The Making of Tribe (2002-2003)Fresh off the tension in summer 2002, Queensryche found itself at a crossroads. Kelly Gray was not a part of things any longer (there was no official statement as far as I can recall, the band just moved on). Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, and Scott Rockenfield had been writing all summer for the next Queensryche album, and once Geoff Tate returned from his solo tour, the four started to put the material the three musicians wrote with Tate's lyrical vision (and initially, some ideas from Jeff Carrell, guitarist from Tate's solo band, the direction of which set Wilton off a bit – see last entry's link to my article with Wilton). The singer kept a journal on the road, “taking the pulse” of society (paraphrasing) in a post- 9/11 world, in preparation for writing lyrics.
In addition, session guitarist Mike Stone was brought in to help collaborate on the project, and help connect the band and Tate a bit. Stone was unknown to the band, but was suggested by (I believe it was Lars Sorenson, but I could be wrong) management and label personnel.
At some point in fall 2002, however, Chris DeGarmo was contacted by Adam Kasper or Scott Olson (most believe it was one of the two) who was working with Queensryche on the record. DeGarmo found out about the theme Tate was working on, and some of the music his old bandmates were composing, and eventually, reunited with Queensryche in the studio (it is unknown who actually did the reaching out, although with Olson and Kasper being friends of DeGarmo, it is highly likely one of them arranged a meeting).
After some initial sessions, the band found their chemistry was intact, and the five original members of Queensryche set to work on the record.
Tribe (2003)
Lead vocals – Geoff Tate
Lead & rhythm guitars – Michael Wilton
Bass – Eddie Jackson
Drums – Scott Rockenfield
Additional musicians:
Chris DeGarmo – Lead & rhythm guitars
Mike Stone – Guitars
Produced by Queensryche
Engineered by Scott Olson
Mixed by Adam Kasper
Background
Initially, it appeared to the public that DeGarmo was ready to rejoin his bandmates on an official basis. He wrote three songs musically on his own: “Falling Behind,” “The Art of Life” and “Doin' Fine.” He also made songwriting contributions to the existing tracks “Open” and “Desert Dance.” A fourth song, “Justified” was also written by DeGarmo and being worked on in the sessions.
A New Year's Eve 2002 gig was booked in Anchorage, Alaska, that was allegedly supposed to include DeGarmo (it was not marketed as such, but DeGarmo was writing with them at the time). That didn't happen, however, and it is unknown why. So, Mike Stone, who the band was working with earlier in the year, stepped in for DeGarmo on short notice and made his live debut with the band.
The timeline gets a little fuzzy from there. It appears DeGarmo continued working with the band throughout winter 2003, and it was originally announced that DeGarmo would rejoin the band for its summer European dates in support of
Tribe, starting in June. DeGarmo took part in a lengthy photo shoot for the record and all indications (at that time) was that he was back in the band, although there was nothing posted to that effect (except that summer European swing).
Something happened in the studio, however, that scuttled those plans and a more public reunion. Allegedly, DeGarmo and Tate were a bit at odds in regard to the vocal arrangements on the record. In the past, Chris would suggest certain ways for Tate to sing the songs (truth be told, DeGarmo had always worked hand-in-hand to shape vocal melodies and arrangements for Queensryche), and Tate would try a variety of things before they settled on something they both liked. For
Tribe, however, Tate was allegedly not open to that sort of creative collaboration, leading to some tension between Chris and Geoff, which ultimately led to Chris leaving the sessions entirely. (Again, this is pieced together from various accounts of different individuals involved.) There may have been some other factors involved, but the gist of it was -- Chris realized that the situation was not good for him, and moved on.
This left Queensryche in a bit of a bind, and the release of
Tribe (which was scheduled for June) was pushed back slightly to July. (It was delayed a few times in 2003, actually.) The songs with music completed and recorded that DeGarmo wrote or helped to write were used for the record, but “Justified” (which was entirely written by DeGarmo, including lyrics) was left unfinished and off the album. Stone was brought back in, and he contributed one song, “Losing Myself,” and he added a slide guitar solo to “Rhythm of Hope.” (I assume this tune was meant for DeGarmo to add the slide to, given his proficiency with and past use of the slide, and wasn't recorded when DeGarmo left.)
Ultimately, to meet deadlines, the record was pushed through, and likely wasn't fully completed. Allegedly, solos Michael Wilton had planned for certain songs (“The Great Divide” was one) were not recorded, and it was rumored that the song “Blood” had a second guitar part that was never recorded at all (Chris was allegedly going to work on it).
Note: Wilton debuted a solo for “The Great Divide” at a show in St. Louis in support of the album in 2003. In the minds of fans, this helped solidify the rumors that the music for
Tribe wasn't quite finished.
Tribe was submitted to the label, and DeGarmo was digitally eliminated from the band photos that were shot for it. The record was credited to Queensryche as a four piece, with DeGarmo and Stone being thanked for their contributions to it.
SongwritingThe writing for
Tribe began more than a year before the record was finally released and heavily featured Michael Wilton and Scott Rockenfield. Wilton received writing credits on half the album's tracks (same as DeGarmo). Rockenfield and Jackson had a number of credits as well. Tate was credited on every song for his lyrics. Stone was credited for the music on the one track he wrote.
Stylistically, the songs
Tribe reflect the time period in hard rock. Chunky riffs, and mostly mid-tempo cuts that feature some acoustic instruments and some atmosphere. (The one outlier being “Losing Myself” which is more of a pop rock song that was allegedly added to fill up space instead of “Justified,” which wasn't finished when DeGarmo left.) Lyrically, as mentioned early,
Tribe was based on Geoff Tate's notes on society on his travels across the United States in 2002. The quality of those lyrics obviously vary depending on the listener. But of note is certainly “Falling Behind,” which comments on religious wars; and the title track, which has an element of Tate's more vague storytelling style combined with a very powerful, unifying chorus.
To slightly editorialize for a moment, what was interesting about
Tribe, was how the tunes with DeGarmo, in this writer's opinion, picked back up with that same evolution from
Hear in the Now Frontier. The songs without him or his input were still good, but certainly had a different flavor.
If you're inclined to try it, put the following tracks on a playlist:
Open
Desert Dance
Falling Behind
The Art of Life
Doin' Fine
Then create a second playlist with:
Losing Myself
Tribe
The Great Divide
Rhythm of Hope
Blood
If you compare the two playlists, you'll note that the DeGarmo-included tracks are a slightly bit more complex, and more diverse, musically. But what you may also hear is that there is a evolutionary path moving forward from
Hear in the Now Frontier to the first playlist of
Tribe songs. Those songs maintain that sonic similarity, but are heavier with better production.That's probably an obvious statement, but it also shows how significant DeGarmo's stamp on the band was, and where they were starting to go as a band (perhaps a bit of TOOL-like realm, given the similarities in “Open”) from a writing and chemistry perspective.
The non-DeGarmo tracks, by comparison, still have some great moments (the title track, and “Rhythm of Hope” were fan favorites), but they are simpler in arrangement.
Note: If you add “Justified” to the first playlist (which was meant for
Tribe and started in those sessions, and entirely written by DeGarmo), it helps push the point even further. Listen to the creepy guitar harmonics that sit above the tune in some areas. The tune is available on the 2007
Sign of the Times: Best of Queensryche deluxe edition.
The only tune that seems “out-of-place” with the vibe of
Tribe as a record, and did before even the credits were known, is “Losing Myself,” which is understandable when you find out it wasn't musically written by the band.
Getting back to the write-up itself...
In addition to “Justified,” one other track was being worked on during the
Tribe sessions that unfortunately was not finished prior to turning the album over to the label. That song is “Hostage.” The song is significantly different than the version used on Queensryche's
Operation: Mindcrime II a few years later. We'll get into why a bit more then, but the demo version that was meant for
Tribe has a more aggressive Michael Wilton guitar solo, a bit more aggressive singing by Tate, no court room/drama effects (which were added to it later to make it work as a “flashback scene” for the Mindcrime sequel), and really captured some great emotion in the lyrics (which followed along a bit with Tribe's overall theme of capturing society in a post-9-11 world).
The demo was never officially released, although it appeared on the band's website, and was played over the PA AFTER shows in late 2004/early 2005, as a “preview” for
Operation: Mindcrime II. So, the only public version of the demo version of the song available are audience recordings of that PA broadcast. But make no mistake, it was written in 2003 by Jackson/Rockenfield/Tate/Wilton. It just wasn't complete before the deadline for
Tribe.Click here to hear a poor audience version of it --
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX4heb_o9I0In addition, early promo releases of
Tribe had the track “The Art of Life” replaced with “Under My Skin.” An early version of the tracklisting on Queensryche's website had it listed as the abbreviation “U.M.S.” However, to-date, it is unknown whether that is another song entirely, or simply “The Art of Life” re-titled.
Finally, it is unknown what
Tribe songs Mike Stone actually appears on, other than “Losing Myself” and the slide guitar on “Rhythm of Hope.” (Stone's appearance on the latter was confirmed to me by Scott Rockenfield.) Stone may or may not appear on the other tracks not credited to DeGarmo (“Tribe,” “The Great Divide,” and “Blood”). No one knows. The only certainty is that DeGarmo performed on all tracks he was credited on (“Open,” “Desert Dance,” “Falling Behind,” “The Art of Life,” “Doin' Fine,” and, eventually, “Justified”) and those cuts likely were the only ones all five original members performed together.
Reception“Desert Dance” was released to the public as a stream on Queensryche's website in spring 2003 in advance of the record and the band's European shows that summer. It was an aggressive track featuring a very post-grunge metal riff and great guitar effects in the intro and solo section. There was some criticism of the vocals, most notably, the line “keep reachin' c'mon, keep reachin,'” line in the tune (which people interpreted as “rap” for some reason), but overall, it was received fairly positively by the fan base and a return to some aggression that had been missing.
The first single, however, was “Open,” a very TOOL-inspired song with a mid-tempo pace and heavy bass line. The song received some attention, with the band appearing a couple of TV shows (the short-lived Orlando Jones show being one). Years later, Michael Wilton explained that during the
Tribe period, with Tate not really wanting to do “metal” any longer (Tate had said that in various interviews around this time), they (the band) approached him (Tate) about pursing a more cerebral hard rock sound in the vein of TOOL, which may have led to some of the sonic elements on the album.
Ultimately, however,
Tribe was considered a commercial failure. Lack of label support (Sanctuary Records was on its way under) likely contributed to it, as well as fans being let down over the album being marketed as being by the original lineup (but it really wasn't). While “Losing Myself” and “Rhythm of Hope” were also put out as singles, Tribe quickly nosedived and really didn't garner a lot of attention.
TouringThe tour to support
Tribe included session guitar player Mike Stone alongside Michael Wilton. It started with some festivals in Europe (the ones DeGarmo was originally going to play) before leading to a U.S. co-headline tour of amphitheaters with fellow progressive metal titans Dream Theater. Fates Warning was support for the summer, making it the first time all three bands who were given much of the credit for establishing the genre of “progressive metal” were on tour together.
The prog metal jaunt was very successful, with Dream Theater closing half the shows, and Queensryche closing the other half. Both bands played shortened headline sets, and then got together for the encore to play a song from each band and a cover tune. The trek went coast-to-coast and was highly regarded by fans of all three bands.
Once the tour wrapped up, Queensryche had a month or so off before beginning its own headline tour in support of
Tribe. Like many of the album tours before it, the
Tribe headline tour would feature a heavy dose of the new material, with the title track, “Losing Myself,” “Desert Dance, “The Great Divide,” and “Rhythm of Hope” being featured. Also new was a brief acoustic set in the middle of the set, with some songs such as “My Global Mind” and “Roads to Madness” being re-arranged. In addition, later in the tour, the band played some rarely-performed tracks (up to this time) such as “Anybody Listening?”
A Word on Mike StoneThis was the first exposure fans had to Stone, Unfortunately, Stone fared only slightly better than Gray to the fans. Chief among the fan “complaints” was Stone's more punk image, and the very shrill tone he had when playing. One of the key elements of the DeGarmo/Wilton combination was that their tones and styles were similar enough to blend, with the astute listener having to pay close attention (without seeing) to hear who was playing what. Well, that was not a problem with Mike Stone. Like Gray, he put his own stamp on DeGarmo's parts, and they stuck out. To his credit, however, he did away with the wah pedal, which helped, and he was generally regarded as a hell of a nice guy and gracious to fans. That went a long way in helping solidify his place in the band, even though he was technically only a hired gun.
On a personal note, Mike Stone was and is a hell of a nice guy. Over time, he was really embraced by fans and given a raw deal when he was dismissed. But more on that as we progress...
The
Tribe tour wrapped up in Nov. 2003, with a couple of one-off gigs in winter 2004.
Samsara's top-3 from
Tribe: "The Art of Life," "Desert Dance," "Open"
The Art of Live (2004)
Geoff Tate – Lead vocals
Michael Wilton – Lead & rhythm guitar
Eddie Jackson – Bass & background vocals
Scott Rockenfield – Drums
Mike Stone – Lead & rhythm guitar and background vocals
Queensryche invested heavily in recording technology prior to the 2003 tour. They recorded many (if not all) the shows supporting
Tribe. The idea was to have the freedom to record and release anything they do, with as little future expense as possible. The kick-off for this would be documenting the
Tribe tour with
The Art of Live, an announced live separate DVD and CD releases, wiht the DVD being marketed as being in full color with 5.1 audio. Unfortunately, the plan backfired. While the shows were all captured, the stage lights over-powered the cameras, giving the band washed out color and a visual mess (although the audio was fine).
The result was a DVD shot in sepia tone, and audio that wasn't true 5.1 surround. It was released in spring 2004, and the band went out on another tour leg in support of it, but also focused on the material from Tribe as well. Susan Tate was credited (if memory serves) as producer, while Eddie Jackson (for some reason) was credited as overseeing the audio production.
Simply put -- the releases aren't good. The audio isn't mixed well, and the sepia tone was a big let down for fans, no matter how the band tried to sell it as "arty" to the public.
Note: The DVD also contained one of the encore jams between Dream Theater and Queensryche on the 2003 summer tour.
The openers for this tour are of note. Progressive metallers Symphony-X were direct support for many dates. However, of more historical note for Queensryche, Snake River Conspiracy was direct support for weeks as well. This is a key point in time, as it is the beginning of the relationship beween Queensryche and SRC bassist/songwriter/producer Jason Slater, who would soon become a vital part of the band's creative collective.
One thing that started to make a turn for the better for Queensryche on the 2004 tour was Geoff Tate's vocals. It was clear he had begun to work hard at improving the quality of his performances from the last several years, and the work was paying off. His vocals were at a high level for much of the tour. Heading into European dates that summer, Tate also began experimenting (albeit a short-lived experiment) with using falsetto (it didn't quite work, it wasn't very strong).
The totality of support for both
Tribe and
The Art of Live concluded on July 10, 2004 in Sweden.
Next-up: Back with One Foot in Hell (pre-Mindcrime II tours) and
Operation: Mindcrime II...
Topic: The Queensr˙che Discography Thread (Read 106796 times)
