Queensryche

I searched for a standard "Queensryche" thread and there was just a few threads about them - pertaining to other things, but not in the sense about the band in general.

So - who here likes Queensryche?

I know many will probably like their 80s stuff, but then bag on their 90s/00s stuff. That's cool - whatever.

But I love Queensryche. Their worst albums are better than many bands' best albums IMO.

My favorite albums are "Empire" and "Operation: Mindcrime". How about you?


My least favorites are "Operation: Mindcrime II", "Q2K", and "Promised Land".

Two that I find very underrated are: "Hear in the Now Frontier" and "Tribe".

the only one i have is operation mindcrime and i confess i have only listened to it a few times. i should dig it out as i remember it being very good

I want to get the debut, I have Rage For Order which is great and I can see why people prefer the older material. Operation Mindcrime is good but I mostly listen to three or four songs on a regular basis (my main ones are I Don't Believe In Love and Eyes Of A Stranger) and I love Empire most (every song from beggining to end). After that Promised Land was O.K., Hear In The Now Frontier was alright and after that I gave up on them. However, in the future I might give them another chance seeing as a lot of people are giving props to Mindcrime II. I'm kind of unforgiving when I think bands change the music to gain popularity (Metallica, Queensryche, etc.).

Nothing can touch the EP, Warning, and Rage For Order. Those are excellent examples of 80's power/progressive metal. Honestly, the rest I can live without.

spectrefate wrote:

Nothing can touch the EP, Warning, and Rage For Order. Those are excellent examples of 80's power/progressive metal.

That's pretty much where I stand. However, I like some of the other stuff as well. I like Promise Land, Tribe, Operation Mindcrime, etc. but none of them hold a candle to those first three IMO.

I prefer FATES WARNING, but I love QUEENSRYCHE's 80s stuff too.

Everything up thru MINDCRIME is pure gold, but after that... buyer beware!

I actually love "Tribe" and "Hear in the Now Frontier" quite a lot. My least favorite would be "Operation: Mindcrime II", "Q2K", and "Promised Land". But like I said these 3 worst albums are much better than many bands best stuff. I'm actually quite a huge Queensryche fan though. Moreso than anyone I know. I've purchased every studio album they have released with the exception of "Under Cover" which comes out today! I plan on having it by week's end.

Order of faves:

1. Empire (this will probably always be their masterpiece to me)
2. Operation: Mindcrime
3. Rage for Order
4. Tribe (Probably their most 'underrated' work to date)
5. Queensryche EP
6. The Warning
7. Hear in the Now Frontier (at first I didnt' care for this one, but I've grown to really love it)
v
v
8. Q2K
9. Promised Land
10. Operation: Mindcrime II

I liked Empire, The Warning "ok", but they never really did much for
me. I was always a huge Deliverance fan and when Brown transitioned to
Stay of Execution (more melodic singing) Queensryche was always second
rate in my book. But that's because that sound had already been filled
for me. Could have gone the other way just as easy I guess!

T-Roy wrote:

Could have gone the other way just as easy I guess!

:defleppard: I'm glad you didn't because you have some lovely children.

LOL! WHY YOU...

"I'M SUPER, THANKS FOR ASKING!"

T-Roy wrote:

I liked Empire, The Warning "ok", but they never really did much for
me. I was always a huge Deliverance fan and when Brown transitioned to
Stay of Execution (more melodic singing) Queensryche was always second
rate in my book. But that's because that sound had already been filled
for me. Could have gone the other way just as easy I guess!

Yeah, Jimmy was very influenced by Queensryche. I love Deliverance's stuff in this era (Stay of Execution, etc).

However, it certainly didn't make Queensryche 'second rate' to me personally. I just liked them both.

Probably one of the few secular bands I did like to listen to for that reason.

I always liked their writing and themes as well.

I love their 80s material. My favorite album of theirs is Operation: Mindcrime, but their best song is Queen of the Reich off of the self titled EP.

I'm a fan of their earlier stuff. The Warning, Rage For Order, Operation Mindcrime, Empire and the S/T ep are my favorites.

I love(d) Queensrÿche!

blackieboy wrote:

Two that I find very underrated are: "Hear in the Now Frontier" and "Tribe".

I find Hear In The Now Frontier and Promised Land to be underrated. Q2K, Tribe, and Mindcrime II are good, but nothing amazing, if you ask me. Mindcrime II has some of the best songs they've done since Promised Land, though. I think "Re-Arrange You" is one of the best they've ever written.

Anyway, I saw them open for Def Leppard in 1989 on the Hysteria/Mindcrime tour. I was like 14 at the time, Def Leppard was still mainly the only band I listened to, having only gotten into music a year or two before. So as Queensryche did their thing, I booed them 'til my voice was hoarse! I was such a little turd! Haha. A few years go by and at this point I'm really becoming a big time music fan, branching out and trying new bands and everything. The obsession was blooming.

At night I would listen to WAAF and record songs to make mix tapes for myself. One night this killer song came on, but they never mentioned who it was. So for like two weeks I kept listening for this song. They kept playing it, I was able to record it, but they still never said who the hell the band was. This song was awesome, too! I was pissed. Finally after about three weeks I catch the song again. It's called "Empire"...by frickin' Queensryche! Pffft!

So I go and buy the album, and I love it. Now I'm annoyed. So then I go and buy one album a week. I went in order, backwards; Mindcrime, Rage For Order, The Warning, and then the EP. All of a sudden, this band that I booed off the stage has quickly become a favorite band of mine! I kick myself to this day. I saw them on the original Mindcrime tour and I booed them and shouted "You suck!" and "Nice hat, jackass" (to Degarmo) all night long.

Anyway, though their albums aren't as good now, they're still a favorite of mine.

ultmetal wrote:

spectrefate wrote:

Nothing can touch the EP, Warning, and Rage For Order. Those are excellent examples of 80's power/progressive metal.

That's pretty much where I stand. However, I like some of the other stuff as well. I like Promise Land, Tribe, Operation Mindcrime, etc. but none of them hold a candle to those first three IMO.

I agree as well except I'd make it the first five albums. I do like Promised Land o.k. as well. After that

I'd have to say the first three are in a class of their own. Not that the three that followed are bad albums, they're just very different. The first three were dark and mysterious. Everything about them just vibes way different than those that followed.

I lost interest in Queensryche after Empire. I stuck with them with Promised Land and then again with Hear in the Now Frontier then just felt let down. I sold off those last 2 and never heard a thing from them again till I got a freebie copy of Mindcrime II from work. It didn't knock me off my seat, but it was ok. OK enough that I still own it. Some more time passes & I got hooked up with their Greatest Hits. Hearing the early stuff reminded me what a great band they were. Hearing some of the later material didn't sound as bad as I remembered it, but I'm not rushing out to replace my old copies.

Just today, I picked up the covers album. I'm a sucker for cover albums, regardless of the band, so this was a no-brainer. Also, I liked that some of the songs Queensryche picked are pretty obscure. There's at least 4 tunes that I'm pretty sure I've never heard before. I'll be giving it some spins in work tomorrow.

Up through Empire, I'm on board. After that, it's not so much bad as it's incredibly boring. I borrowed Hear in the Now Frontier from a buddy who is a big fan and honestly, I could not wait for it to end so I could put on something else.

Like mostly there stuff from the 80's, but I do have Mindcrime II as well. The first EP is my personal favorite.

Yeah, I was pretty sure I'd be in the minority here. I just love all their stuff. "Hear in the Now Frontier" is so criminally underrated it's silly.

I didn't like it much at first either, so I can relate to the negative comments. My thing though is that it grew on me in time. Now I love all their albums.

Tall Tyrion wrote:

Up through Empire, I'm on board. After that, it's not so much bad as it's incredibly boring. I borrowed Hear in the Now Frontier from a buddy who is a big fan and honestly, I could not wait for it to end so I could put on something else.

We agree again. It even bothered me last time seeing them live, and having to sit through Mindcrime II. I love seeing them play the first one though.


But up to that, I like them all, and RFO has grown on me over the years.