Been busy and missed all the Empire discussion earlier this month. Funny enough, I listened to the DVD-A of it yesterday and watched the interview with Chris and Geoff. Hard to believe that was done 20 years ago.
Every time I go back to it, I am reminded of why it was just so damn good then, and still is today. Taking the complexity and lessons learned from all the records prior and delivering a masterful listening experience that really crossed over with the mainstream, without losing integrity. Very few bands considered "metal" pulled that off like Queensryche did with Empire.
My top-3 from that record have stayed constant - Anybody Listening?, Empire, Della Brown. I really enjoy the whole thing. Silent Lucidity is very overplayed, as is Jet City Woman, but both were iconic songs in the early 1990s, so I get it. Even some of the deeper cuts like Hand on Heart, One and Only, Resistance - all great tracks. And the production...I mean, there's a reason studios used that record to test sound. Just a wonderful sounding record.
The other thing I like about Empire - it SOUNDS like Seattle to me. I'm not a native, but it is my favorite region in the country and I've spent tons of time there. I consider the PNW to be my home away from home. You can hear the region's vibe in that record. Once I experienced the area a bunch, I thought I was crazy to think that after listening to Empire, but I did. And then a few other people, totally oblivious to what I was thinking, said that in the course of discussing the record (they were Seattle natives) and it really hit home. That record has Seattle and the PNW all over it. Incredibly special. A lot of bands have that kind of vibe and if they stay together, it ends up coming through on their records.
Regarding DeGarmo-Tate, never say never, but I wouldn't put any money on it. All this time, and Chris has never appeared with Tate or QR. That speaks volumes. I think (and this is just my opinion) Chris realizes that any public time spent with one faction would create issues. And he obviously doesn't want that. I have a lot of respect for him for staying out of all that.
The fan in me wants Tate/DeGarmo to be together. Hell, I want the original band to just get back together, make a killer record and do one last tour. But it's unlikely to ever happen. I feel fortunate I got to see that original band three times. Still my favorite musical act of all time.
About the new QR record, I wish them the best. The Verdict was a good album. Had some whiffs of classic Ryche, but it's a totally different band without Tate, DeGarmo and Rockenfield. You hear the echo of classic QR when Wilton plays and some of the pieces he writes. But they've carved out a niche for themselves with The Verdict, and most people dig it. Hopefully they'll have some good success with DNA.
One last thing - about Tate and that interview. I am sure things were edited, that stuff always is. But it was really nice to hear him compliment his former bandmates and think fondly of everything they did together. People can be skeptical, and that's fine. But for me, personally, at this point in my life, I'm just taking the nice things I heard, smiling, and wishing them all the best. That original band and its music meant and still means, an awful lot to me personally and it felt good to hear Geoff in a place where he feels good about all of it and credits everyone for being essential parts of what made Queensryche what it once was.
Topic: Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album (Read 694828 times)
