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Music, Reviews

“Queensryche” EP by Queensryche

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Artist: Queensryche
Title: “Queensryche”
Label: EMI Records
Release Date: 5/6/2003
Genre: Progressive Metal
Rating: 8/10

I clearly remember buying this EP on vinyl when it came out; there was a hefty buzz generating in the Metal world about this band from Seattle. According to magazines of the time (Hit Parader, Circus, etc.) the band had recorded their music on their own, presented it to a label, and were signed. While I never looked deeper into the story, there was no denying the impact on Metal music that this 4 song EP would have. With the opening track “Queen Of The Reich”, we are introduced to tasty Metal riffs and a banshee of a vocalist in Geoff Tate. The high notes that Tate achieves clearly seem to be able to shatter glass. Given its 1983 release, this is an album that has set the bar higher for bands who choose to blend power and progression with a little more melody. Developments in this genre will offer bands like Dream Theater and Fates Warning the ability to better follow their own unique paths. The remaster is superb since it also offers a great amount of live tracks that were recorded in Tokyo back in 1984. The tracks originally appeared on the VHS tape “Live In Tokyo” and as you listen you will hope, as I do, that the film resurfaces on DVD sometime in the near future. These live tracks are pretty clean considering the year and ability Queensryche had that early in their career. Tate announces to the audience that many tracks are from their forthcoming album “Warning” and from there the group delivers most of this album. It’s fantastic to hear a concert from this early in Queensryche history and I cannot see any fan thinking differently.
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Music, Reviews

“Live Evolution” by Queensryche

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Artist: Queensryche
Title: “Live Evolution”
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release Date: 9/25/2001
Genre: Progressive Metal
Rating: 8/10

With “Live Evolution”, Queensryche has given their fans the type of album that other artists would be smart to release. The album is not only a killer live recording, it is also a career expansive journey into each of their albums and features songs from the self-titled EP all the way up until “Q2K”. A companion DVD was released at the same time, which offers you the full visual of being present at a Queensryche show. I admit, I preferred watching as opposed to listening, since The Ryche is such a great band in concert. As on the DVD, the group sets the album up in sections that cover specific ranges of their releases. CD1 is the better of the two, in my opinion, as that is the earliest stuff from the self-titled EP until “Operation Mindcrime”. Given that it includes nine tracks from that album alone, you’ll find a nice comparison of how the band sounds several years after the recording of “Operation: Live Crime”. By that point in Queensryche’s career, the band had lost guitarist Chris DeGarmo. He was replaced with Kelly Gray. who did a fine job on the material. The rest of the original lineup remained strong with Tate, Rockenfield, Wilton and Jackson. CD2 is only half strong, as it includes music from “Empire” and “Promised Land” (their last decent studio release, in my opinion). The remainder of the disc features tracks from “Hear In The Now Frontier” as well as the dismal “Q2K” which was met with critical lambasting.
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Reviews, Videos

“Operation: Live Crime” (DVD) by Queensryche

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Artist: Queensryche
Title: “Operation: LIVE Crime”
Label: EMI Music
Release Date: 11/20/2001
Genre: Progressive Metal
Rating: 9/10

Queensryche truly delivered a masterpiece with their third album and signature release “Operation: Mindcrime”. Originally presented to the fans in 1988 this album raised the bar of Progressive Metal to levels that have yet to be matched or surpassed. The songs have withstood the years and with this DVD recorded in 1991 Queensryche takes the entire album to the concert stage. “Operation: LIVE Crime” is an excellent video and presents to the viewer the “Mindcrime” album the way it is supposed to be experienced; in it’s entirety from beginning to end. The album is quite possibly the Metal genres own “Dark Side Of The Moon” or “The Wall” and the video combine some animations shown on screens above the band along with their energetic performance and drama to a great result. The production is very clear on this and the photography on target but since this is from 1991 there are some limitations in the overall video presentation. It is a straight visual of the show and while you have some great close ups there is no option to switch angles or players or things that come out in today’s DVD’s. The full original Queensryche lineup is present with Geoff Tate, Michael Wilton, Chris DeGarmo, Scott Rockenfield and Eddie Jackson who were still incredibly hungry with this release and perform it as such. The band is complimented by the lovely Pamela Moore on “Suite Sister Mary” as she was also on the album. I enjoyed seeing one of my favorite albums live so much that it’s difficult to pick out my favorites. However I always seem to lean to “Eyes Of A Stranger” and “I Don’t Believe In Love” the most.
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Reviews, Videos

“The Art Of Live” by Queensryche

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Artist: Queensyche
Title: “The Art Of Live”
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release Date: 6/8/2004
Genre: Progressive Metal
Rating: 6/10

It is seldom that I am unimpressed with a DVD that gets released by Queensryche but that was the case when I began to watch the release “The Art Of Live”. Perhaps I was spoiled by the releases “Live Evolution” or “Operation: Livecrime” DVD releases or perhaps this was just so lacking that it did not do much more than disappoint. Queensryche is one of the most exciting of the Progressive Metal bands to have existed but this live DVD is so toned down and unlive in its overall sound that you might has well watch a filmed and scripted video. The movie is shot entirely in black and white and while it looks cool for a little while I would have preferred to see some color. The light show that the group uses during their performances is lost entirely as a result of this filming method. Sound wise it seems to have been channeled right out of the soundboard and there is very little audience reaction heard. It’s practically a whisper and for a recording of a live show you want a little more on that end when possible. The band sounds top notch in their musicianship as they normally do but this recording method makes them sound more canned than I would have preferred.
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Events, Reviews

Queensryche @ Beacon Theatre (4/24/2004)

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Logo - Queensryche

Queensryche @ The Beacon Theatre NYC: 4/24/2004

The Godfathers of progressive rock returned to New York City for an evening of classic performances recently and I must admit they sounded better than ever. Queensryche had started on this small tour which essentially was supporting their newest DVD & CD Release entitled “The Art Of Live” and the semi-recent CD “Tribe”. This will be the second time I have seen them at The Beacon Theatre and this is a great venue to see such a band. My seats were on the Orchestra level, but far in the back yet without much difficulty I could see everything that was going on.
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