do not make up the "mass", in this case my liking and devotion, I have for that single album.

Having said that, I consider Empire one of their best anyway, and in a weird way I kinda like all the easier songs - not that the album has duds, but I'd name as my favorites Best I Can, Empire, Jet City Woman, Another Rainy Night and the absolutely gorgeous Silent Lucidity. It was the final song when I saw them playing both Mndcrimes back to back (other encore tunes were Jet City Woman and Empire, I knew the tour had two encore songs so hearing Geoff asking "...one more?" and them starting Silent Lucidity was fantastic) so I can proudly say I heard it live and it was great!

It was the right mix of simpler stuff and more complex tunes, and I'd agree that it may have seemed a sellout to many people. On the other hand it probably helped many newer fans to discover retroactively Mindcrime, so that's all good. And I think the tour for this, with the band at their prime and the whole Mindcrime played, must have been something to behold!

[Grappler]

This was my introduction to Queensryche, sometime in the mid 90's.  I received my drivers license in 1996 and only had a car with an AM/FM radio.  No tape player, and certainly no CD player, so I was stuck listening to rock radio.  I had heard Jet City Woman and Another Rainy Night on Chicago's Loop radio station and loved it.  At the same time, I was just becoming a tremendous fan of a local band called Radakka, who were my true introduction to melodic metal.  So a song like Another Rainy Night, with the smooth, melodic riffs and vocals was right up my alley.

I believe I bought Empire on my own, and at the time, asked my mom for Mindcrime for Christmas.  She told me a funny story about how she ran into another neighborhood mom in the cd section at Best Buy, and both were looking for Queensryche albums for their kids.  My friend's mom was instructed, "mom, it's QueenSRYCHE, not Queen...don't buy a Queen album"   

Naturally, I loved the singles and radio songs at first, but really took to some of the album tracks after becoming a big QR fan.  Resistance is amazing, and The Thin Line has one of my favorite Tate performances.  I love how smooth his voice sounds when it's lower - those vocals are awesome.

Luckily, they started playing more of these songs again after the Q2K tour, when they only played the 3 hits  On later tours, I saw them play The Thin Line and Another Rainy Night, which was amazing for me - finally hearing them play the song that truly got me into the band.

[MirrorMask]

On later tours, I saw them play The Thin Line and Another Rainy Night, which was amazing for me - finally hearing them play the song that truly got me into the band.

Isn't that always great? once you know fully a band you may have other favorite songs, but the one that started it all has always a special place in one's heart and it's always great to be reminded of it.