Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album

[EPICVIEW]

1) RFO
2) EP
3) OMC
4) Warning
5) HITNF
6) Tribe
7) FU
8) Empire
9) Promised Land ( but this was the best tour)
10) Q2K
11) DTC
12) AS

[Lupton]

Is it possible (in this dimension of reality) to actually think that FU is a better record than any of the 3 records with LaTorre? Isn't that like anti-matter? Just goes to show, different strokes and all...I guess some people just like different things. 

To me its not even close  FU has real emotion and feel,,I actually love 5 song on it,,, I was impressed in many ways,, why would I like a solo Latorre CD under the QR moniker?  none of his songs move me at all, they sound like bad Stryper for kids and the band is so limited in talent.  I dont get why anyone would like NU QR, its total tripe

I could understand not liking it QR with LaTorre. I can understand not liking LaTorre's voice as well. Valid subjective opinions. Where you completely lose all credibility is when claim things like "shrieking off key". From the YouTube videos I've seen with LaTorre he does a solid professional job rendering the vocals. I doubt that he's perfect 100% of the time, but the lion's share of the vocal performances I witnessed he has good pitch and doesn't sound off key.

[edit: To try not to sound like an asshole]

[Samsara]

Oh look it’s that Geoff Tate fanboy who’s completely biased against new Queensryche.

Or just an objective real fan of the band since 1982

Nothing about your posts demonstrates any objectivity whatsoever.  I don't think you understand what that words means.

why  because I think Latorre sucks? has a rancid BS voice? and Tate is QR?  watching Nu QR live is so bad they should not have the QR name ,,, growls and blood, water drinking,,,shrieking off key and head bangin is not QR and Scotts not even on the last NU QR album and the drums are not up to par, if Tate had the QR name it would be lights out for Wilton and Jackson as nobody has ever gone to show to see those two, and nobody knew of Latorre until he was 40 years old and replacing Tate, its not like they got a great singer to replace Tate,  3/5 of the band is gone .  Tate alone to me is HALF of QR solo ( Chris being the other half ) and after that Scott is the most missed and his skill was part of the what made QRs sound unique  , Wilton has no style nor Jackson, those 2 objectively would be the easiest to replace as we see Tate do with ease .  Chris and Tate are QR period ( especially with Scott gone ) IMO

I want to throw this in there - while I do agree the posting of EPICVIEW is very...aggressive, I think it's understandable when another poster calls him "Geoff Tate fanboy." That isn't needed, and that poster was a bit out of line. EPICVIEW is sharing his opinion, even if it is very strong. Again, bosk, you or the mods may have addressed that privately, but I wanted to point that out.

In addressing the topic being discussed, I have a bit of a unique point of view. At first I thought La Torre's voice was perfect for the band, and I very publicly championed him. But his voice degraded quickly, either naturally, or by choice in terms of how he wanted to sing the songs, and I really don't enjoy listening to Todd sing much of the Tate material. There is this lack of depth and strength in Todd's voice that doesn't work for me, because that depth is really needed to sing some of that material, especially the stuff from Empire and Promised Land. But even older stuff like The Whisper and Queen of the Reich -- Todd screams notes now, instead of what he did earlier by hitting stuff cleanly and holding it. It may be more "him," but I think it destroys some of the vocal nuance of the tunes - they were special because of nuances like what Tate did. (Not to mention DeGarmo -- I miss the vocal harmonies.) And that is gone.

And tonally, I have always preferred the richness of Tate's voice to Todd's. Todd just naturally has a thinner voice. I'm not going to be as aggressive as EPICVIEW about Todd. I don't enjoy listening to La Torre on the material before his time with the band (for the most part, there are some that he does an amazing job on). But I think the original material La Torre has done with the band, which fits his voice, is very good both on record, and from what I can tell on YouTube, live (I saw the TLT-fronted QR probably seven times, but haven't seen them since Dec. 2013).

Like EPICVIEW, I think Queensryche was very much defined by the collaboration and style choices of DeGarmo and Tate. Rockenfield's drumming and Wilton's heavier riffs were also very key to the sound, and Ed Bass is distinct as well. "Queensryche," was very much the sum of its parts, and more like that than most bands. But when it comes down to it, without DeGarmo and Tate, you don't have the heart and soul of the band and its creative distinction. And while post-DeGarmo QR records have their moments (as well as post-Tate records), it is, at least to my ears, a very different band. And not one I'm as big on.

From a live perspective, Casey does an outstanding job on the drums, but his style is very different from Scott, and it HAS taken away from the classic QR sound even more live. That said, I think Casey, Parker, and La Torre all deserve credit for doing an admirable job. It's just not for me. It's not the same band, both in how they sound, and creatively. And it really hasn't been since Chris left, if we're being fully honest.

[Lupton]

I want to throw this in there - while I do agree the posting of EPICVIEW is very...aggressive, I think it's understandable when another poster calls him "Geoff Tate fanboy." That isn't needed, and that poster was a bit out of line. EPICVIEW is sharing his opinion, even if it is very strong. Again, bosk, you or the mods may have addressed that privately, but I wanted to point that out.

In addressing the topic being discussed, I have a bit of a unique point of view. At first I thought La Torre's voice was perfect for the band, and I very publicly championed him. But his voice degraded quickly, either naturally, or by choice in terms of how he wanted to sing the songs, and I really don't enjoy listening to Todd sing much of the Tate material. There is this lack of depth and strength in Todd's voice that doesn't work for me, because that depth is really needed to sing some of that material, especially the stuff from Empire and Promised Land. But even older stuff like The Whisper and Queen of the Reich -- Todd screams notes now, instead of what he did earlier by hitting stuff cleanly and holding it. It may be more "him," but I think it destroys some of the vocal nuance of the tunes - they were special because of nuances like what Tate did. (Not to mention DeGarmo -- I miss the vocal harmonies.) And that is gone.

And tonally, I have always preferred the richness of Tate's voice to Todd's. Todd just naturally has a thinner voice. I'm not going to be as aggressive as EPICVIEW about Todd. I don't enjoy listening to La Torre on the material before his time with the band (for the most part, there are some that he does an amazing job on). But I think the original material La Torre has done with the band, which fits his voice, is very good both on record, and from what I can tell on YouTube, live (I saw the TLT-fronted QR probably seven times, but haven't seen them since Dec. 2013).

Like EPICVIEW, I think Queensryche was very much defined by the collaboration and style choices of DeGarmo and Tate. Rockenfield's drumming and Wilton's heavier riffs were also very key to the sound, and Ed Bass is distinct as well. "Queensryche," was very much the sum of its parts, and more like that than most bands. But when it comes down to it, without DeGarmo and Tate, you don't have the heart and soul of the band and its creative distinction. And while post-DeGarmo QR records have their moments (as well as post-Tate records), it is, at least to my ears, a very different band. And not one I'm as big on.

From a live perspective, Casey does an outstanding job on the drums, but his style is very different from Scott, and it HAS taken away from the classic QR sound even more live. That said, I think Casey, Parker, and La Torre all deserve credit for doing an admirable job. It's just not for me. It's not the same band, both in how they sound, and creatively. And it really hasn't been since Chris left, if we're being fully honest.

  This post OTOH sounds totally fair and reasonable.

[EPICVIEW]

Is it possible (in this dimension of reality) to actually think that FU is a better record than any of the 3 records with LaTorre? Isn't that like anti-matter? Just goes to show, different strokes and all...I guess some people just like different things. 

To me its not even close  FU has real emotion and feel,,I actually love 5 song on it,,, I was impressed in many ways,, why would I like a solo Latorre CD under the QR moniker?  none of his songs move me at all, they sound like bad Stryper for kids and the band is so limited in talent.  I dont get why anyone would like NU QR, its total tripe

I could understand not liking it QR with LaTorre. I can understand not liking LaTorre's voice as well. Valid subjective opinions. Where you completely lose all credibility is when claim things like "shrieking off key". From the YouTube videos I've seen with LaTorre he does a solid professional job rendering the vocals. I doubt that he's perfect 100% of the time, but the lion's share of the vocal performances I witnessed he has good pitch and doesn't sound off key.

[edit: To try not to sound like an asshole]

LOL  go watch any NU QR live video  then give me a jingle....

[bosk1]

At first I thought La Torre's voice was perfect for the band, and I very publicly championed him. But his voice degraded quickly, either naturally, or by choice in terms of how he wanted to sing the songs, and I really don't enjoy listening to Todd sing much of the Tate material. There is this lack of depth and strength in Todd's voice that doesn't work for me, because that depth is really needed to sing some of that material, especially the stuff from Empire and Promised Land. But even older stuff like The Whisper and Queen of the Reich -- Todd screams notes now, instead of what he did earlier by hitting stuff cleanly and holding it. It may be more "him," but I think it destroys some of the vocal nuance of the tunes - they were special because of nuances like what Tate did. (Not to mention DeGarmo -- I miss the vocal harmonies.) And that is gone.

And tonally, I have always preferred the richness of Tate's voice to Todd's. Todd just naturally has a thinner voice. I'm not going to be as aggressive as EPICVIEW about Todd. I don't enjoy listening to La Torre on the material before his time with the band (for the most part, there are some that he does an amazing job on). But I think the original material La Torre has done with the band, which fits his voice, is very good both on record, and from what I can tell on YouTube, live (I saw the TLT-fronted QR probably seven times, but haven't seen them since Dec. 2013).

For the record, I still like LaTorre's voice.  But I agree with you on the difference between the two, and just wanted to chime in with perhaps a different way of describing it.  To go off on a bit of a tangent for a second:  When Stone joined the band on guitar, the main critique that eventually surfaced and gained traction with a lot of fans was his shrill guitar tone.  There was just something about the combination of his guitar tone itself through the guitars and gear, and the way he played those notes, that even when his note choices on the classic material were "correct" in terms of copying the original material, some fans (myself included) found his sound to be grating and not quite right.  I think that with Todd, in some ways, it's a similar kind of thing.  It think it was a lot easier to overlook when he first joined the band because (1) his range and power were such a stark contrast with recent history and Tate having lost his range and power long before, so it was a welcome change and considered by many to be a welcome "return to form" for the band from a vocal perspective, (2) fans of the old-school material were just so awe-struck by the fact that the band were actually playing those old songs again, and that the singer could do them justice, and (3) as Samsara pointed out, Todd's vocals had not yet degraded to where they are now, and he was singing them differently than he does now.  That has all changed a bit, and I think that the changes and the wearing off of the novelty factor have made the differences between Todd's and Tate's voices more pronounced to a lot of fans, much how, despite Stone being so welcomed after Kelly's departure, the longer he was in the band, the less the fanbase liked his sound and what he brought to the table.

Hopefully, that makes nearly as much sense written down as it did in my head. 

[EPICVIEW]

Oh look it’s that Geoff Tate fanboy who’s completely biased against new Queensryche.

Or just an objective real fan of the band since 1982

Nothing about your posts demonstrates any objectivity whatsoever.  I don't think you understand what that words means.

why  because I think Latorre sucks? has a rancid BS voice? and Tate is QR?  watching Nu QR live is so bad they should not have the QR name ,,, growls and blood, water drinking,,,shrieking off key and head bangin is not QR and Scotts not even on the last NU QR album and the drums are not up to par, if Tate had the QR name it would be lights out for Wilton and Jackson as nobody has ever gone to show to see those two, and nobody knew of Latorre until he was 40 years old and replacing Tate, its not like they got a great singer to replace Tate,  3/5 of the band is gone .  Tate alone to me is HALF of QR solo ( Chris being the other half ) and after that Scott is the most missed and his skill was part of the what made QRs sound unique  , Wilton has no style nor Jackson, those 2 objectively would be the easiest to replace as we see Tate do with ease .  Chris and Tate are QR period ( especially with Scott gone ) IMO

I want to throw this in there - while I do agree the posting of EPICVIEW is very...aggressive, I think it's understandable when another poster calls him "Geoff Tate fanboy." That isn't needed, and that poster was a bit out of line. EPICVIEW is sharing his opinion, even if it is very strong. Again, bosk, you or the mods may have addressed that privately, but I wanted to point that out.

In addressing the topic being discussed, I have a bit of a unique point of view. At first I thought La Torre's voice was perfect for the band, and I very publicly championed him. But his voice degraded quickly, either naturally, or by choice in terms of how he wanted to sing the songs, and I really don't enjoy listening to Todd sing much of the Tate material. There is this lack of depth and strength in Todd's voice that doesn't work for me, because that depth is really needed to sing some of that material, especially the stuff from Empire and Promised Land. But even older stuff like The Whisper and Queen of the Reich -- Todd screams notes now, instead of what he did earlier by hitting stuff cleanly and holding it. It may be more "him," but I think it destroys some of the vocal nuance of the tunes - they were special because of nuances like what Tate did. (Not to mention DeGarmo -- I miss the vocal harmonies.) And that is gone.

And tonally, I have always preferred the richness of Tate's voice to Todd's. Todd just naturally has a thinner voice. I'm not going to be as aggressive as EPICVIEW about Todd. I don't enjoy listening to La Torre on the material before his time with the band (for the most part, there are some that he does an amazing job on). But I think the original material La Torre has done with the band, which fits his voice, is very good both on record, and from what I can tell on YouTube, live (I saw the TLT-fronted QR probably seven times, but haven't seen them since Dec. 2013).

Like EPICVIEW, I think Queensryche was very much defined by the collaboration and style choices of DeGarmo and Tate. Rockenfield's drumming and Wilton's heavier riffs were also very key to the sound, and Ed Bass is distinct as well. "Queensryche," was very much the sum of its parts, and more like that than most bands. But when it comes down to it, without DeGarmo and Tate, you don't have the heart and soul of the band and its creative distinction. And while post-DeGarmo QR records have their moments (as well as post-Tate records), it is, at least to my ears, a very different band. And not one I'm as big on.

From a live perspective, Casey does an outstanding job on the drums, but his style is very different from Scott, and it HAS taken away from the classic QR sound even more live. That said, I think Casey, Parker, and La Torre all deserve credit for doing an admirable job. It's just not for me. It's not the same band, both in how they sound, and creatively. And it really hasn't been since Chris left, if we're being fully honest.

Thank You Samsara,,,, I agree with your post ,

I dont think Im "aggressive " in my posts LOL  I just state how I feel ,MY OPINION,  and thank you recognizing that,  it seem to be if one does not like Latorre or think its real QR that its "fanboyism of Tate" and its not,   QR is TATE, CHRIS, and then SCOTT to all the old time fans ,,, and no "cool light show with the lyrics" will change that

[Samsara]

For the record, I still like LaTorre's voice.  But I agree with you on the difference between the two, and just wanted to chime in with perhaps a different way of describing it.  To go off on a bit of a tangent for a second:  When Stone joined the band on guitar, the main critique that eventually surfaced and gained traction with a lot of fans was his shrill guitar tone.  There was just something about the combination of his guitar tone itself through the guitars and gear, and the way he played those notes, that even when his note choices on the classic material were "correct" in terms of copying the original material, some fans (myself included) found his sound to be grating and not quite right.  I think that with Todd, in some ways, it's a similar kind of thing.  It think it was a lot easier to overlook when he first joined the band because (1) his range and power were such a stark contrast with recent history and Tate having lost his range and power long before, so it was a welcome change and considered by many to be a welcome "return to form" for the band from a vocal perspective, (2) fans of the old-school material were just so awe-struck by the fact that the band were actually playing those old songs again, and that the singer could do them justice, and (3) as Samsara pointed out, Todd's vocals had not yet degraded to where they are now, and he was singing them differently than he does now.  That has all changed a bit, and I think that the changes and the wearing off of the novelty factor have made the differences between Todd's and Tate's voices more pronounced to a lot of fans, much how, despite Stone being so welcomed after Kelly's departure, the longer he was in the band, the less the fanbase liked his sound and what he brought to the table.

Hopefully, that makes nearly as much sense written down as it did in my head. 

On Stone, to his credit, after a couple of tour cycles, he changed his tone a bit and wasn't nearly as shrill. I wasn't a big fan of Stone's playing and tone either at first. But once he changed it a bit, I really enjoyed his playing. I think it was that Judas Priest/QR tour in 2005, when QR did the old school metal set, where I really found an appreciation for Stone and became a fan of his. But those first few years, that tone was like nails on a chalkboard. 

[Lupton]

LOL  go watch any NU QR live video  then give me a jingle....

But that's the thing...I did and he sounds like a very competent singer, in key and in pitch -- at least the ones I saw. Did he get bad more recently? (as Samsara suggests) or do you always think he sang poorly?

[bosk1]

As far as key and pitch, he has almost always been on point (barring shows where he is sick).  His tone and timbre are a different matter.  But some people can't seem to get past their own biases to see that.  (and I'm NOT talking about Samsara)

[The Walrus]

I have a hot take.

Todd LaTorre is a singer.

[EPICVIEW]

At first I thought La Torre's voice was perfect for the band, and I very publicly championed him. But his voice degraded quickly, either naturally, or by choice in terms of how he wanted to sing the songs, and I really don't enjoy listening to Todd sing much of the Tate material. There is this lack of depth and strength in Todd's voice that doesn't work for me, because that depth is really needed to sing some of that material, especially the stuff from Empire and Promised Land. But even older stuff like The Whisper and Queen of the Reich -- Todd screams notes now, instead of what he did earlier by hitting stuff cleanly and holding it. It may be more "him," but I think it destroys some of the vocal nuance of the tunes - they were special because of nuances like what Tate did. (Not to mention DeGarmo -- I miss the vocal harmonies.) And that is gone.

And tonally, I have always preferred the richness of Tate's voice to Todd's. Todd just naturally has a thinner voice. I'm not going to be as aggressive as EPICVIEW about Todd. I don't enjoy listening to La Torre on the material before his time with the band (for the most part, there are some that he does an amazing job on). But I think the original material La Torre has done with the band, which fits his voice, is very good both on record, and from what I can tell on YouTube, live (I saw the TLT-fronted QR probably seven times, but haven't seen them since Dec. 2013).

For the record, I still like LaTorre's voice.  But I agree with you on the difference between the two, and just wanted to chime in with perhaps a different way of describing it.  To go off on a bit of a tangent for a second:  When Stone joined the band on guitar, the main critique that eventually surfaced and gained traction with a lot of fans was his shrill guitar tone.  There was just something about the combination of his guitar tone itself through the guitars and gear, and the way he played those notes, that even when his note choices on the classic material were "correct" in terms of copying the original material, some fans (myself included) found his sound to be grating and not quite right.  I think that with Todd, in some ways, it's a similar kind of thing.  It think it was a lot easier to overlook when he first joined the band because (1) his range and power were such a stark contrast with recent history and Tate having lost his range and power long before, so it was a welcome change and considered by many to be a welcome "return to form" for the band from a vocal perspective, (2) fans of the old-school material were just so awe-struck by the fact that the band were actually playing those old songs again, and that the singer could do them justice, and (3) as Samsara pointed out, Todd's vocals had not yet degraded to where they are now, and he was singing them differently than he does now.  That has all changed a bit, and I think that the changes and the wearing off of the novelty factor have made the differences between Todd's and Tate's voices more pronounced to a lot of fans, much how, despite Stone being so welcomed after Kelly's departure, the longer he was in the band, the less the fanbase liked his sound and what he brought to the table.

Hopefully, that makes nearly as much sense written down as it did in my head. 

Your post makes total sense,  many of the fans are real sticklers for "note for note" and both Kelly and Stone got hammered many times for "not getting it right" I was OK with them live for the most part, as the band was always into change etc and Tate and chris both love stripped down folk and grunge and to me anything post Chris was a gift and I was excited for Q2k and enjoyed the tour with Maiden and Halford etc,  TODAY its become too watered down to swill and even trying to redo the old stuff perfect doesnt move me anymore, its all stale.  IMO.   Im not even sure what I want from Tate anymore, hes really given me so much to be proud of and to be a fan of he owes me nothing. I dont even want Chris to come back nor do I want Tate to return to the shambles of QR,  Id be very happy if they all called it quits to be honest,  but Latorre is awful and we see after 4 years his voice is crud and hes a complete butcher live and the whole band is awful to watch live ...I guess if i was 18 and never saw them and went Im not sure what Id think of the show but its not what QR was about at all,  I find them juvenile and barely pro level today, again the DRAMA is better than the music IMO

[EPICVIEW]

As far as key and pitch, he has almost always been on point (barring shows where he is sick).  His tone and timbre are a different matter.  But some people can't seem to get past their own biases to see that.  (and I'm NOT talking about Samsara)

I dont agree at all  latorre is barely ever spot on and has to find the note and his singing technique has a lot to improve upon and hes not going in the right direction,  Tate today is better still IMO  ( No bias here  just my ears ) to me I dont get anyone saying "he sounds like Tate" he does not and if he was the original singer of the band the band would not have made it , Tate is also a far far far better frontman and showman and has stage presence most do not, Tates a legend period, nobody else besides Scott is recognized for their musical abilities ( chris of course but hes been gone for over 23 years yikes)

[Lupton]

As far as key and pitch, he has almost always been on point (barring shows where he is sick).  His tone and timbre are a different matter.  But some people can't seem to get past their own biases to see that.  (and I'm NOT talking about Samsara)

I dont agree at all  latorre is barely ever spot on and has to find the note and his singing technique has a lot to improve upon and hes not going in the right direction,  Tate today is better still IMO  ( No bias here  just my ears ) to me I dont get anyoen saying "he sounds like Tate" he does not and if her was the original singer of the band the band would not have made it , Tate is also a far far far better frontman and showman and has stage presence most do not, Tates a legend period

Checked this recent 2019 video out and he sounds pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMRSyYdRse0

Not perfect. Some of the high notes are a little flat (that's pitch, not key. Two different things) but use of vibrato masks a lot of imprecisions. I could understand not liking (or even hating) something, but you'd have to have shit for ears not to be able to recognize that LaTorre is singing in key.

[EPICVIEW]

As far as key and pitch, he has almost always been on point (barring shows where he is sick).  His tone and timbre are a different matter.  But some people can't seem to get past their own biases to see that.  (and I'm NOT talking about Samsara)

I dont agree at all  latorre is barely ever spot on and has to find the note and his singing technique has a lot to improve upon and hes not going in the right direction,  Tate today is better still IMO  ( No bias here  just my ears ) to me I dont get anyoen saying "he sounds like Tate" he does not and if her was the original singer of the band the band would not have made it , Tate is also a far far far better frontman and showman and has stage presence most do not, Tates a legend period

Checked this recent 2019 video out and he sounds pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMRSyYdRse0

Not perfect. Some of the high notes are a little flat (that's pitch, not key. Two different things) but use of vibrato masks a lot of imprecisions. I could understand not liking (or even hating) something, but you'd have to have shit for ears not to be able to recognize that LaTorre is singing in key.

sorry  to me thats awful and if this is best he can do hes BAD  sounds terrible actually, he will do his yodel breathing and then ramp up to the note he may hit it or not or may go past it ,  Ill take Tate all day any day 

[Lupton]

As far as key and pitch, he has almost always been on point (barring shows where he is sick).  His tone and timbre are a different matter.  But some people can't seem to get past their own biases to see that.  (and I'm NOT talking about Samsara)

I dont agree at all  latorre is barely ever spot on and has to find the note and his singing technique has a lot to improve upon and hes not going in the right direction,  Tate today is better still IMO  ( No bias here  just my ears ) to me I dont get anyoen saying "he sounds like Tate" he does not and if her was the original singer of the band the band would not have made it , Tate is also a far far far better frontman and showman and has stage presence most do not, Tates a legend period

Checked this recent 2019 video out and he sounds pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMRSyYdRse0

Not perfect. Some of the high notes are a little flat (that's pitch, not key. Two different things) but use of vibrato masks a lot of imprecisions. I could understand not liking (or even hating) something, but you'd have to have shit for ears not to be able to recognize that LaTorre is singing in key.

sorry  to me thats awful and if this is best he can do hes BAD  sounds terrible actually, he will do his yodel breathing and then ramp up to the note he may hit it or not or may go past it ,  Ill take Tate all day any day

That tells me all I need to know about your ears. Thanks for helping me distinguish that you have no musical credibility. 

[ProfessorPeart]

Just my 2 cents, but this appears to be how the conversation is going:

[EPICVIEW]

As far as key and pitch, he has almost always been on point (barring shows where he is sick).  His tone and timbre are a different matter.  But some people can't seem to get past their own biases to see that.  (and I'm NOT talking about Samsara)

I dont agree at all  latorre is barely ever spot on and has to find the note and his singing technique has a lot to improve upon and hes not going in the right direction,  Tate today is better still IMO  ( No bias here  just my ears ) to me I dont get anyoen saying "he sounds like Tate" he does not and if her was the original singer of the band the band would not have made it , Tate is also a far far far better frontman and showman and has stage presence most do not, Tates a legend period

Checked this recent 2019 video out and he sounds pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMRSyYdRse0

Not perfect. Some of the high notes are a little flat (that's pitch, not key. Two different things) but use of vibrato masks a lot of imprecisions. I could understand not liking (or even hating) something, but you'd have to have shit for ears not to be able to recognize that LaTorre is singing in key.

sorry  to me thats awful and if this is best he can do hes BAD  sounds terrible actually, he will do his yodel breathing and then ramp up to the note he may hit it or not or may go past it ,  Ill take Tate all day any day

That tells me all I need to know about your ears. Thanks for helping me distinguish that you have no musical credibility.

LOL  if you say so ...LOL

May I ask how many QR shows you have been to since 1982?

[TAC]

Just my 2 cents, but this appears to be how the conversation is going:

Their production is brickwalled?

[EPICVIEW]

Just my 2 cents, but this appears to be how the conversation is going:

I agree  Ive been quite objective and have been to about 30 shows of QR since 1982/83  Im pretty sure NU QR will not be doing the Promised Land live show anytime soon   : )

To even try to compare NU QR  to old QR is silly  there is nothing in common live etc.

[The Walrus]

Methinks someone does not know the meaning of the words 'objective' or 'subjective' and is getting all discombobulated

As if the number of shows you've been to has ANY meaning when discussing this. Gimme a break with that elitist crap. We get it man... you don't like new 'ryche.

[EPICVIEW]

Just my 2 cents, but this appears to be how the conversation is going:

Their production is brickwalled?

its actually part of the OMCII  tour stage props : )   I cleaned off the graffiti

[Samsara]

But that's the thing...I did and he sounds like a very competent singer, in key and in pitch -- at least the ones I saw. Did he get bad more recently? (as Samsara suggests) or do you always think he sang poorly?

I'm not suggesting anything. His range has declined (from what I can tell) noticeably, and he's either opted to scream notes, or just can't hit them. Again, the last time I personally saw him perform was Dec. 2013. The rest of my viewing (which I do every couple of months or so, randomly, to see how the band is sounding) is from YouTube. I'm not suggesting recently. I'm saying my observation from 2012-2020 is that his range has suffered and he isn't singing some of the older songs in the way he did previously (whether because of style choices or inability - I don't know which).

Regarding key and pitch, Todd is hit and miss. He's not as consistent as Tate on those. Then again, Tate sings in a lower key these days.

Checked this recent 2019 video out and he sounds pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMRSyYdRse0

Not perfect. Some of the high notes are a little flat (that's pitch, not key. Two different things) but use of vibrato masks a lot of imprecisions. I could understand not liking (or even hating) something, but you'd have to have shit for ears not to be able to recognize that LaTorre is singing in key.

I skimmed through it, catching bits of Queen of the Reich, Eyes of a Stranger, Jet City, Take Hold, and a couple new ones. Credit where credit is due, Todd sounds like he's having a good show here. Yep, he's a little flat at times, which happens. But he is absolutely in key.

Only from a range perspective, sample Queen of the Reich's opening note, and the ending of the song from Rising West 2012, and then this one. You'll see the differences. He's straining now, most always, to do it, and screams most of it, instead of hitting a note. And the ending of the song in the current one linked here is not good at all. Again, this is just about range. He's struggling to get those notes, so he's screaming to cover it. I'm not saying it is a bad performance - it's not. But it's not as good as he used to do. Why that is, we can speculate. I'm pretty confident it is not by choice. But to say Todd isn't singing in key, and isn't giving a professional performance is flat out wrong. He is singing well. His voice just doesn't work for me any longer. For reasons I stated above, regarding tone and richness.

[EPICVIEW]

Methinks someone does not know the meaning of the words 'objective' or 'subjective' and is getting all discombobulated

As if the number of shows you've been to has ANY meaning when discussing this. Gimme a break with that elitist crap. We get it man... you don't like new 'ryche.

Im simply talking about the subject,,, seems other are quite "ruffled"  LOL 

[EPICVIEW]

But that's the thing...I did and he sounds like a very competent singer, in key and in pitch -- at least the ones I saw. Did he get bad more recently? (as Samsara suggests) or do you always think he sang poorly?

I'm not suggesting anything. His range has declined (from what I can tell) noticeably, and he's either opted to scream notes, or just can't hit them. Again, the last time I personally saw him perform was Dec. 2013. The rest of my viewing (which I do every couple of months or so, randomly, to see how the band is sounding) is from YouTube. I'm not suggesting recently. I'm saying my observation from 2012-2020 is that his range has suffered and he isn't singing some of the older songs in the way he did previously (whether because of style choices or inability - I don't know which).

Regarding key and pitch, Todd is hit and miss. He's not as consistent as Tate on those. Then again, Tate sings in a lower key these days.

Checked this recent 2019 video out and he sounds pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMRSyYdRse0

Not perfect. Some of the high notes are a little flat (that's pitch, not key. Two different things) but use of vibrato masks a lot of imprecisions. I could understand not liking (or even hating) something, but you'd have to have shit for ears not to be able to recognize that LaTorre is singing in key.

I skimmed through it, catching bits of Queen of the Reich, Eyes of a Stranger, Jet City, Take Hold, and a couple new ones. Credit where credit is due, Todd sounds like he's having a good show here. Yep, he's a little flat at times, which happens. But he is absolutely in key.

Only from a range perspective, sample Queen of the Reich's opening note, and the ending of the song from Rising West 2012, and then this one. You'll see the differences. He's straining now, most always, to do it, and screams most of it, instead of hitting a note. And the ending of the song in the current one linked here is not good at all. Again, this is just about range. He's struggling to get those notes, so he's screaming to cover it. I'm not saying it is a bad performance - it's not. But it's not as good as he used to do. Why that is, we can speculate. I'm pretty confident it is not by choice. But to say Todd isn't singing in key, and isn't giving a professional performance is flat out wrong. He is singing well. His voice just doesn't work for me any longer. For reasons I stated above, regarding tone and richness.

again I agree w Samsara
I never saw Tate ever struggle period, have bad show, or blame "being sick"   before everyone goes beserk Im aware that the band did 1/4 step some of the old songs but to me it made no difference in enjoyment live and after 30 years Tates voice was still far superior to 90% of his peers of the same age and genre.  I even see Wiltons playing going down and nobody slags him, because nobody thinks hes that good anyway so hes never cut on

[Lupton]

LOL  if you say so ...LOL

May I ask how many QR shows you have been to since 1982?

Only saw them once on the Promised Land tour and it was very special. For some perspective, I don't have as much invested in this band as some of you guys. I do like them, but they've never been "top tier" for me. I've got everything from the EP to Promised Land (and think it's all uniquely great!). I bought Q2K for 1$ (don't even think its worth that much) and copied American Soldier from the library (waste of a blank CD).

As far as Youtube live performance vocal evaluation goes, I'm simply listening to the vocals as objectively as possible, listening for the correct notes and pitch control. No emotional investment needed, it's not rocket science. If I had to say something negative about LaTorre I'd say that his natural projection sounds "strained" (for lack of a better word) and I can see how this would be irksome, but it is a far cry from being flat out awful.

[EPICVIEW]

here is objective as of TODAY

Todd not as good as Tate and has no star power
Wilton not as good as Chris ( Wilton still cant do what Chris did)
Casey not as good as Scott
Parker as good as Wilton
Jackson ( whatever )

Its all downgrade today but Parker is as good as Wilton in Wilton's old role
is that even debatable?

[bosk1]

None of that is objective.  It's opinion.  And as such, it's valid.  But "objective" doesn't even enter into the discussion. 

[Lupton]

again I agree w Samsara
I never saw Tate ever struggle period, have bad show, or blame "being sick"   before everyone goes beserk Im aware that the band did 1/4 step some of the old songs but to me it made no difference in enjoyment live and after 30 years Tates voice was still far superior to 90% of his peers of the same age and genre.  I even see Wiltons playing going down and nobody slags him, because nobody thinks hes that good anyway so hes never cut on

OTOH I've seen plenty of Tate performances on YouTube where "awful" is the precise word I'd use to describe it. Can't hit any of the notes, and doesn't even try for some of the higher ones. In some spots what he's doing can't even be described as "singing". However, I saw something recently which sounded much better (can't remember what it was) that impressed me a bit, because he didn't completely suck. So maybe there's hope for him.

[EPICVIEW]

LOL  if you say so ...LOL

May I ask how many QR shows you have been to since 1982?

Only saw them once on the Promised Land tour and it was very special. For some perspective, I don't have as much invested in this band as some of you guys. I do like them, but they've never been "top tier" for me. I've got everything from the EP to Promised Land (and think it's all uniquely great!). I bought Q2K for 1$ (don't even think its worth that much) and copied American Soldier from the library (waste of a blank CD).

As far as Youtube live performance vocal evaluation goes, I'm simply listening to the vocals as objectively as possible, listening for the correct notes and pitch control. No emotional investment needed, it's not rocket science. If I had to say something negative about LaTorre I'd say that his natural projection sounds "strained" (for lack of a better word) and I can see how this would be irksome, but it is a far cry from being flat out awful.

its all good bro   
This is what QR fans do  LOL  The fans ran off both Kelly and Stone for being "butchers"!!!  the same scrutiny should be given to Latorre  ,,,,its sadly true  in many ways all thats left is to "argue and debate"  as the music is just " meh"

[EPICVIEW]

None of that is objective.  It's opinion.  And as such, it's valid.  But "objective" doesn't even enter into the discussion.

again my opinion is OBJECTIVE   if Todd sounded great Id say so  he does not OBJECTIVELY  only subjectively could one say he does  : )

[EPICVIEW]

again I agree w Samsara
I never saw Tate ever struggle period, have bad show, or blame "being sick"   before everyone goes beserk Im aware that the band did 1/4 step some of the old songs but to me it made no difference in enjoyment live and after 30 years Tates voice was still far superior to 90% of his peers of the same age and genre.  I even see Wiltons playing going down and nobody slags him, because nobody thinks hes that good anyway so hes never cut on

OTOH I've seen plenty of Tate performances on YouTube where "awful" is the precise word I'd use to describe it. Can't hit any of the notes, and doesn't even try for some of the higher ones. In some spots what he's doing can't even be described as "singing". However, I saw something recently which sounded much better (can't remember what it was) that impressed me a bit, because he didn't completely suck. So maybe there's hope for him.

find me one and post it and lets discuss if we can here ( not sure its the right place to do it )

[Lupton]

None of that is objective.  It's opinion.  And as such, it's valid.  But "objective" doesn't even enter into the discussion.

It also creates (in this case an even wider) credibility gap when someone tries to pass their opinion off as objective truth

[bosk1]

This is what QR fans do  LOL  The fans ran off both Kelly and Stone for being "butchers"!!!  the same scrutiny should be given to Latorre 

Not here, they don't.  It's called trolling, and this is not the place for it.

[Lupton]

again I agree w Samsara
I never saw Tate ever struggle period, have bad show, or blame "being sick"   before everyone goes beserk Im aware that the band did 1/4 step some of the old songs but to me it made no difference in enjoyment live and after 30 years Tates voice was still far superior to 90% of his peers of the same age and genre.  I even see Wiltons playing going down and nobody slags him, because nobody thinks hes that good anyway so hes never cut on

OTOH I've seen plenty of Tate performances on YouTube where "awful" is the precise word I'd use to describe it. Can't hit any of the notes, and doesn't even try for some of the higher ones. In some spots what he's doing can't even be described as "singing". However, I saw something recently which sounded much better (can't remember what it was) that impressed me a bit, because he didn't completely suck. So maybe there's hope for him.

find me one and post it and lets discuss if we can here ( not sure its the right place to do it )

Sorry man, I'm done with you. You're not worth the waste of time. You have no objective ability to judge vocal performances and I can't take anything you post seriously.