Queensryche

manny wrote:

I liked just about everything Queensryche has done, with the expection 'QYK' or whatever that album is called. I admire the band for following their own muse and going their own way.

'Rage with Order' and 'The Warning' are brillant IMO, the EP is good but sounds somewhat dated to my ears.

I totally agree with you here. I applaud Queensryche's 90s and 00s albums. They are actually quite good. But not everyone gets them. They are very progressive.

"Tribe" and "Hear in the Now Frontier" are especially good. Very underrated - both of them.

"Q2K" is one of their weaker moments.

I also agree with you about their debut EP. It's very dated. Not sure why so many fans love that one.

Personally, I feel that "The Warning" blew it out of the water.


I'd rank the Queensryche catalogue like such:

1. Operation: Mindcrime
2. Empire
3. The Warning
4. Rage for Order

these four are ESSENTIAL and IMO their best.

then it's:

5. Tribe
6. Hear in the Now Frontier

these two are easily their most underrated works to date.

then ... (these are Queensryche's weakest albums IMO):

7. Queensryche EP
8. Q2K
9. Operation: Mindcrime II
10. American Soldier

Metallic Blaze wrote:

Geoff Tate is not ga-hey. He is married and has 4 daughters.

Men have been known to get married, have kids, stay married for years and come out late in life.

Yeah, they'll just put it in anything, it's disgusting. I'm proof of that in many contexts.

For me the EP holds a special place cause it was a breath of fresh air when it first came out. It had elements of other bands but it's own identity as well. I've noticed that most who began listening to them later in their career and went back in the catalog, usually have a grim view of the debut.

My opinion is that Queensyche lost their balls, so to speak, with each subsequent release. The arrangements got more complex, yet the production wimped out any ummmmmffff that should've/would've/could've been there.

They made one hell of a statement coming out the gate and went all artsy/fartsy afterwards. I understand a band shouldn't rehash the same ol' crap year after year. I was just disappointed by the direction they took. They put more emphasis on playing in the studio and it changed the way they played onstage.

I've posted my thoughts here before but I feel like re-doing it. My favorite is Empire mainly because almost every song is part of the soundtrack to my early metal/hard rock years. Just like most people's preference for the 80s material is due to it being part of their youth the same goes for me and Empire.

I do prefer the early albums to Operation Mindcrime though. It's not a bad album but there are only two songs I like the most (I Don't Believe In Love and The Eyes Of A Stranger). Promise Land is a decent album but Here In The Now Frontier and then Q2K were bland and I finally gave up on them.

I recently got American Soldier and while nowhere near the greatness of older material I actually liked it. I guess my expectations were low due to my giving up on them ealier and people's opinions of it. Definatly light years ahead of HITNF and Q2K and makes me want to go ahead and give Operation Mindcrime II a try.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Metallic Blaze wrote:

Geoff Tate is not ga-hey. He is married and has 4 daughters.

Men have been known to get married, have kids, stay married for years and come out late in life.

Do you really think Tate is gey?

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Yeah, they'll just put it in anything, it's disgusting. I'm proof of that in many contexts.

What do you mean you are proof of that? Your dad was gey? I don't understand.

No I don't believe Geoff Tate is ga-hey but if he was it would not change my opinion of him, a very talented vocalist and songwriter.

I think Q2K is far better than Tribe, which I considered their weakest until American Soldier came out, which is just lifeless to my ears.

Metallic Blaze wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Metallic Blaze wrote:

Geoff Tate is not ga-hey. He is married and has 4 daughters.

Men have been known to get married, have kids, stay married for years and come out late in life.

Do you really think Tate is gey?

No...I was just being sarcastic.

Since I brought it up, I don't care if Geoff is or isn't homosexual. I was merely making a comment on my observations. Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong about something. Anyways, talented vocalist none the less.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Metallic Blaze wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Metallic Blaze wrote:

Geoff Tate is not ga-hey. He is married and has 4 daughters.

Men have been known to get married, have kids, stay married for years and come out late in life.

Do you really think Tate is gey?

No...I was just being sarcastic.

Hmmm, never thought of Geoff as a peter-puffer. Interesting theory. Eh, whatever.

I didn't pay for it and I certainly had no intentions of buying it, but I got a free saw-cut promo copy of American Soldier and it's actually starting to grow on me. Not the greatest album and a far-cry from the 'ryche of old, but a pretty decent album. Got a few spins over the holidays and I like it.

I have a 2nd copy for trade if anyone is interested.

Eyesore wrote:

I think Q2K is far better than Tribe, which I considered their weakest until American Soldier came out, which is just lifeless to my ears.

I had the opposite opinion but it has been awhile since I have listened to those two albums.

Tate is da man! NOT ga-hey!
1.OMC 1
2.RFO
3.Empire

Nothing can be worse than OM:II...

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Nothing can be worse than OM:II...

Q2K is actually worse!

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Nothing can be worse than OM:II...

It;s called Hear In The Now Frontier

1. Queensrÿche EP
2. The Warning
3. Operation: Mindcrime

They stopped existing after Empire, if you ask me.

Two totally unrelated notes... the paper sez that Geoff Tate is 51 years old today.

Shawn of Fire wrote:

My son got the Mindcrime At The Moore DVD for Christmas

...the Moore Theatre in Seattle was on "Ghost Hunters" last night. I sez "Wow, cool. Queensryche recorded a live album there." My wife, of couse, looked at me and said, "Why do you know that?"

Fat Freddy wrote:

On a totally unrelated note, the paper sez that Geoff Tate is 51 years old today.

Wow. Older than I thought. Well happy birthday, GEE-off.

Know what I hate? That the bands I grew up with are old. How am I avoiding it?

Quote :

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Nothing can be worse than OM:II...

It;s called Hear In The Now Frontier

Word.

PL is the last decent album they made.

The first five albums stand out as classics in the field, but you can see the growth between each, and to me , it's a logical growth. The EP has the classic metal heaviness and aggression, The Warning takes it up a notch and brings in some anthemic, epic ideas ("Roads to Madness"), there's the experimental/progressive sound of Rage for Order and the concept of Mindcrime. Much though I like the attitude of the first two releases, it's the increasingly intricate arrangements and progressive ideas of the next three that hook me.

Guest wrote:

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".

Best: Operation: Mindcrime
Wort: Operation: Mindcrime II

My opinion.