QUEENSRYCHE / LILLIAN AXE
MAGIC CITY CASINO, MIAMI
April 16th 2015
The first of the Monsters Of Rock Cruise pre-parties for 2015 paired
Lillian Axe and Queensryche as a warm up for 4 days of mayhem in the
Bahamas. On paper it was an interesting pairing with the newer
progressive/epic leanings of Lillian Axe seemingly fitting well with a
reinvigorated Queensryche now headed by Todd La Torre who quite frankly,
let's face it sings almost exactly like the departed Tate used to.
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First on stage, Lillian Axe, one of my favorite live bands strike that
perfect balance of injecting the older more melodic hard rock of songs
like "True Believer" with just the right amount of attitude to fit perfectly
with the newer more progressive material like "Water's Rising" (dedicated
tonight to the band's hometown of New Orleans).
As the opening act of the whole event you couldn't wish for a better start
from a band whose live acoustic 'One Night In The Chapel' showed these
songs in a different light last year. In a balanced set that managed to
please everyone yet make you just want that little more, closing with 'Deep
Freeze' was a masterstroke. Steve told me after the show that there will be a new album out later in
the year tentatively titled 'From Womb To Tomb' and on the evidence of
tonight's performance, it can't come soon enough.
Queensryche with Todd La Torre at the helm may have lost a little of the intensity and showmanship that the surly Geoff
Tate had at the helm but musically they haven't missed a beat. Playing a great mix of the early material - "Lady Wore Black" and "Queen Of The Ryche" off the very first EP and later classics from "Empire" and
"Mindcrime" (the latter songs they will soon not be able to play after their
deal with Tate), they draw a huge line in the sand.
After all these years the power and the intensity is still there and on tonight's display the revitalised lineup looks like it has many years left on the clock. After maybe rushing that first record post-split out, the new one done right could send them back to where they belong.
Seeing so many from all over the world at Magic City waiting for the cruise makes you realise why the music we love is so powerful and even though the cruise has bigger names, these two bands will be hard to beat.
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Review & Photos by Mark Rockpit
