When was the last time anyone got excited about a new Queensryche album?

I don't ask this to be facetious, but I think considering their less than stellar output for most of the 1990's and the start of "Q2K," there's only so much faith one might possess… or the proverbial "rope" one allows the once great commodity gone community detriment.

If we are to be satisfied that even the biggest name supergroups can muster only two or three good if not great tracks and leave another ten or eleven as smoldering waste, then bands like Queensryche, Fates Warning, James Taylor, or whoever else you may equate them with, fall well within the law of averages.

In that event, "Rage For Order" and "Operation: Mindcrime" were simply apparitions… and "Empire" a commercial success that no one's revisited since. Whoever woke up one morning and suggested QR become a garage band and play like alterna-metal wankers should seek psychiatric help… quickly. And I say this while one of the most ridiculous of 'Ryche tunes pollutes my ears about an hour after it finished - "Desert Dance" - where if it weren't so annoying with its "tribal-like" ramblings and gangsta-style chorus, could probably be quite entertaining.

Okay, Tate and the guys aren't afraid to take chances; they've grown and aren't content with duplicating the past. Yet they do seem satisfied to duplicate the recent past where for about four albums now, the key connecting element remains, lethargy. But is it me, or aren't typically instrumental bands supposed to play to their strength?

This idea of simplicity and trash can production value is laughable for a group of this magnitude. A song like "Falling Behind" is a given, considering their thirteen year old breakthrough ballad "Silent Lucidity," a song forever followed yet never equaled.

QR does seem to be past the idea that they can or should compete with the more marketable teen acts of today, so why not fast forward twenty years and go completely adult contemporary? Works for Pete Yorn and Train, right? "The Great Divide" would be among the stronger of QR's newer cuts with a beefier production, yet it's typical of songs like "Right Side Of My Mind," a strong "Q2K" track that slowly builds and breaks at the chorus, rekindling age old fires of breadth and tuneful scale.

Chris DeGarmo makes a slight return to the fold by contributing some writing credits and a few guitar harmonies here and there, though I'd dare you to pick them out. Oh yes, maybe that's old Chris doing the solo on… yeah, exactly. "Rhythm Of Hope" is another AOR track that's Gilmour-like in the classic Floyd sense and Tate's delivery follows suit in a soaring, swooning way, something that's never wavered since day one.

By that point, I'm resolved to pulling whatever singular elements the song contains rather than judging it for its entirety. The title track, "Tribe," with features one might quickly ascertain, can be filed under "preposterous"; "Blood" is another father-figure of a song only with a chilling vibe and catchy chorus together fastened by nervous drumming to become among the more captivating of QR's cuts. "The Art Of Life" is a terrific pre-closer for the same reasons "Right Side Of My Mind" was mentioned earlier - it's a catchy, emotional blend, if slowly developing, of an earlier 'Ryche style with a little more melody and punch that they often miss today.

QR's latest is more of what we've come to expect from them since "Promised Land" signaled the beginning of the end on the depth chart. There's a couple tracks here worth repeating, most of the rest are forgettable; followers than leaders that wallow aimlessly in the dark in spite of the record's pointed self-discovery-reared theme. It's unimaginable this is a full group effort.

The musicianship speaks nothing of five talented players setting the pace for Rock progression built on instrumentality and songwriting depth, but rather bar stool sitting, forty-something folk players gigging the nearest dinner theater. There's nothing to get excited about.

The only progression that still exists is in the lyric writing, and even then, there's nothing written save for GT's explanatory cover page message. "Tribe" preaches of unity and the eye opening experiences of Mr. Tate's wanderings to find himself in post-9/11 America; which could explain much of why "Tribe" plays often like another of his solo records rather than the full band experience.

"Live Evolution" seemed the start of something big again for QR where for the first time we could actually equate old with new and realize they're one and the same group of musicians. What we're left with here is a Def Leppard-sounding, soft in the middle album of seven of ten nap inducing tracks. What will it take to light the fire for this band again?

Released by Sanctuary Records: http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com/

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]
______________________________
METAL STORM PRODUCTIONS
Vinnie Apicella
P.O. Box 20252
Park West Station
New York, NY 10025
212-865-2848 / c:845-729-9977

http://www.columbia.edu/~va85

Upon listening through all of these fourteen tracks contained herein, it suddenly dawned on me that I was essentially listening to two different bands.

In fact, I still can't believe this is the same Queensryche that first broke big in metal circles with songs like "Queen of the Ryche," "The Lady Wore Black" and "Take Hold of the Flame."

A band which has continually held dear, those progressive qualities that can be rewarding enough to allow growth as musicians and their fanbase, yet risky enough to alienate themselves from their own history, Queensryche has always remained one of the top talents in rock circles.

Their new "Greatest Hits" package is by no means a signal that the well's run dry or that impending retirement is lurking around the corner-their new "Q2K" release is evidence of that.

In fact, I'm not quite sure why this is even being brought out at the moment-there's obviously not some down period happening that calls for a temporary bridge toward the next project, but still in all, this career spanning collection is all any fan could ask for.

Although maybe another few outtakes or extra B-sides would've added a little more flavor to it, but there are in fact two concluding bonus tracks called "Chasing Blue Sky," another of their ballad-types, and a new full band version of "Someone Else? from "Promised Land" which really adds a boost to what was otherwise a fairly hollow seven minutes worth of listening transparency.

From start to finish, the music can be divided into two halves, with the first catering to the earliest work beginning with their magnificent self-titled EP, up through the "Mindcrime," and then beginning with the highly successful "Empire" ending off with some of the lesser known, maybe unjustifiably dismissive "Hear in the Now Frontier" material.

For me, I'd have taken everything off of "Rage for Order" and "Operation: Mindcrime" and been done with it, but what can you do?

A great thing about these collections, aside from offering a selective look toward a band's rich history for those not in possession of their catalog, is that the songs usually always get digitally done up.

And how great is it to hear those rough early tracks like "Queen of the Ryche" and "The Lady Wore Black" with a clear production?

There's about two selections from each album here and most of what fans would expect, but I was surprised that "I Dream in Infrared" made the cut over "Gonna Get Close to You" from the "Rage." album, though pleased.

Queensryche's talent as musicians still to this day hold an astounding influence on numerous bands having emerged on the scene-though this clearly is directed to the earlier days when the band was more apt to exploit their instrumental ingenuity.

They may never again equal the success first achieved on the remarkable "Operation: Mindcrime" release from '88, one of the finest conceptual releases ever, but though their popularity's waned a little in recent years, all they've accomplished cannot be denied.

This "Greatest Hits" package at long last gives them their just due and provides one with a listenable history for a band that began way ahead of their time and who may never be fully appreciated today until twenty years after their absence!

Released by Virgin Records

Review By Vinnie Apicella

While "Live Evolution" marks the first full live recording outside of their "Operation Livecrime" release and recent reissue on CD and DVD, the band seems to be enjoying something of a rebirth.

Walking out from the shadows, though their last couple of studio records may have been
poorly received in relation to their platinum selling past, their commitment remains undeterred, their methods sometimes run astray however, yet wherever they've been and wherever they're likely to go, "Live Evolution" is the embodiment of an intellectually stimulating body of diverse work that spans their first twenty years that every fan they've picked up along the way will quickly appreciate.

For me, as I'm sure many others who were there since the beginning, the opening notes
to "NM156" from their first LP "The Warning," will come as a surprise if only for the fact it hasn't been heard in so long and nearly impossible to equate to experimentalist extension they've sought in recent years.

Broken down basically into four segments spanning two discs and impressive live photo imagery as taken from Seattle's Moore theater where the two night recording was done earlier this summer, each portion sequentially covers the band's every album, old to new, hit, miss and every conceivable extreme from within.

I've always had trouble relating to Queensryche as a "Progressive" type band-I feel there's too much expectation involved and a term too limiting in scope which is actually
antithetical from a musical perspective, something we certainly don't want to pin on a group such as this-and so it should stand, they're progressive in the sense, looking beyond and to the future, and though I don't always agree with the way they could flash a song like "The Bridge," (not included by the way) "Silent Lucidity," or "Jet City Woman," with just about anything off of the "Rage" album or "Mindcrime," and maintain the believability factor, I've learned to look beyond the obvious-I was truly embittered for most of their "Q2K," last studio release-expecting much more and left with little, then arriving at "The Right Side of My Mind," which I can maintain to this day stands up to
anything else they've done.

For many, disc one is all that'll be required. Luckily for others, their biggest hits from the monumental "Empire" release and throughout the nineties to conclude with "Q2K," I'm momentarily awe-inspired as I write this as "The Lady Wore Black" sirens in the distance and sounds as incredible here as it did on the very first four song EP that it originated from. Tate's vocals are superb and here, as with many, does his own mix with the vocals, tweaking the chorus somewhat and adding a new likeness to a song that still remains an all time classic.

Song sequence is totally off kilter for the first part of disc one, so be aware, those of the as yet uninitiated, but then again so what, they're playing "Take Hold of the Flame," "Queen of the Ryche" and "London" re-entering the "Mind Crime" era.

I think Queensryche is, for all their vision and views and immense talent, is now going through a revitalization following up a rebuilding phase of sorts after the departure of original guitarist Chris DeGarmo.

We should be expecting big things from the band fresh from their new signing to Sanctuary and new studio album in the works.

"Live Evolution" proves beyond doubt-and for some there may have been good reason-that Queensryche is a live band and can cut it with the best of them.

They convinced me with the tackling of some of those very old gems that were finally let out of the dark for a little while and all throughout, they deliver a two night near thirty song performance worthy of their illustrious history, one that continues to be written…

Released by Sanctuary Records: http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com/

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]
______________________________
METAL STORM PRODUCTIONS
Vinnie Apicella P.O. Box 763 Brewster, NY 10509
845-669-9470

I remember now…

I remember how it started… the year 1983, a new and powerful presence would emerge on a still youthful Metal scene.

An answer of sorts to the mammoth European uprising that had began only a few years before, Queensryche embodied the strongest points of the Priests and Maidens of the time, the two ranking officials in the Heavy Metal crusade, and took it to new levels of progression. Times change and so too did the once mighty Queensryche.

Today bands like fellow Seattle area favorites Nevermore pick up where Queensryche left
off-loved by many, respected by the best, for all intents and purposes, a new model for the latest generation of Heavy music listeners while QR… well the journey's become stalled for much of the past decade and the band, their best work well behind them, still exist, still serve a purpose, but expectations dulled by lackluster performances and apparent lost desire, their hunger for power deadened by the latest resources and resurgence in new talent, have led many to ponder what if and why for a band that's lost the ability to make an impact.

Thus an album like "Operation Mindcrime," where this latest reissue is obviously derived,
in Live version, the complete "Mindcrime" record from '88, the masterpiece, arguably their best record and perhaps amongst the top three or four of all time, for a moment in time, fans have something to get excited about again.

Originally released back in '91, "Live Crime" the tour, was a sight and sound to behold, a visually stunning conceptual performance that followed the dark shadow of political cover
ups, greed, scandal, mental anguish-a superb and chilling following that ranks amongst the elite of an art many have tried with few successes.

A one time collectors item, the reissue of this decade old treasure finds the band in peak form, performing all of these instantaneious classics-"Revolution Calling," "Speak," "The Needle Lies," "Eyes of a Stranger," plus several others with all of the expected breaks and narrative effects to complete the story you couldn't help but feel involved in somehow.

As an added bonus, two startling discoveries-extra live versions of "The Lady Wore Black" the beloved and bleak ballad all the way back from their original EP and "Roads to Madness," the long forgotten epic closer to '84s "The Warning," their first full length,
both recorded live around the time of this original release, complete the set.

Each sounds incredible and in most cases haven't been heard in years and probably aren't like to be drawn from again anytime soon… and as I listen I find it startling to believe this is one and the same band that simply didn't have it during this lackluster mid-to-late nineties phase leading up to their 2000 "Greatest Hits."

While a solid new offering is sorely needed, the "Greatest Hits" and this new reissue both
capitalize on the strong points and will reintroduce fans to the historical significance of the once great Queensryche.

Whether they can recapture that magic in the years to come remains to be seen. But for
now, live the "Mindcrime" over again within this incredible live set with a DVD accompaniment to follow soon after.

Released by EMI Records

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]
______________________________
METAL STORM PRODUCTIONS
Vinnie Apicella

P.O. Box 20252
New York, NY 10025
212-865-2848 / c:845-729-9977