Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album

[WardySI]

Revisiting Digital Noise Alliance to finalise last year's Top10 and gotta say after a couple months away from it this record is even better than first time around. 

Thought The Verdict was their strongest since way back but DNA is IMO the better of the two.  Easily the best of the Todd era and possibly the best Queensryche record since the bands heyday.

Nothing not to like have even warmed to Forest but faves would be Tormentum Lost In Sorrow Chapters Realms and Sicdeth

Yep and grabbed the vinyl too \m/

[Ben_Jamin]

Revisiting Digital Noise Alliance to finalise last year's Top10 and gotta say after a couple months away from it this record is even better than first time around.  Thought The Verdict was their strongest since way back but DNA is IMO the better of the two.  Easily the best of the Todd era and probably the best Queensryche record since the bands heyday.

Nothing not to like have even warmed to Forest but faves would be Tormentum Lost In Sorrow Chapters Realms and Sicdeth

For me, it's because Casey is finally contributing to the recording and it really shows. This is the album that made me interested in the band again.

[emtee]

Yep. Still spinning almost every day. Personally I love every song with Forest and the cover tune skipped occasionally. For me this is on par with their run of greatness...and this album has prompted me to dig back into their discography and rediscover how much I loved them back then.

[Zook]

Geoff did pretty good on The Whisper last year. It was probably tuned down, but he was still in the upper register.

https://youtu.be/pg8pFNTKAg8

[WardySI]

Vinyl arrived and just loving this one that bit more because of it!

[DTwwbwMP]

Yep. Still spinning almost every day. Personally I love every song with Forest and the cover tune skipped occasionally. For me this is on par with their run of greatness...

Completely agree. I skip those two as well, but the rest

[WardySI]

I somewhat despised Forest when it was released as a single but gotta say whether spinning the plastic or playing the album loud in car that song has connected with me big time!  Likewise with my least fave rocker on the album Hold On.  While it remains my least liked it has certainly grown on me. 

Nothing I need skip on DNA which I believe says it all


ETA About my only complaint is I wish Todd would use less high register and work at bringing more lows. more warmth and depth more often.  Small gripe as there's no doubt Todd has the range, but I want more erm, bottom end

[Lethean]

Forest and On Hold are still my least favorite songs on the album.  But I think the rest of it is very strong.  Looking forward to hearing some of these songs love.  And hopefully some from The Verdict as well, which is my favorite Todd era album.

[Samsara]

I'm really looking forward to seeing whether or not QR does in fact really focus on the TLT era. I mean, they basically always do 80-minute, 16-song sets for headline shows. My expectation for this "new setlist" will be EIGHT songs from the four TLT albums (3 from DNA, 1 from The Verdict, 2 from Condition Human, 2 from self-titled), and then eight from the classic period. Of which FOUR, will be classics (Queen of the Reich, Silent Lucidity, Eyes of a Stranger, Empire), and four, I hope, are deeper cuts. Stuff like Deliverance, Blinded, Child of Fire, London, etc. Given what they have said, as a fan, this is what I expect from such an announcement.

What I think is more likely, is that we'll get five songs from the TLT era, two deep cuts, and the remaining nine tracks will be the hits. I sincerely hope that is wrong, and that my above expectation is more along the lines of what folks get. For me, I wasn't planning on seeing them this go-around. But if they end up really putting their money where their mouths are, and playing a TLT-era-heavy set, I'll grab a ticket and check it out.

Frankly, I thought after they released the self-titled album in 2013, that they should really focus on the TLT era, and showcase that album...a new start for the band, and pepper it with the metal hits (Queen, Walk, Warning, NM 156, etc.) and some of the standards like Jet City, Lucidity, Eyes, etc. Basically to rebuild the band's reputation as a metal act. But instead, they went full-on Greatest Hits from 1983-1990 for the years that followed, playing a couple of new tracks, and sliding in a couple PL songs. Basically pandering to the casino crowd. I've always felt that was a mistake. I know it's hard for them to balance a set, given what they are trying to achieve (meeting the expectations of both hardcores and the whole crowd who wants the Empire/MC hits). But by leaning toward nostalgia, I always felt they lost any semblance of relevancy, particularly as I watched bands like Fates Warning, Dream Theater, etc., all focus on their new material.

So fingers crossed they actually do what they said they are going to do, and stick to it.  I'm not as high on DNA as some of you are. After another listen, I do think it's a decent album, but I also think the songs are very much "let's try this and throw it at the wall." Very inconsistent from a stylistic standpoint. A lot of blending of styles and approaches. I feel like it is an album of a whole bunch of singular tracks that try different things instead of being focused work of progression. I may not be describing that well. All the classic records had this "sound" to them that was distinct. All the songs from each record really fit with one another, style-wise. DNA is the opposite. It's a bunch of songs (some very good), all very different. At least to my ears. Glad people dig it. I hope they play a good chunk of it at the shows.

[Lethean]

I agree Samsara; at least on how they've handled their live shows.  I totally think they should have focused on the new stuff and they could have supplemented it with nostalgia tours in between.  I don't even think of DT doing I&W and Scenes as nostalgia tours because they were at the same time being so active with their new material.  QR could have done that and everyone's happy.

[WardySI]

Well being so far abroad I don't really get as invested in the live shows (that said if they come Down Under again in the near future I'm there!) but what you say makes sense here's hoping they deliver for folks.

For the most part I tend to agree with you Brian but so far as DNA goes I'm loving the deviations and songs outside the box kinda approach in fact it reminds me very much of Empire in that after Mindcrime they wanted to get away from the concept idea and do a song oriented album.

Honestly finding this one hard to stop listening to.  I think DNA is some of the strongest material stamped Queensryche since their heyday and have no qualms with the various song directions.

[ReaperKK]

Queensryche is coming around my neck of the woods and I'm debating going. How good of a live band are they? Tickets look like they are $45 and I would consider myself a casual fan best, I haven't heard anything from the TLT era.

[Deathless]

Queensryche is coming around my neck of the woods and I'm debating going. How good of a live band are they? Tickets look like they are $45 and I would consider myself a casual fan best, I haven't heard anything from the TLT era.

They are definitely worth seeing live, especially if (as Samsara has noted) they will be playing more recent material. Either way, it's a really good show! I've seen them twice in the last 4 years and will be going when they are in NC for this tour too.

[ReaperKK]

Are you going to the Charlotte show? I live in Charlotte and that was the show I was going to see.

[Deathless]

Are you going to the Charlotte show? I live in Charlotte and that was the show I was going to see.

Yes. I saw them at Amos Southend in 2018 (?) when Scott was still in the band and it was a great show. The underground is a great venue at the Music Factory so I'm excited to see them there as well.

[Grappler]

Queensryche is coming around my neck of the woods and I'm debating going. How good of a live band are they? Tickets look like they are $45 and I would consider myself a casual fan best, I haven't heard anything from the TLT era.

The band has said that they plan on featuring more of the TLT era on this headlining tour.  That being said, they are definitely good live and sound fantastic.  I've recommended that people see Todd at least once, even when I tired of seeing the band live over the last 10 years.

The show I saw from them this past fall was pretty low-energy.  Todd was the only one that really moved around on stage, which affected how I felt about the overall show.

[ZirconBlue]

Queensryche is coming around my neck of the woods and I'm debating going. How good of a live band are they? Tickets look like they are $45 and I would consider myself a casual fan best, I haven't heard anything from the TLT era.

The band has said that they plan on featuring more of the TLT era on this headlining tour.  That being said, they are definitely good live and sound fantastic.  I've recommended that people see Todd at least once, even when I tired of seeing the band live over the last 10 years.

The show I saw from them this past fall was pretty low-energy.  Todd was the only one that really moved around on stage, which affected how I felt about the overall show.

Did the rest of band ever move around much?  I saw them on the Q2K tour and the co-headlining tour with DT, and it was basically just Geoff doing much of anything.  DeGarmo looked like more of a showman from the videos, I've seen. 

[Samsara]

Well, remember, the stages are smaller. Not a ton of room. Where they play by me, they really can't move. LOL. And when they have big stages, remember their age. Not everyone can be Iron Maiden. ha ha. Musicians moving around on stage never really mattered much to me. When they are playing arenas, sure, then it is expected if they are the headliner. But small clubs and even theaters? Tough to move a ton.

Wilton and Stone move up to play solos together, Ed stands back and then up to sing, etc. To be honest, that's as  much as I think can be expected by anyone with a small stage. Especially at their age.

If you haven't seen QR, I mean, it's worth it to see them once. But I think most people will say, while it's good, I mean, their peak of Empire/PL in terms of a SHOW was where it was at. Tough to compete with that original lineup, and those venues and big productions QR had back then.

I enjoyed QR the last time I saw them (2021 in Snoqualmie, Wash.)

[Kwyjibo]

For me it's not that important if the musicians move around the stage. But you have to make the impression that you enjoy the show and have fun if you play in front of an (paying) audience. And you can do that in a lot of ways.
Not saying the QR guys don't do it, I'm more generally speaking.

[bosk1]

I fully agree about the need to play new songs, although I get and am fine with them not going quite as far as what Samsara posted.  I don't expect them to go full-on with "new" material if they feel they need to lean heavily on the classics to sell tickets.  But they certainly could have a better balance. 

There are certainly bands of that era where the fans don't really care about new material at all and are just looking for a shot of nostalgia.  For those bands, a new album is just an excuse to tour.  I think Queensryche has a lot of those types of fans.  But they also have fans that DO care about the new material.  And the band has been putting out new material that tends to range from decent to REALLY good on every single album, so they really should be proud of the new material and want to represent it.

I would hope for something close to what Samsara posted above for this tour, given the comments from the band.  But otherwise, I think a reasonable middle ground would be something like:  4 songs from the latest album, 2 from other TLT albums, 2 Tate-era deep cuts, and 8 "classics"/hits.  That's plenty balanced to keep everyone happy.

[Grappler]

Well, remember, the stages are smaller. Not a ton of room. Where they play by me, they really can't move. LOL. And when they have big stages, remember their age. Not everyone can be Iron Maiden. ha ha. Musicians moving around on stage never really mattered much to me. When they are playing arenas, sure, then it is expected if they are the headliner. But small clubs and even theaters? Tough to move a ton.

Wilton and Stone move up to play solos together, Ed stands back and then up to sing, etc. To be honest, that's as  much as I think can be expected by anyone with a small stage. Especially at their age.

If you haven't seen QR, I mean, it's worth it to see them once. But I think most people will say, while it's good, I mean, their peak of Empire/PL in terms of a SHOW was where it was at. Tough to compete with that original lineup, and those venues and big productions QR had back then.

I enjoyed QR the last time I saw them (2021 in Snoqualmie, Wash.)

I agree with all of this, but I don't make excuses for the size of the stage.  I've seen bands go bonkers on a small club stage.  QR was in a theater, and while they were performing in front of a backdrop that hid Priest's production and staging, they still had tons of room to move around more than they did - but you're correct in that they did come to the front or center for spots, just never crossed over.  Despite my criticism, I did enjoy the show and thought that they sounded really good.

For me it's not that important if the musicians move around the stage. But you have to make the impression that you enjoy the show and have fun if you play in front of an (paying) audience. And you can do that in a lot of ways.
Not saying the QR guys don't do it, I'm more generally speaking.

I also agree with this, and that's more in line with what I was getting at.  The band just acted tired, but that's nothing new - those criticisms have been floating around for the last 5+ years. 

[Autumnhoney]

ETA About my only complaint is I wish Todd would use less high register and work at bringing more lows. more warmth and depth more often.  Small gripe as there's no doubt Todd has the range, but I want more erm, bottom end

Like this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0amRbb66IQ (killing words) I came across this while I was looking for cruise footage. I could have just done a search for the song but I usually stick to the most recent live stuff. I prefer to know what the band looks like now rather than 6 years ago. Apparently this was in rotation back in 2016. here's another version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGgegH73SAk

Good job Toddy! 

[WardySI]

ETA About my only complaint is I wish Todd would use less high register and work at bringing more lows. more warmth and depth more often.  Small gripe as there's no doubt Todd has the range, but I want more erm, bottom end

Like this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0amRbb66IQ (killing words) I came across this while I was looking for cruise footage. I could have just done a search for the song but I usually stick to the most recent live stuff. I prefer to know what the band looks like now rather than 6 years ago. Apparently this was in rotation back in 2016. here's another version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGgegH73SAk

Good job Toddy! 

Hell yes!

I remember falling in love with the vocals and this band well before ever heard Tate singing his incredible highs from back in the day so yes those lows are what I want hear more of from Todd please and thankyou

[Grappler]

Chris Degarmo is contributing to a new book (photo book?) from Ross Halfin:

https://blabbermouth.net/news/new-queensryche-book-to-include-contributions-from-original-guitarist-chris-degarmo

Legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin has revealed that he is working on QUEENSRŸCHE book celebrating the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Empire" albums and related touring activities. In a post on his official web site, Ross wrote: "For the first time in 27 years, sat down with [original QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist] Mr Chris DeGarmo - which was very odd as to me it seemed like I'd seen him a week ago. It was so good to see him."

According to Ross, Chris — who reportedly makes his living as a private jet pilot — took the photographer for a ride in his "beta test model Tesla, and I said 'why do you like this car?' and he put his foot down," Halfin recalled. "It felt like we'd just taken off in a rocket, I was absolutely terrified. He stopped the car at the next traffic light and said 'Are you okay?' - I said 'Please don't do that again' - he said 'Ross - we were only going 22 miles per hour'."

[Deathless]

Maybe helping curate the photos? Or sharing items from his personal archive? Will be cool to check out, I follow Ross on instagram and he always does great photography.

[Samsara]

Chris Degarmo is contributing to a new book (photo book?) from Ross Halfin:

https://blabbermouth.net/news/new-queensryche-book-to-include-contributions-from-original-guitarist-chris-degarmo

Legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin has revealed that he is working on QUEENSRŸCHE book celebrating the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Empire" albums and related touring activities. In a post on his official web site, Ross wrote: "For the first time in 27 years, sat down with [original QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist] Mr Chris DeGarmo - which was very odd as to me it seemed like I'd seen him a week ago. It was so good to see him."

According to Ross, Chris — who reportedly makes his living as a private jet pilot — took the photographer for a ride in his "beta test model Tesla, and I said 'why do you like this car?' and he put his foot down," Halfin recalled. "It felt like we'd just taken off in a rocket, I was absolutely terrified. He stopped the car at the next traffic light and said 'Are you okay?' - I said 'Please don't do that again' - he said 'Ross - we were only going 22 miles per hour'."

This is great news! Can't wait to pick it up!

[WardySI]

Didn't see this posted already?

REALMS has just been released as another single/video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAYhVeBmaqc

Taking nothing away from this as it's another fave and the video is great but am surprised with all the online chatter and commentary they didn't finally decide to go with Lost In Sorrow as it seems to get heaps of love in reviews and online commentary and whatnot!?

Anyway love all the promo they've given this one and pleased regardless as still digging the shit outta this record \m/

[devieira73]

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/queensryche/2023/the-plaza-theatre-orlando-fl-33ba30a1.html
Well, at least 5 new songs out of 12. But it was just 1 hour show?

[ReaperKK]

Maybe some songs are missing from the setlist. I was on the fence about seeing them but if the show is that short it's going to be an easy pass.

[Grappler]

I see 8 songs from the Todd era, plus some more rarer songs from them, for a total of 18 songs. 

Deliverance
Child of Fire
Roads to Madness (!)
Spreading the Disease


I actually really like that setlist and the show in Milwaukee is much more on my radar now.  I just hope it doesn't change as the tour goes on - I recall that when they did a headline tour for The Verdict, the newer songs started being dropped one by one until they were down to about 13-15 songs.

[devieira73]

I see 8 songs from the Todd era, plus some more rarer songs from them, for a total of 18 songs. 

Deliverance
Child of Fire
Roads to Madness (!)
Spreading the Disease


I actually really like that setlist and the show in Milwaukee is much more on my radar now.  I just hope it doesn't change as the tour goes on - I recall that when they did a headline tour for The Verdict, the newer songs started being dropped one by one until they were down to about 13-15 songs.

It seems like they updated the setlist, now is much better!!

[Mladen]

That's one fine set list that I would not mind seeing. 

[TAC]

Deliverance!!     

[EPIC Outro]

Anyone know how long of a set they are playing this time around?

[WardySI]

Someone just posted on their FB they played 90min set