QUEENSRYCHE

DEDICATED TO CHAOS

Roadrunner/Loud & Proud
Release Date: June 28th, 2011

As their first album for Roadrunner’s Loud & Proud imprint Queensryche has perhaps brought to the table their best album in years. If you put this on and can put ‘Mindcrime’ or ‘Empire’ out of your mind for a minute you may well be in for a treat. For me the interesting thing is that this doesn’t sound like our preconceived idea of Queensryche. There’s a breadth of experimentation here that has been lacking in recent years and of course I’m not talking conceptually, I’m talking musically.

Yes, a real feeling that the book has been thrown through the window and the rules have already been trampled underfoot. Produced by former guitarist, Kelly Gray it sounds great too.

So what do we have here then? Well musically we run the gamut from what sounds like influences from the band member’s collective pasts through to the 80’s. There’s a lot of texture and elements of everything from The Beatles, Floyd, to real Classic Rock, but it’s all passed through the gauze of modernity, there is still that element of Queensrÿche on display – the experimental side. And here it works.
Conceptually we’re on interesting ground too: how technology rules us all and is breaking down real human relations especially in America. It’s an interesting backdrop to some rather great music. 

Of the individual songs first up ‘Getting Started’ is almost Classic Rock in essence, very melodic and even verging on fist-pumping! ‘Life’s too short for slowing down’ continues in a similar vein as does ‘Luvnu’.
One of our favorites is the heavy groove of ‘Hot Spot Junkie’.

Bu there’s also ‘Got It Bad’, which is achingly un-Queensryche and the North African feel elevates it – but make no mistake this could be a radio hit.  It has that Bowie meets Peter Murphy cool that just oozes out of it, driven by a great bass line.

“At The Edge” though is solid rock and far more familiar, it sounds like the Queensryche of ‘Empire’. 

'Around The World' recalls The Beatles in the hippie years; ‘I Believe’ groves and rocks . The bonus tracks aren’t too bad either with more sixties influences on 'The Lie' and 'Big Noize'.

If you still listen to Queensryche waiting to hear them recreate Mindcrime at least you will have something to complain about, if you want to hear a great band making some great new music and stretching themselves sonically you will enjoy this.  Inspiring stuff.

By Mark Diggins