Review Summary: Queensrÿche is back and firing on all cylinders. If you want say something negative about this album, it is something that has been said before by most people who reviewed this album: it is way too short! They should have closed the album with an 8-10 mi
Halfway 2012 QR dropped the bombshell Geoff Tate was fired! So as usual the *** hits the fan and Tate tried to bad mouth his former band mates as much as he could. QR on the other hand didn't respond to anything and were quietly reorganising the band in the background, as we later would find out later. Tate rushed out a badly mixed album with some mediocre songs, not worthy to QR. And named the album Frequency Unknown or in short FU. Well this is not just a FU to QR but to the fans as well. I am not buying it!
QR responded to all this bull*** by a making a big statement: they not only released an album that is a worthy to QR and their fans but is one better albums of 2013. And to make it clear who's QR they simply named it Queensrÿche. They got James Barton back as a producer and to top things off they introduce Todd la Torre as their new singer. Well take that as a big FU Mr. Tate.
Their album is a back to old forms with strong songs witty lyrics and most important a band that sounds inspired again plus everyone was involved in the writing process. Former son in law of Mr. Tate, guitarist Parker Lundgred decided to stay with QR (Hmmmmm) and even Pamela Moore is on board for a duet (Hmmmmm again).
• First song is a short instrumental named X2, is written by Scott R. and sets the mood for the rest of the album.
• Then things start off with Where Dreams Go To Die reminiscing the Empire album. It begins with a daunting rhythm to be taken over by a moody and a melodic chorus only to be interrupted by a the o so familiar QR twin solo, some spoken words and than back to the chorus.
• Spore is an exciting song that could have been on Operation: Mind Crime. Scott is clearly present on this song as he is on the whole album.
• In This Light is more laid back, almost a ballad with some nice melodies and singing from Todd, just can't get this song out of my head. And there is of course the solo!
• Redemption was used as a teaser for the album and was all over the internet perhaps just to show that they really had the perfect substitute for Mr. Tate. Could have been on Mind Crime with al these odd time changes.
• Vindication: my personal favourite. Again Scott is very present with his intricate rhythms and so is Eddie. Todd is on top of his game here with a great chorus.
• Midnight Lullaby is a short eerie instrumental as a prelude to...
• A World Without You, this is a bit of a sad song with the great Pamela Moore. Seems to be about a mother loosing her baby. Complete with a unusual but moody guitar solo we haven't heard in a long time by QR.
• Don't Look Back is an up tempo song with a pounding bass buy Eddie. Only to slow down during the bridge. Todd ends the song in a almost classic Rob Halford style scream.
• The short Fallout processes where Don't Look Back left off. Dark lyrics about a revolution in disguise and finding a better life tomorrow.
• The albums closes down with Open Road with the best vocal performance by Todd. The lyrics seem to move on where Fallout stopped as Todd is now looking for a brighter shade of grey. again lost of melodies and time changes. And don't forget the typical QR solo's. Perhaps the best song on the album.
Because of the shortness and the omission of a longer epic song. On a scale from 1-10 I would rate this album an 7
