Official Queensryche Thread - NEW ALBUM INFO. p. 30

[jammindude]

I just wanted to say that, age and time passing aside, GT still sounded quite good on record. He's obviously not hitting super high notes like the old days, but he turned in good performances, IMO.

Live, I'm sure he struggles...YouTube proves that...but he also made attempts to alter the melodies so as to remain in key at least, as opposed to trying and failing to hit the notes...which most guys his age are forced to do...even Dickinson live wasn't singing things 100% like he did on the albums...but he still sounded good.

While much of what you're saying is technically true...I would absolutely *NOT* compare his decline with Bruce's.   Bruce stays in shape...and while he's no spring chicken...still sounds phenomenal in the studio, and varies between pretty good and fantastic live.

Geoff sounds pretty good in the studio.   But live, he varies between above average at best, and downright miserable at worst.   The man just does NOT take care of his instrument.

[Pelata]

I just wanted to say that, age and time passing aside, GT still sounded quite good on record. He's obviously not hitting super high notes like the old days, but he turned in good performances, IMO.

Live, I'm sure he struggles...YouTube proves that...but he also made attempts to alter the melodies so as to remain in key at least, as opposed to trying and failing to hit the notes...which most guys his age are forced to do...even Dickinson live wasn't singing things 100% like he did on the albums...but he still sounded good.

While much of what you're saying is technically true...I would absolutely *NOT* compare his decline with Bruce's.   Bruce stays in shape...and while he's no spring chicken...still sounds phenomenal in the studio, and varies between pretty good and fantastic live.

Geoff sounds pretty good in the studio.   But live, he varies between above average at best, and downright miserable at worst.   The man just does NOT take care of his instrument.

Yeah, BD is obviously in better physical shape than GT. I haven't seen GT live since the Q2K tour, and he sounded great then...of course, that was 12 years ago.

[bosk1]

Geoff has NOT sounded good on a studio album in a long time.  Mindcrime II was passable.  Take Cover and American Soldier were awful.  And his live performances have been abysmal.  I'm not even sure how somebody could try to make the argument that he has sounded "good" in recent years.

[KevShmev]

"The media is saying that live music is dead.  But here we are playing live.  And here is Empire, featuring an entire chorus with a backing track since I can't sing it live anymore!"

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Geoff has NOT sounded good on a studio album in a long time.  Mindcrime II was passable.  Take Cover and American Soldier were awful.  And his live performances have been abysmal.  I'm not even sure how somebody could try to make the argument that he has sounded "good" in recent years.

At least he's got Don Dokken beat.

[bosk1]

Poor Don.  But at least Don knows his voice is shot.

[Pelata]

Geoff has NOT sounded good on a studio album in a long time.  Mindcrime II was passable.  Take Cover and American Soldier were awful.  And his live performances have been abysmal.  I'm not even sure how somebody could try to make the argument that he has sounded "good" in recent years.

He doesn't sound like he did back as far as Promised Land, but he certainly doesn't sound "bad" IMO. Maybe "diminished" compared to his glory days, but he's still a fine singer, IMO. Don Dokken sounds bad...Mark Slaughter sounds bad...Ozzy sounds bad...GT sounds decent.

[abydos]

Maybe he's good on things like his solo album (which I quite like tbh) and the similar ryche songs but that's about it.

[KevShmev]

Geoff has NOT sounded good on a studio album in a long time.  Mindcrime II was passable.  Take Cover and American Soldier were awful.  And his live performances have been abysmal.  I'm not even sure how somebody could try to make the argument that he has sounded "good" in recent years.

He doesn't sound like he did back as far as Promised Land, but he certainly doesn't sound "bad" IMO. Maybe "diminished" compared to his glory days, but he's still a fine singer, IMO. Don Dokken sounds bad...Mark Slaughter sounds bad...Ozzy sounds bad...GT sounds decent.

Er, did you listen to his singing at that Rocklahoma show?  That is not decent or fine; that is awful singing.

[Pelata]

Geoff has NOT sounded good on a studio album in a long time.  Mindcrime II was passable.  Take Cover and American Soldier were awful.  And his live performances have been abysmal.  I'm not even sure how somebody could try to make the argument that he has sounded "good" in recent years.

He doesn't sound like he did back as far as Promised Land, but he certainly doesn't sound "bad" IMO. Maybe "diminished" compared to his glory days, but he's still a fine singer, IMO. Don Dokken sounds bad...Mark Slaughter sounds bad...Ozzy sounds bad...GT sounds decent.

Er, did you listen to his singing at that Rocklahoma show?  That is not decent or fine; that is awful singing.

I'm speaking about on record mostly...these days I expect he and others to sound fair to poor live.

[bosk1]

Well, if you like his performance, I can't really argue with that.  But especially on Take Cover and American Soldier, he was frequently off key (not occasionally--frequently), was singing from the neck up, and sounded thin and strained.  When the vocals on a studio album sound like the singer recorded them in one take just after rolling out of bed and finishing off a couple of cigarettes, something is wrong.  Mindcrime II had those moments as well, but also had some moments where Geoff actually sounded pretty good.  I can't speak to Dedicated to Chaos, because I refused to buy it.  But with American Soldier especially, it's a shame the vocals are that bad, because it's otherwise a VERY good album.

[Pelata]

Well, if you like his performance, I can't really argue with that.  But especially on Take Cover and American Soldier, he was frequently off key (not occasionally--frequently), was singing from the neck up, and sounded thin and strained.  When the vocals on a studio album sound like the singer recorded them in one take just after rolling out of bed and finishing off a couple of cigarettes, something is wrong.  Mindcrime II had those moments as well, but also had some moments where Geoff actually sounded pretty good.  I can't speak to Dedicated to Chaos, because I refused to buy it.  But with American Soldier especially, it's a shame the vocals are that bad, because it's otherwise a VERY good album.

Let me clarify...I don't think he sounds "great"...I think he sounds "decent" to "good" and I can hear what you're saying about sounding thin and strained at times. I chalked it up to age and bad habits. But even when I consider those factors, I still think he sounds good to decent on record (though I have not heard Take Cover).

DTC he sounds OK mainly because it's all lower range vocals that don't require much push...just mood...which he still pulls off fairly well at times (kinda like Joe Elliot on later Def Leppard...it's all lower where he still sounds OK). DTC honestly reminds me of later Duran Duran in many spots. 

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Poor Don.  But at least Don knows his voice is shot.

He's still attempting to use it to entertain people, so I'm assuming he either knows and doesn't care, knows and is in denial, or honestly doesn't know. 

That said, GT was passable at M3.  He wasn't awesome, but he wasn't too bad either.

[MykeHavoc]

For Geoff Tate, he sounds fucking awful.

[bosk1]

Poor Don.  But at least Don knows his voice is shot.

He's still attempting to use it to entertain people, so I'm assuming he either knows and doesn't care, knows and is in denial, or honestly doesn't know. 

I think it's that he knows, but if people are still willing to pay for it, he's more than willing to get up onstage (which I guess falls under "knows and doesn't care").  But my impression is that he's also perfectly willing to admit that he sounds bad.  In contrast, Tate still seems to think he sounds just fine.

[Gadough]

Besides Tribe, AS was the best album since HITNF.

The reviews for it on Metal Archives are pretty funny.

https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Queensr%C3%BFche/American_Soldier/224938/

[SeRoX]

If we talk about Geoff Tate and back in the days he had mighty voice which I still adore, it can't be even described his present performance "good or decent". He is totally far from "decent". You know, it's even laughable. I remember when I bought American Soldier album and put it player, my first reaction was: WTF? I didn't bother myself to buy their last stuff but I heard of course. Totally shame, as a whole. I didn't even want to comment about his recent live performances. We are talking about a man who did lip synching. Is it enough to call it "decent"? Nope, it's unfortunately awful.

[Pelata]

If we talk about Geoff Tate and back in the days he had mighty voice which I still adore, it can't be even described his present performance "good or decent". He is totally far from "decent". You know, it's even laughable. I remember when I bought American Soldier album and put it player, my first reaction was: WTF? I didn't bother myself to buy their last stuff but I heard of course. Totally shame, as a whole. I didn't even want to comment about his recent live performances. We are talking about a man who did lip synching. Is it enough to call it "decent"? Nope, it's unfortunately awful.

Opinions, I guess. You can't lip synch on an album. Live is a whole other story...I have not seen him live since Q2K...I'm sure he struggles like hell these days live.

[bosk1]

I have not seen him live since Q2K...I'm sure he struggles like hell these days live.

For example:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otSrIrA1PH8&feature=related

[KevShmev]

I love how him letting the crowd sing the chorus is really just code for, "I don't have a prayer of singing that the way I used to, so I'll let the crowd do it for me."

[bosk1]

I love how him letting the crowd sing the chorus is really just code for, "I don't have a prayer of singing that the way I used to in a way that wouldn't make your ears bleed, so I'll let the crowd do it for me."

FTFY

Yeah, I know.  It's sad, really.  And it pisses me off that the reason his voice is that way is simply that he's too apathetic/self-absorbed/etc. to have done anything to correct the situation.  It's one thing to have a voice deteriorate because of a health condition.  Heck, even if it deteriorated because of his abuse and bad habits, but he at least recognized it and said, "I know the damage is done, but I'm going to get a vocal coach and try to change some of my habits now so that I can at least get some of it back and do a passable job," I could get onboard with that.  But to just have the attitude of, "I'm too good to change my bad singing habits, get some training, warm up before shows, stop smoking, etc." is just ridiculous.

[Lowdz]

Not sure if this has been posted before, apologies if so. looks like the future could be pretty good for QR. A talented guy for sure.

Demos clips for Todd's solo album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIyCKLa99IE&feature=player_embedded

[pkj]

Not sure if this has been posted before, apologies if so. looks like the future could be pretty good for QR. A talented guy for sure.

Demos clips for Todd's solo album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIyCKLa99IE&feature=player_embedded

Very promising.  Nice 80s metal vibe.  I'm not sure Queensryche deserves this guy. 

Re: Tate willfully allowing his talent to deteriorate -- I bet he thinks that being able to hit the high notes is something that only concerns dumbshit metal vocalists, and he's so more of a modern artist than that.   

[Pelata]

Re: Tate willfully allowing his talent to deteriorate -- I bet he thinks that being able to hit the high notes is something that only concerns dumbshit metal vocalists, and he's so more of a modern artist than that.

Were I a betting man, I'd put money on that being very close to the truth.

[Lynxo]

I've never been a hardcore Queensryche fan - the only records I have is Operation: MindCrime I and II and while I think the first one is amazing, I've never dug deeper into their music than that.

But all of this bullshit going on right now has somehow made me a lot more interested in the band. I listened a bit to Promised Land and wow...it sounds nothing like Operation Mindcrime. I'm gonna have to give it more listenings. What are their other records like? Are there more that sounds like O:M?

[Pelata]

I've never been a hardcore Queensryche fan - the only records I have is Operation: MindCrime I and II and while I think the first one is amazing, I've never dug deeper into their music than that.

But all of this bullshit going on right now has somehow made me a lot more interested in the band. I listened a bit to Promised Land and wow...it sounds nothing like Operation Mindcrime. I'm gonna have to give it more listenings. What are their other records like? Are there more that sounds like O:M?

All of their albums are pretty different from each other, but from the debut EP up through Promised Land, they had that perfect combo of songwriting, chops and intensity. The EP and The Warning are the two most similar stylistically, IMO, and after that all the albums sound different from each other. EP & The Warning are the most "Metal", Rage For Order and Promised Land are their two darkest albums (IMO), Mindcrime you already know and Empire is their most commercial, but still amazing.

After Promised Land, they really dropped off while still having the odd song here and there turn out good.

[abydos]

No, not really. At least for me. There are similarities in the first two albums and the demo but for the most part it's completely different. Same goes for Empire and Promised Land. You can tell it's Queensryche but the music is almost entirely different. Which is one of the reasons this band was legendary. Being able to shift your sound so many times yet remain true to your sound and still create amazing music over 5-6 albums? Not many bands can do that.

[Mebert78]

Promised Land is my favorite album of all-time, followed by DT's Awake.  It's such a unique creation and such a musical journey.  Of the more recent stuff, I really like Tribe. 

[Jaq]

Queensryche's music did evolve, but it remained, for lack of a better term, Queensryche. You could hear them finding the sound that defined their music on The Warning if you look hard enough (NM 156 in particular foreshadows Rage For Order nicely), but the next three albums pretty much worked in the same style, only becoming a bit more refined along the way. If anything, to me, Promised Land was the sharpest left turn the band did in their early albums, but remember, I'm one of the few that doesn't like Promised Land.

[dongringo]

Two shows booked in Lincoln City, OR. Oct. 19, 20. Tickets went on sale this morning and are selling amazingly fast. Got mine! 

https://tickets.chinookwindscasino.com/Online/

[RichardRG]

A lot of drama for a band who only put out one classic album in 1988...

[Lowdz]

A lot of drama for a band who only put out one classic album in 1988...

The warning, Rage For Order and Empire would like to speak to you. It won't end well... 

[skydivingninja]

Empire and Op:Mindcrime are classics.  I don't get the love for the first two albums + the EP, though Take Hold of the Flame is a good song.

[jammindude]

Empire and Op:Mindcrime are classics.  I don't get the love for the first two albums + the EP, though Take Hold of the Flame is a good song.

Rage For Order is a non-stop amaze-fest.  It's my all time favorite QR album.  That album *IS* Queensryche to me.

[RichardRG]

Empire doesn't do much for me.  Not that I think it's bad, but I don't get why it has received the high praise that it has. I guess that after Operation: Mindcrime I was expecting something different from Queensryche.

I still haven't listened to The Warning and Rage for Order (though I do like "Take Hold of the Flame").  I'm not highly interested in listening to them either. But maybe I'll get around to them one of these days. Maybe.