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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Queensryche - Frequency Unknown + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.nov-01-2015 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2013 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........14 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Queensryche Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Frequency Unknown Label : Dead Line ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ItÆs quite hard to not talk about all the drama ║ │
│║ that happened inside and all around Queensr che ║ │
│║ last year, because it all led to the existence ║ │
│║ of two different bands with the same name in ║ │
│║ concurrence with each other. On one side there ║ │
│║ are several Queensr che musicians who hired the ║ │
│║ young and dynamic Todd La Torre of Crimson Glory ║ │
│║ fame, and then there is the band led by ║ │
│║ Queensr che singer Geoff Tate, who has gathered ║ │
│║ a total of nineteen (!) musicians and singers ║ │
│║ around him to put out this new record called ║ │
│║ Frequency Unknown. LetÆs not forget that a total ║ │
│║ of twelve (!) other staff members such as cover ║ │
│║ artists and producers have been involved in this ║ │
│║ project as well! ItÆs quite clear that the album ║ │
│║ was recorded and released in a hurry to put out ║ │
│║ a new release before the other Queensr che ║ │
│║ formation could do so, and itÆs also quite ║ │
│║ obvious that there is still quite a lot of hate ║ │
│║ inside Geoff Tate towards his old band members ║ │
│║ and friends. The abbreviation of the record ║ │
│║ (ôF.U.ö) can be seen on the front cover ║ │
│║ alongside a fist and the original Queensr che ║ │
│║ logo. Geoff Tate even went so far as to add four ║ │
│║ cover tracks of vintage Queensr che songs to ║ │
│║ this new release to prove to the world that his ║ │
│║ new project is the one and only true incarnation ║ │
│║ of that band. LetÆs add to all this that many ║ │
│║ lyrics on this release can easily be related to ║ │
│║ the conflict between the two bands as well. Just ║ │
│║ take a look on the song titles and you might ║ │
│║ understand what I mean. These details are ║ │
│║ definitely no coincidences, and Geoff Tate tries ║ │
│║ to take advantage of the media attention brought ║ │
│║ to this somewhat childish conflict. IÆm ║ │
│║ intrigued to see if the plan works out, and if ║ │
│║ this record sells more copies than the lukewarm ║ │
│║ previous outputs. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Despite this context, I would like to judge this ║ │
│║ record without comparing it to the other ║ │
│║ Queensr che outfit, and also without comparing ║ │
│║ this release to the bandÆs classic outputs as ║ │
│║ well (apart from the four cover songs). Many ║ │
│║ fans say that the true Queensr che died almost ║ │
│║ twenty years ago after the Promised Land ║ │
│║ release, and they didnÆt accept the new style of ║ │
│║ the band. ThatÆs a quite popular, but also ║ │
│║ closed-minded attitude. Despite some line up ║ │
│║ changes and internal affairs, Queensr che has ║ │
│║ always remained the same band, even though they ║ │
│║ have wandered away from heavy and progressive ║ │
│║ metal to a more hard rock and alternative metal ║ │
│║ sound. Dear old school metal maniacs: letÆs face ║ │
│║ the fact that we are living in 2013 and that the ║ │
│║ years 1982 to 1988 are beautiful memories of the ║ │
│║ past that wonÆt come back, even if one of the ║ │
│║ two bands tried as hard as they could. Welcome ║ │
│║ to the new millennium, and please adopt a more ║ │
│║ tolerant view on things instead of becoming ║ │
│║ bitter ôtrue metalö grandfathers that donÆt quit ║ │
│║ talking about the glorious eighties. Today, ║ │
│║ metal music has become more diversified and ║ │
│║ original than ever and there are loads of things ║ │
│║ to find for every taste. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ LetÆs now talk about the only thing that really ║ │
│║ counts: the music on this release. When I ║ │
│║ listened to the album opener ôColdö, three ║ │
│║ things came to my mind that resume the record ║ │
│║ very well. First of all, Geoff Tate tries to ║ │
│║ sound harder and more metal than on the last two ║ │
│║ Queensr che records (likely in an attempt to ║ │
│║ please all the old fans he has lost). He tries ║ │
│║ to dig into the past, and thatÆs already a bad ║ │
│║ approach because you canÆt bring back those ║ │
│║ days. The second thing that struck me were the ║ │
│║ weak vocals by this once outstanding singer. His ║ │
│║ vocal lines donÆt fit at all into the verses of ║ │
│║ the opener. They sound thin and struggle with ║ │
│║ tone. ItÆs strange to say, but the weakest point ║ │
│║ of that song is the main attraction and ║ │
│║ mastermind behind this release himself. The ║ │
│║ third thing that I realized when I listened to ║ │
│║ the chorus was that this record is, despite all ║ │
│║ the efforts to go back to the roots, a rather ║ │
│║ modern-sounding release that follows the path ║ │
│║ taken with the previous records American Soldier ║ │
│║ and Dedicated To Chaos. The songs are compact ║ │
│║ and short, have a modern but somewhat lifeless ║ │
│║ production job, and feature dominant choruses ║ │
│║ that are sometimes repeated to death. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ On the upside here is the instrumental work. ║ │
│║ Despite all the different musicians and ║ │
│║ producers involved in this release, there are a ║ │
│║ few well-elaborated song ideas, gripping ║ │
│║ melodies, and atmospheric tracks to be had. The ║ │
│║ record is nevertheless missing a measure of ║ │
│║ coherence, but itÆs less weird than the previous ║ │
│║ effort that was perfectly entitled Dedicated To ║ │
│║ Chaos. From that point of view, almost each song ║ │
│║ on here has something interesting to offer. We ║ │
│║ can listen to modern radio rock sounds as seen ║ │
│║ on ôColdö, more experimental and modern tunes in ║ │
│║ ôEverythingö (that could almost have come from ║ │
│║ Linkin Park), or atmospheric, eerie, and even ║ │
│║ slightly progressive tracks like ôThe Weight Of ║ │
│║ The Worldö that are not a far call from ║ │
│║ traditional Queensr che. The diversity is ║ │
│║ definitely there, and old and new fans alike ║ │
│║ could at least find something interesting here. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ On the other hand, the vocals here go from bad ║ │
│║ to worse. A truly outstanding album highlight is ║ │
│║ missing, and the record remains rather mediocre ║ │
│║ and unimpressive on the whole. The worst things ║ │
│║ here though, are the four cover songs. They just ║ │
│║ canÆt keep up with the original version. You can ║ │
│║ clearly hear how badly Geoff Tate sings here in ║ │
│║ comparison to the original. The best example, ║ │
│║ and at the same time most horrible, is probably ║ │
│║ the new version of ôI DonÆt Believe In Loveö. ║ │
│║ Any Queensr che cover band would have created a ║ │
│║ better rendition of this classic, and I think ║ │
│║ that almost any singer would have brought in a ║ │
│║ more passionate performance of it. It makes me ║ │
│║ sad to listen to this version. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ What we have here is an average record with many ║ │
│║ great instrumental song ideas which show a ║ │
│║ surprising amount of diversity. This part could ║ │
│║ have been even better if the record wasnÆt ║ │
│║ recorded in a hurry and by so many different ║ │
│║ people. Many cooks spoil the broth, they say, ║ │
│║ but for what it is, I was rather positively ║ │
│║ surprised by the the musical quality of this ║ │
│║ album. What really harms Frequency Unknown is ║ │
│║ the mediocre to poor vocal performance on many ║ │
│║ tracks. Sometimes, Geoff Tate puts forth a solid ║ │
│║ effort and one can recognize the excellent ║ │
│║ talent of his past, but most of this release ║ │
│║ lacks conviction, emotion, and even technique. ║ │
│║ The biggest failure comes in the form of the ║ │
│║ four horrible cover tracks. If I didnÆt know ║ │
│║ that they were cover songs, I would class them ║ │
│║ as the worst songs on this record anyways, and ║ │
│║ probably take them for some unbalanced b-sides. ║ │
│║ Hence, there are more negative than positive ║ │
│║ things to say about this release on the whole. ║ │
│║ Frequency Unknown is not the horror that some ║ │
│║ magazines would like to suggest, but itÆs not a ║ │
│║ far cry from it either. This release is only for ║ │
│║ collectors and fans of the last few Queensr che ║ │
│║ releases. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Cold [03:39] │
│ 02 - Dare [06:21] │
│ 03 - Give It To You [04:33] │
│ 04 - Slave [05:24] │
│ 05 - In The Hands Of God [05:34] │
│ 06 - Running Backwards [05:42] │
│ 07 - Live Without You [03:37] │
│ 08 - Everything [04:36] │
│ 09 - Fallen [03:55] │
│ 10 - The Weight Of The World [03:50] │
│ 11 - Silent Lucidity [03:27] │
│ 12 - Empire [04:42] │
│ 13 - Jet City Woman [04:28] │
│ 14 - I Don┤t Believe In Love [04:19] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [64:07 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
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│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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