A DEGARMO-LESS QUEENSRYCHE IS NO QUEENSRYCHE AT ALL
Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 4:34pm by Vince Neilstein
I call bullshit. This new Queensryche song “If I Were King” — from the forthcoming album American Soldier (March 31st, Atco/Rhino) — sounds like a cheap imitation of the real Queensryche. It lacks balls, it’s cheesy, and Geoff Tate sounds like he’s going through puberty all over again. I suppose I loves me some Queensryche, but this just sucks. Even 2003’s Tribe was a decent record, probably because Chris DeGarmo came back into the fold to write and record it (though he bailed before the following tour). Operation: Mindcrime II was kind of a snoozefest, and now this… zzzzz.
Side note: premiering a new track on MP3.com? What is this, 1998?
-VN
I could not agree more. They totally shit the bed from Hear In The Now Frontier on. And I loves me some Queensryche, anyways, pre 1995.
Queensryche is an infuriating band. They have recorded some of the best metal ever put to tape (at the time) and they have recorded some of the worst dregs ever called “metal” (Hear in the Now Frontier). Mutt above has it right. Pre-1995. Everything after has barely been “mail-it-in” level efforts, with or without DeGarmo.
Some of the band left to form Slave to the System. That’s a great hard rock album, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Operation Mindcrime II was terrible. Tribe had a few decent moments, but nothing that came close to Empire or Mindcrime I. Even Promise Land sucked besides a few really good songs.
I’ve been dying to see Queensryche live for a while, but if they play this I don’t think I’ll go this year.
I just reviewed this literally 5 minutes ago at the radio station I work at. I thought it was mediocre. But now I’m interested, what is the best queensryche album?
Absolutely agree this song sucks shit. It’s whiney, weak, and it strikes me as less of a “homage to soldiers” and more capitalizing on the strife that they endure. Geoff Tate cannot relate to losing someone in war, and that’s what this song’s all about. Chrismix: Empire (has all the radio “hits”) is one of my favorites, and so is Operation Mindcrime I.
Chrismix: Best Queensryche album is Operation: Mindcrime. (ignore the sequel, sadly)
Empire is also damn fine. I liked Promised Land but I really thought it was better when I saw them performing it live (and telling the story of the album, more or less) than the CD.
The only worthy thing Queensryche have ever done is Operation: Mindcrime. A masterpiece. Other then that, they’re “meh” at their best, “stab my own ears with a rusty screwdriver” at their worst (see: Operation Mindcrime II).
As had mentioned, nothing can compare to the greatness that is Operation Mindcrime, although Empire is the cd you put on to show off an audio system. I like 2QK when it first came out, but now it’s hard to listen to. Rage For Order is also pretty good, and have been meaning to pick up The Warning…
Vince, you hit the nail on the head. I think it goes without saying that the original Mindcrime is their magnum opus, I feel like everyone here is completely overlooking Rage for Order. (except Chris apparently)
also, FYI, Wilton did some of the trickiest guitar lines in Mindcrime.
Rage for Order is absolutely my favorite. I’ll still see them live whenever they come around. They were tight and enjoyable opening for DioSabbath. Except that guitar player that thankfully just left, he hacked those solo’s to shit.
ps: tight and enjoyable….
Sometimes you can creep around it, or even ignore it but here the elephant in the room is just too damn big – they need DeGarmo in this band as a songwriter.
It’s like Maiden without Janick Gers…
Um no, sorry.
Hey, at least give them credit for The Chase off Operation: Mindcrime II with Dio – that was an utterly amazing song.
The Warning is the only Queensryche album still remaining in my collection. Of course, they may have more to do with the fact that it was my main “business time” soundtrack during my first year of college.
Blackthorned, you made me laugh for the first time today. That was brilliant.
All of the releases up through Empire were more and more excellent – although Empire is more of a par for the course after Mindcrime than a continued rise – but then things fell off pretty significantly. Tribe has some good moments, Q2K and Promised Land are worth the occasional listen. Unlike everyone else who’s commented so far, I like Mindcrime II a lot; it’s not the instant classic that the original was, but it’s far better than anything else they’ve produced since 1990. This new track, though, is the definition of “meh.” I’m not too enthused about the rest of the album…
Tribe was the poorest selling album of the entire career even with DeGarmo writing it! Mindcrime 2 even outsold it! Sol I don’t think if he comes back the band will start recording albums that sound like The Warning or Rage again.
I predict American Soldier will also outsell Tribe based on the fans the band raked back in from the last Mindcrime tour. But it won’t outsell Mindcrime 2 though or debut as high on the Billboard 200.
But they now have Jeffy Tater’s son-in-law playing the part of “touring guitarist” for the forthcoming American Soldier tour and its really a travesty. The guy he replaced, Mike Stone wrote 75% of the material with their producer Jason Slater. And the album was their highest debut on the Billboard 200 since Promised Land. Now I know some of that Mindcrime II hype might’ve propelled it but they could’ve at least given Stone a chance to test himself on an album without Mindcrime to hide behind. I’m guessing engineer and former guitarist Kelly Gray talked them out of keeping him around as he looked like a total dork playing live and his tone sucked. Wilton apparently got along well with him on tour and for 2 studio albums though including the covers record. Well, not well enough for Slater and Gray apparently.
They can’t write or arrange a decent song without DeGarmo. I pitched Mindcrime II in the hopper after a few weeks. “If I were king is embarrassing and painful to listen too. Good band playing really weak music.
MIndcrime was great, empire had it’s moments. If you were into radio played songs, you loved empire. Promised Land was and still is a masterpiece. The society in which our age group (40’s) have grown up in is one of entitlement. The “this is what life owes me” mentallity. Note: Life owes you nothing! Promised Land gives us the story of a man who learned to late in life that the choices he made, he can not reverse. Queensryche has a way of writing songs that let the music become second and the idea, (or ideology) first.
Don’t believe the crap. This is a good album – just give it time and don’t expect it to hit you over the head with a sledge hammer. ALSO OPERATION MINDCRIME 2 KICKS ARSE.
Wait a sec…. American soldier is my 4th favourite QR album now. After listening to it more than 6 times, you finally realise how good it is , 9 stars. On my first listen, i thought the same but its really growing on me. Mindcrime 2 is the only ryche album i dont really like, but the chase and a few other songs are really quite good.