Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album

[TAC]

So, BOTH of the primary writers are gone.  The backbone of the rhythm section is gone.  There really just isn't much left of "Queensryche" in Queensryche now. 

Now??

[Nick]

Look, it's entirely possible Scott Rock is done, but let's be clear in that nothing has been announced to that effect as of yet.

[Mister Gold]

Look, it's entirely possible Scott Rock is done, but let's be clear in that nothing has been announced to that effect as of yet.

I mean, no, it's not officially announced yet but Scott apparently isn't playing drums on the new Queensryche album and the guy who is playing drums on said-album just left the band he was a part of in order to "pursue other musical interests."

It's not official, but I'd say the writing is probably on the wall at this point.

[IDontNotDoThings]

They should change their name to "Ship Of Theseus" 

[Chris Hinton]

They should change their name to "Ship Of Theseus" 

[Zook]

I'm a little behind... ROCKSON?! Poor kid.

[The Walrus]

I finally started getting into this band. I started with the self-titled on Spotify but it was a mess (not the original - expanded and remastered, which had a bunch of live tracks, not what I needed) so I went to The Warning. That was okay, but Rage For Order is fantastic. Today I picked up that one, Operation:Mindcrime, Empire, and Promised Land at the record store. Exploring this band just like Fates Warning and Rush, and I'm loving RFO so I can't wait to hear these next three.

If I love them enough I'm probably going to end up buying the later, terrible albums, just out of principle of buying complete discographies of bands who I really enjoy, and filling the shelves. I'm very interested in hearing just how far they drop off up to the split, and what the Todd era stuff is like.

This band is very... interesting.

[romdrums]

The run from Warning to Promised Land is one of the greatest album runs ever.  Each album is very different from each other, but there are elements that run through each record, and for the most part, I think the progression from one record to the next is actually somewhat organic.  DeGarmo and Wilton are a fantastic guitar duo, and they way they work together is pretty unique compared against some of the other famous guitar duos of that time.  I always thought their artistic vision set them apart, and when they lost that, they lost everything.

[Cool Chris]

I came to the QR party late myself, only being familiar with them at the time because of Silent Lucidity's massive airplay. I can't imagine the awesomeness of being a fan of the band during that stretch of albums in real time. 

[KevShmev]

I finally started getting into this band. I started with the self-titled on Spotify but it was a mess (not the original - expanded and remastered, which had a bunch of live tracks, not what I needed) so I went to The Warning. That was okay, but Rage For Order is fantastic. Today I picked up that one, Operation:Mindcrime, Empire, and Promised Land at the record store. Exploring this band just like Fates Warning and Rush, and I'm loving RFO so I can't wait to hear these next three.

If I love them enough I'm probably going to end up buying the later, terrible albums, just out of principle of buying complete discographies of bands who I really enjoy, and filling the shelves. I'm very interested in hearing just how far they drop off up to the split, and what the Todd era stuff is like.

This band is very... interesting.

I get being a completist, but seriously, just get everything from the start to Promised Land and then just stop there.  You will save yourself a lot of time that would otherwise be wasted listening to a lot of crap.

These ratings below do a good job of showing how quickly they fell off the clip after Promised Land:

https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/queensryche

[TAC]

You can skip the garbled mess that is Promised Land.

[KevShmev]

You can skip the messes that are TAC's posts.

[TAC]

 

Can't argue with that!

[KevShmev]

[King Postwhore]

I'm torn. Lol

[TAC]

Actual picture from a typical Promised Land listening party.

[The Walrus]

I get being a completist, but seriously, just get everything from the start to Promised Land and then just stop there.  You will save yourself a lot of time that would otherwise be wasted listening to a lot of crap.

These ratings below do a good job of showing how quickly they fell off the clip after Promised Land:

https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/queensryche

Wow. That's pretty... depressing.

If I like the CDs I just picked up enough - and it seems like I will, because I heard Mindcrime for the first time today and good lord is it a good record, they're batting 1000 so far to my ears - I'll at least give them a listen on Spotify. I think I can say I 'like' Queensryche, with some potential major caveats later on (in all likelihood) - but we'll see. I really dislike having empty spots in an artist's collection on my shelves even if they're bad albums, if I enjoy that band's good albums enough. Hard to describe... and since there are 4 or 5 more sitting in that store, yeah, I may just drop $20 and grab them

[Ben_Jamin]

Tribe has good songs on it. I consider that the last great Queensryche album.

[bill1971]

The run from Warning to Promised Land is one of the greatest album runs ever.  Each album is very different from each other, but there are elements that run through each record, and for the most part, I think the progression from one record to the next is actually somewhat organic.  DeGarmo and Wilton are a fantastic guitar duo, and they way they work together is pretty unique compared against some of the other famous guitar duos of that time.  I always thought their artistic vision set them apart, and when they lost that, they lost everything.

Agreed on Rage to Promised Land. Each very unique.

Rage...metal, somewhat prog
Mindcrime...concept album
Empire...almost radio friendly straight forward rock
Promised Land...dark and heavy

I love some songs on each album. I personally thing Warning is overrated except for Roads to Madness, Take Hold and NM...I forger the numbers.

Personally I prefer Tribe over Warning. Open is a classic, so is Tribe, Blood and Desert Dance.

[IDontNotDoThings]

OM2 is great, don't listen to these nerds 

[Mister Gold]

You can skip the garbled mess that is Promised Land.

See, TAC, I see that you're saying Promised Land here, but I know you have to be referring to Hear in the Now Frontier.

Tribe has good songs on it. I consider that the last great Queensryche album.

Clearly not, as both of the La Torre albums trounce Tribe.

For the new Ryche fan here, my advice is this: Skip every album after Promised Land until you get to the band's self-titled album from 2013. Get that and get Condition Human. Trust me, the quality from start to finish will be much stronger and be far less heartbreaking to bear through if you stick with this plan.

[?]

I finally started getting into this band. I started with the self-titled on Spotify but it was a mess (not the original - expanded and remastered, which had a bunch of live tracks, not what I needed) so I went to The Warning. That was okay, but Rage For Order is fantastic. Today I picked up that one, Operation:Mindcrime, Empire, and Promised Land at the record store. Exploring this band just like Fates Warning and Rush, and I'm loving RFO so I can't wait to hear these next three.

If I love them enough I'm probably going to end up buying the later, terrible albums, just out of principle of buying complete discographies of bands who I really enjoy, and filling the shelves. I'm very interested in hearing just how far they drop off up to the split, and what the Todd era stuff is like.

This band is very... interesting.

Even if you're a completist, I'd recommend avoiding at least the last 3 records with Tate (not counting Take Cover, which is a collection of covers), because they're essentially his solo albums, featuring outside writers and even uncredited ghost players instead of the actual band members on some of the material. At least Hear in the Now Frontier, Q2K and Tribe were still band efforts and include some great tunes.

[IDontNotDoThings]

I finally started getting into this band. I started with the self-titled on Spotify but it was a mess (not the original - expanded and remastered, which had a bunch of live tracks, not what I needed) so I went to The Warning. That was okay, but Rage For Order is fantastic. Today I picked up that one, Operation:Mindcrime, Empire, and Promised Land at the record store. Exploring this band just like Fates Warning and Rush, and I'm loving RFO so I can't wait to hear these next three.

If I love them enough I'm probably going to end up buying the later, terrible albums, just out of principle of buying complete discographies of bands who I really enjoy, and filling the shelves. I'm very interested in hearing just how far they drop off up to the split, and what the Todd era stuff is like.

This band is very... interesting.

Even if you're a completist, I'd recommend avoiding at least the last 3 records with Tate

Is that including Frequency Unknown? 

In all seriousness though, I think DTC might be starting to grow on me a little. I still hate it musically, but I kind of enjoy it in a "so bad it's good" way. 

[?]

I finally started getting into this band. I started with the self-titled on Spotify but it was a mess (not the original - expanded and remastered, which had a bunch of live tracks, not what I needed) so I went to The Warning. That was okay, but Rage For Order is fantastic. Today I picked up that one, Operation:Mindcrime, Empire, and Promised Land at the record store. Exploring this band just like Fates Warning and Rush, and I'm loving RFO so I can't wait to hear these next three.

If I love them enough I'm probably going to end up buying the later, terrible albums, just out of principle of buying complete discographies of bands who I really enjoy, and filling the shelves. I'm very interested in hearing just how far they drop off up to the split, and what the Todd era stuff is like.

This band is very... interesting.

Even if you're a completist, I'd recommend avoiding at least the last 3 records with Tate

Is that including Frequency Unknown? 

Forgot about its existence for a second (lucky me), but yeah

[jingle.boy]

The only thing you need to know about Frequency Unknown is wolfking's review in the Tater thread. 

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36090.msg1565339#msg1565339

[Mister Gold]

The only thing you need to know about Frequency Unknown is wolfking's review in the Tater thread. 

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36090.msg1565339#msg1565339

That review is the stuff of legends. I still remember my first time reading it back in the day!

[jingle.boy]

The only thing you need to know about Frequency Unknown is wolfking's review in the Tater thread. 

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36090.msg1565339#msg1565339

That review is the stuff of legends. I still remember my first time reading it back in the day!

Just like a George Costanza voice-mail message  .  At least once a year I go back to it for the giggles.  I've said it before, I'll say it again, my favorite DTF post .... ever.

[The Walrus]

In all honesty, if I enjoy Empire and Promised Land enough, I'm probably just going to try to listen to all the albums in chronological order like I had planned. I don't want to jump around from album to album; I want to experience the roller coaster of seeing how each album changes the band, I guess, for lack of a better term (or is it the band changing the albums... whoa, man) Of course if they're that bad I won't even finish them, but it won't put me off checking out the Todd LaTorre-fronted 'ryche at the end of the day  I'll make sure to read that FU review.

Mindcrime is phenomenal... wow. I already knew 3 songs on it (the title track, Eyes of a Stranger, and I'm pretty sure I Don't Believe In Love). But jeeze. I thought I had checked this out some years ago but can't really remember; if I did, I don't know why I apparently didn't like it...

[bosk1]

To me, Mindcrime is NOT an easy album to digest on an initial listen.  I can see it taking awhile and perhaps not clicking the first time you listened, if that is actually the case.

[The Walrus]

To me, Mindcrime is NOT an easy album to digest on an initial listen.  I can see it taking awhile and perhaps not clicking the first time you listened, if that is actually the case.

Could be. But man, I only played it one time last night and might as well have had my hair blown back the whole time. Incredible stuff! Revolution Calling, Spreading the Disease (especially this one, the singing is great), The Needle Lies, just so many great first impressions. Suite Sister Mary is definitely going to take several spins more though.

[Lethean]

In all honesty, if I enjoy Empire and Promised Land enough, I'm probably just going to try to listen to all the albums in chronological order like I had planned. I don't want to jump around from album to album; I want to experience the roller coaster of seeing how each album changes the band, I guess, for lack of a better term (or is it the band changing the albums... whoa, man) Of course if they're that bad I won't even finish them, but it won't put me off checking out the Todd LaTorre-fronted 'ryche at the end of the day  I'll make sure to read that FU review.

Mindcrime is phenomenal... wow. I already knew 3 songs on it (the title track, Eyes of a Stranger, and I'm pretty sure I Don't Believe In Love). But jeeze. I thought I had checked this out some years ago but can't really remember; if I did, I don't know why I apparently didn't like it...

I agree with all those saying that Promised Land was the last good album until Todd LaTorre joined the band.  There are good songs here and there in between, but overall it's pretty bad.  If you want to listen to those albums, do, but don't waste your money on them.  Save it for when they tour and buy a shirt or something instead.

Glad you're enjoying the good stuff.

[MirrorMask]

For me with Mindcrime it was love at first listening. Maybe I didn't get all the nuances but I immediately understood why the album was so praised.

[bosk1]

In all honesty, if I enjoy Empire and Promised Land enough, I'm probably just going to try to listen to all the albums in chronological order like I had planned. I don't want to jump around from album to album; I want to experience the roller coaster of seeing how each album changes the band, I guess, for lack of a better term (or is it the band changing the albums... whoa, man) Of course if they're that bad I won't even finish them, but it won't put me off checking out the Todd LaTorre-fronted 'ryche at the end of the day  I'll make sure to read that FU review.

Mindcrime is phenomenal... wow. I already knew 3 songs on it (the title track, Eyes of a Stranger, and I'm pretty sure I Don't Believe In Love). But jeeze. I thought I had checked this out some years ago but can't really remember; if I did, I don't know why I apparently didn't like it...

I agree with all those saying that Promised Land was the last good album until Todd LaTorre joined the band.  There are good songs here and there in between, but overall it's pretty bad.  If you want to listen to those albums, do, but don't waste your money on them.  Save it for when they tour and buy a shirt or something instead.

Glad you're enjoying the good stuff.

I disagree.  Yeah, they were very hit and miss during that long stretch.  But there is plenty to like.  And for someone like Kattoelox who enjoys the full album experience and likes to be a completest even in light of having some low points, even if some points in the discog might not be great, there's plenty to enjoy.

[jjrock88]

I would just get them all and make your own opinion on each album.  Go into each album with an open mind because every QR album has fans that love it.  The band just set such a high standard with EP-Promised Land that it was hard to match.  There was clearly other issues within the band that caused the downgrade of each album, but there are positives on each album.  And as a newer fan, these positives may out weigh the negatives and you just may love the albums you were supposed to dislike.  Get them all, especially if you found them at a second hand store for a decent price.

[Lethean]

I suppose if they're used the $ from the sale won't be going to Mr. I like to spit on my band mates, so yeah, if you have to buy them, do it that way.   But I still say at least wait and listen to them first. There's nothing to lose - you've gone this many years without them, what's a little more time?