Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album

[Lowdz]

Interesting views.  I hope I can say the same once I hear the album.  I will still buy it and give it a good go.  Reading your paragraph gives me some hope.

Thanks. The thing is...Queensryche are constantly reinventing their sound. That's one of the things i like about them. It's nothing new for them. O:M -Rage for Order - Empire was the same. So I for one am really hopeful of this album. It's not AS, but Empire wasn't O"M or Rage For Order either. They've been doing this their whole career if we look back on it.

I never had a problem with QR reinventing their sound until their re-invention became mediocre songs not even written in most part by the band.

Then don't listen to them then.

Sounds like a good idea. Why didn't I think of that? Pretty sure GT won't give a toss either way.

[dongringo]

 

[dongringo]

Thought this was funny:

https://www.queensryche.com/2011/05/20/the-band-explains-indianola/

[dongringo]

Well, I think this is a great single, perfect for some rock radio play and sounds like it could belong on Empire...but not quite. This is going to be a solid album I'm sure of it now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc3GkxqCPks&feature=related

It says it was recorded in mono so not to expect HQ sound and also:

"Adding comments has been removed due to the immaturity of commenters."

P.S. I read Slater's Q&A. It's just one side of the story so should be taken with a grain of salt imo. I'm sure Kelly would have a different view, Geoff would have a different view, etc. Anyway, it's the music that counts, and so far it sound good to me. Looking forward to the release.

[wolfking]

That actually wasn't a bad song.  Pretty safe and radio friendly, but groovy and has some nice smooth melodies.  Reminds me of something Pearl Jam would do.  Looking forward to the album.

[dongringo]

That actually wasn't a bad song.  Pretty safe and radio friendly, but groovy and has some nice smooth melodies.  Reminds me of something Pearl Jam would do.  Looking forward to the album.

[Lowdz]

That actually wasn't a bad song.  Pretty safe and radio friendly, but groovy and has some nice smooth melodies.  Reminds me of something Pearl Jam would do.  Looking forward to the album.

I liked that track and was hopeful for the album until I heard the samples. I know it's hard to judge an album by samples but it sounds awful.
I used to look forward to QR albums but not for a long time. And I loved them from Queen of the Reich up to Promised Land. DTC will definately be a "try-before-I-buy".

[jonny108]

The new track is horrible.  It's not Queensryche to me 

[abydos]

Yep, this is the song I was referencing few posts ago. Worst thing they've ever done, imo. Tate's voice sounds like he's been eating sand for the last decade, dry and worn out. Just like the music accompanying it.

[skydivingninja]

Listened for about a minute and a half and couldn't listen any more.  Partly because of how boring the song was, and partly because of the horrible audio quality.

[jonny108]

Queensryche have a put a free track to put up for download.  That is also crap.    I won't be buying this album.  Real shame, they used to be such an incredible band   

[dongringo]

Listened for about a minute and a half and couldn't listen any more.  Partly because of how boring the song was, and partly because of the horrible audio quality.

The person who put it up on youtube said not to expect hq audio because it was recorded in mono.

Anyway, I hated Empire when I first heard it. I also hated RFO. Those two albums took some time to grow. And I'm glad I gave them a chance and quit thinking about how they didn't sound like O:M. Seriously, wouldn't it be more fair to listen to the whole album a few times before judging it?

[King Postwhore]

Listened for about a minute and a half and couldn't listen any more.  Partly because of how boring the song was, and partly because of the horrible audio quality.

The person who put it up on youtube said not to expect hq audio because it was recorded in mono.

Anyway, I hated Empire when I first heard it. I also hated RFO. Those two albums took some time to grow. And I'm glad I gave them a chance and quit thinking about how they didn't sound like O:M. Seriously, wouldn't it be more fair to listen to the whole album a few times before judging it?

I loved the change in Empire.  It showed their growth but from the samples I've heard it seem they've regressed.  I seems that Chris DeGarmo is the key to their writing and that's been apparent on any album without him.

I'm not saying that bands cant survive or write good music if a player leaves but in the case of Queensryche, it makes a world of difference.

[dongringo]

Listened for about a minute and a half and couldn't listen any more.  Partly because of how boring the song was, and partly because of the horrible audio quality.

The person who put it up on youtube said not to expect hq audio because it was recorded in mono.

Anyway, I hated Empire when I first heard it. I also hated RFO. Those two albums took some time to grow. And I'm glad I gave them a chance and quit thinking about how they didn't sound like O:M. Seriously, wouldn't it be more fair to listen to the whole album a few times before judging it?

I loved the change in Empire.  It showed their growth but from the samples I've heard it seem they've regressed.  I seems that Chris DeGarmo is the key to their writing and that's been apparent on any album without him.

I'm not saying that bands cant survive or write good music if a player leaves but in the case of Queensryche, it makes a world of difference.

Well, I for one wasn't too impressed with Chris DeGarmo's writing on Tribe. Subsequent albums O:M ll and AS were much better imo.

[King Postwhore]

I tend to think your in the minority on that.  I wished he stayed with the band myself.

[Nick]

I personally really liked Tribe and think it's definitely better than O:MII, and probably better than American Soldier as well.

[wolfking]

From HITNF all the way through to American Solider, Tribe is by far the best album of that bunch.

[dongringo]

Well, there we have it. I tried to like Tribe, but could never really get into it, it just didn't happen for me. Therefore, I will probably like DTC and you people who likes Tribe won't. In this case I'd rather be in the minority, because that means the new album will be to my liking and not yours....did that make any sense? 

[wolfking]

Well, there we have it. I tried to like Tribe, but could never really get into it, it just didn't happen for me. Therefore, I will probably like DTC and you people who likes Tribe won't. In this case I'd rather be in the minority, because that means the new album will be to my liking and not yours....did that make any sense? 

No.  But from what you are trying to say, just because I like Tribe doesn't mean I won't like DTC.

[dongringo]

Well, there we have it. I tried to like Tribe, but could never really get into it, it just didn't happen for me. Therefore, I will probably like DTC and you people who likes Tribe won't. In this case I'd rather be in the minority, because that means the new album will be to my liking and not yours....did that make any sense? 

No.  But from what you are trying to say, just because I like Tribe doesn't mean I won't like DTC.

It was a simple formula I came up with on the spot. Just joking around man. 

[bosk1]

Well, I for one wasn't too impressed with Chris DeGarmo's writing on Tribe. Subsequent albums O:M ll and AS were much better imo.

Maybe it makes a difference and maybe it doesn't, but keep in mind that Chris left before the album was finished, so some of what is on there really did not end up being a complete effort by him. 

Anyhow, after hearing some of the tracks off of DTC, I am even more firmly resolved to not buy this album until I find a copy in the used bin.  I don't want the band to see a dime of my money.

[dongringo]

Chris DeGarmo was the primary song writer on Hear In the Now Frontier and I don't know anyone who liked that album when it came out or even now. I could never get into that one either. I know Chris wrote some great stuff way back in the day, but he left long ago and he probably won't be returning (I could be wrong.)

I like what I hear so far on DTC, not so much Got It Bad though. Anyway, just because somebody doesn't like it doesn't mean it's not quality music. It just means it's not what somebody wants them to put out. Music is subjective. I'll save my ultimate judgement for the full album release though.

[King Postwhore]

I did but a lot of QR fans didn't.  I found a lot of fans never like a band that slightly changes styles but any band with longevity change over time.  Some good, some.......

[dongringo]

DTC was unfairly judged by so many people before even a clip came out that it doesn't have a chance. 

[King Postwhore]

DTC was unfairly judged by so many people before even a clip came out that it doesn't have a chance. 

I think there past albums have sunk them.  Sub par albums tend to lose their fan base.  I've bought every studio album so far and with Q2K, Mindcrime II, and Take Cover, it's been bad.  American Solder was decent but when your on a bad streak people bale.

[dongringo]

Didn't care much for Q2K or Tribe, absolutely loved OM:ll, don't generally care for cover tunes so stayed away from Take Cover, really liked AS. So it's been up and down for me, but every album is so different that I mostly blame it on my personal taste in each individual album. What's amazing is how many people don't like anything they've done since Promised Land, great album as it was.

[wolfking]

I think they just had such a strong early career, no matter what they do, people are never going to accept new material.  I understand where those people are coming from.  I mean, it's sad to hear an album like Q2K when you know what the band were once capable of, but as you said, bands change and music is subjective.  I've always been open minded to what the band are doing.  I've purchased every one of their albums, I love Tribe, and American Soldier was really good, but the rest are hit or miss.  I don't slag the band for it, it was what they were doing at the time and you have to appriciate that, I just didn't care for them.  Also, I will say that Take Cover was just horrible.

[dongringo]

I haven't even heard Take Cover so I'll take your word for that one. 

[wolfking]

I haven't even heard Take Cover so I'll take your word for that one. 

Trust me, don't even bother.

[Jirpo]

TBH, I would prefer if they just stayed with the same formula as their classics. I mean look at both Metallica and Ryche. And look at Maiden, all their albums sound very similiar (compared to these two bands at least), sure they have become more progressive over the years, but look where they are now.

[bosk1]

Chris DeGarmo was the primary song writer on Hear In the Now Frontier and I don't know anyone who liked that album when it came out or even now.  

Then get out more.     I love it, and it's easily in my top 4 (along with Promised Land, Empire, and depending on my mood on any particular day, either Rage or Mindcrime).  

As far as the post-CDG stuff, it's been a steady decline as far as I'm concerned.

Q2K was different, but had some moments.  I actually consider it kind of a shame that Kelly didn't work out because I would like to have heard what he could have done if he had stayed in the band with an album and tour under his belt.  At least they were writing as a band with him onboard.  It was still a band effort.

Tribe had some really high peaks, but some abysmally low valleys.  I love 3-4 songs on the album, would put another 1-2 in the "passable" category, and don't like the rest at all.  

OMII:  This began their slide into having the musical direction dictated almost solely by Tate, written almost entirely by outside writers, and the band just playing what they are told to play.  This is, to me, where Chris was most conspicuously missed.  Him serving as a guiding force in the shaping of the music and an album's sound and direction could have made this a respectable record.  The seeds were definitely there, but the execution just feel short.  

Take Cover:  Arrangements entirely by Jason Slater.  Vocals sound abysmal, like they are done in one take with no warmup by baritone lounge singer trying to impersonate Geoff Tate.  But it's a covers album, so I'm willing to cut them some slack.  

American Solider:  Again, we have an album dictated by Tate and written almost entirely by Slater.  But he has really hit his stride in tapping the Queensryche vibe, and perhaps equally important, Geoff is inspired.  Yeah, there are a few weak moments, but overall the album works.  The one and only area where it unequivocally fails is Geoff's singing.  The vocals aren't quite as bad as on Take Cover, but close.  A number of songs suffer because the singing is strained and whiny, and sounds like it is all sung from the neck up.  How a singer as talented as Geoff Tate could be so casual about his voice and how he is recorded is just beyond me.  This album could have perhaps rivaled some of the original lineup material if the vocals did not ruin it.

DTC:  I have only heard a handful of complete songs and some clips.  But again, we have outside writers, we have an album where Wilton's guitar tone and style seem to be completely MIA, we have badly written pop instead of hard rock/metal, and we again have horrible vocals.  This will be the first QR album I will definitely NOT be buying on release day and likely will not buy new at all.  Unless I hear the whole thing and am unexpectedly blown away by tracks I haven't heard yet, I plan on picking this up when I find it in the used bin because I would rather speak with my wallet and let the band know that their approach to their music and their fans have gone somewhere this fan is no longer interested in supporting.

[Lowdz]

I am one of those fans who grew up with QR and loved the band from the moment I heard Queen Of The Reich, and I'm one of those fans that hasn't liked much since Promised Land; a few tracks here and there have been ok.
The band are no longer QR and haven't been for many years. The magic they had is long gone.

The songs are not QR songs, they are written by people outside the band.
I don't like them. That is not my problem, I just don't buy the albums anymore. I mourn what this once great band became. If I blame anyone it would be Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson for going with the flow and not standing up for their band.
This isn't Rush who change their style as they go. This is a band who's creative heart and soul left and was replaced by outside writers.
If you like their modern stuff I'm happy for you but I reserve my right to not like their current output.

[wolfking]

I must say going back to what bosk said, I really still have no idea why they would feel the need to bring in an outside songwriter, I never understood that.

[bosk1]

I think it's because if you go through the four remaining members of the band, person by person, for each one of them, they either (1) don't want to write, or (2) can't write a complete song. 

[dongringo]

I agree it's a shame about the outside writers. I too wish they would write as a band, or at least a partial band. But I still really like OM:ll and AS regardless. The new album is reserved for the release, but so far I like 2 out of the 3 songs I've heard. It's just a different vibe, which was expected.