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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Queensryche - Condition Human + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.nov-20-2015 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2015 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........13 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.queensrycheofficial.co ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Queensryche Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Condition Human Label : Century Media ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Queensryche has always been one of the more ║ │
│║ enigmatic and ephemeral bands to ever come out ║ │
│║ of the early 80s American metal scene. In ║ │
│║ essence, the famous quote of the philosopher ║ │
│║ Heraclitus that one cannot step on the same part ║ │
│║ of the river twice has perfectly summed up their ║ │
│║ career up until now, though a caveat should be ║ │
│║ thrown in that not all parts of the river are ║ │
│║ equal, either qualitatively or stylistically. ║ │
│║ Even within their four seminal releases in the ║ │
│║ 1980s, there were rather sizable jolts in the ║ │
│║ evolution of their sound, despite maintaining a ║ │
│║ consistent line up and being recognizable as the ║ │
│║ same outfit. Some of this dovetails with their ║ │
│║ status as a more progressive outfit, which was ║ │
│║ present to some degree in their earliest LP The ║ │
│║ Warning, but didn't fully metastasize until the ║ │
│║ release of their 1990 commercial breakthrough ║ │
│║ Empire, which arguably saw the band abandoning ║ │
│║ much of their metal roots, which would ║ │
│║ subsequently not return until only recently. ║ │
│║ Following a massive succession of sub-par ║ │
│║ releases and finally the exodus of longtime lead ║ │
│║ vocalist Geoff Tate (arguably an irreplaceable ║ │
│║ element of their sound), the future seemed quite ║ │
│║ uncertain for this Seattle metal fold. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ However, even the most disastrous of events can ║ │
│║ have a silver-lining, and in the case of newly ║ │
│║ recruited vocalist Todd La Torre, the silver ║ │
│║ actually covered the entire room and brought ║ │
│║ about a sudden and massive revitalization of a ║ │
│║ long dormant energy in the soul of the band. ║ │
│║ Following a respectable though short and safe ║ │
│║ return to form in their self-title 2013 effort ║ │
│║ Queensryche, the idea was fielded by said newly ║ │
│║ recruited front man to attempt a true return to ║ │
│║ form, and what came out after a couple years of ║ │
│║ plugging away is arguably the most substantial ║ │
│║ comeback in metal history, otherwise known as ║ │
│║ Condition Human. Naturally calling anything by ║ │
│║ this band a return to form isn't saying much ║ │
│║ since they've been all over the map ║ │
│║ stylistically since the early 1990s, and even in ║ │
│║ their more metallic days prior to that they were ║ │
│║ a bit difficult to fully nail down and were ║ │
│║ better defined by individual albums than by any ║ │
│║ respective era. As best as can be defined, this ║ │
│║ album is a move back to a transitional point ║ │
│║ between Operation: Mindcrime and Empire that ║ │
│║ never actually occurred, but one that would have ║ │
│║ surpassed the latter album while holding a ║ │
│║ similarly auspicious place in history with the ║ │
│║ former. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ From start to finish, this album tows the line ║ │
│║ between modernity and nostalgia brilliantly, and ║ │
│║ likewise manages to hold a near perfect middle ║ │
│║ ground between the bands traditional heavy, ║ │
│║ power and progressive metal/rock stylistic ║ │
│║ influences while managing to be both gritty and ║ │
│║ smooth. It introduces itself on a very familiar ║ │
│║ note with a melodic speeder in "Arrow Of Time" ║ │
│║ that captures that faster end of the NWOBHM ║ │
│║ roots of the band's 80s material, particularly ║ │
│║ the more musically adventurous aspects of mid- ║ │
│║ 80s Iron Maiden, and also rings a fair bit ║ │
│║ familiar to one of the faster Mindcrime songs ║ │
│║ "The Needle Lies". The comparable moments to the ║ │
│║ seminal 1988 Queensryche LP continue with a ║ │
│║ series of more mid-paced and heavy numbers in ║ │
│║ "Guardian" and "Hellfire", the latter showcasing ║ │
│║ the band's prowess in developing a haunting ║ │
│║ atmosphere with acoustic guitars before ║ │
│║ launching into a powerful rocking stride, not ║ │
│║ all that dissimilar to a number of radio hits ║ │
│║ such as "Revolution Calling" and "I Don't ║ │
│║ Believe In Love". Towards the middle of the ║ │
│║ album things take on a bit more of a modern ║ │
│║ character and slow down a bit, but the sense of ║ │
│║ power is not diminished as a series of modern ║ │
│║ reinterpretations of Queensryche's early 90s ║ │
│║ material emerge, with "Eye9" being particularly ║ │
│║ noteworthy for it's strong bass work and ║ │
│║ haunting melodic guitar interludes. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ It can't be stressed enough that this album is a ║ │
│║ collective success on all fronts, from the fancy ║ │
│║ and rhythmically mixed drum work and rhythm ║ │
│║ section to the flashy guitar work and brilliant ║ │
│║ atmospheric quirks. However, it cannot be ║ │
│║ overstated how much of a boon the vocal work of ║ │
│║ Todd La Torre is to this band, fully recapturing ║ │
│║ the power and energy of Geoff Tate's younger ║ │
│║ days and providing an even more gritty edge at ║ │
│║ times that was never explored by the departed ║ │
│║ Tate at any point in his career. He proves ║ │
│║ equally capable of wailing away like a raging ║ │
│║ beast on the heavier material, but he likewise ║ │
│║ proves an exemplary force in providing a ║ │
│║ crooning voice to the more serene balladry of ║ │
│║ this album, be it the punch half-ballad ║ │
│║ "Bulletproof" or the full out acoustic nod to ║ │
│║ Empire's softer moments with a progressive twist ║ │
│║ in Just Us. Further still, his massive vocal ║ │
│║ range and expressive timbre makes the neurotic ║ │
│║ closing series of "Aftermath" and the closing ║ │
│║ epic title song "Condition Human" essentially ║ │
│║ what they are, namely a twisted and more ║ │
│║ generalized reinterpretation of the closing ║ │
│║ series of songs of Operation: Mindcrime. There ║ │
│║ aren't really any weak points to speak of with ║ │
│║ this entire album, save maybe for the fact that ║ │
│║ they slightly overdid it in the variety ║ │
│║ department and could have stood to write a few ║ │
│║ more outright rockers rather than multifaceted ║ │
│║ works, but it's hardly noticeable. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ It's arguably a presumptive point to make, but ║ │
│║ it would appear that the ejection of Geoff Tate ║ │
│║ may well prove to be the best thing that could ║ │
│║ have happened to this band. They've gotten back ║ │
│║ the original spirit that made them such a ║ │
│║ massive force during the developmental days of ║ │
│║ metal music, and after a couple of extremely ║ │
│║ sub-par forays into plodding, quasi-grunge ║ │
│║ influenced progressive rock obscurity, it's ║ │
│║ becoming clear that Geoff Tate has all but lost ║ │
│║ his interest in metal and was holding the rest ║ │
│║ of the band back. This is literally the greatest ║ │
│║ thing to come out of Queensryche since the close ║ │
│║ of the 1980s, and also one of the best albums to ║ │
│║ come out this year. It's an essential listen for ║ │
│║ anybody that ever fell in love with any part of ║ │
│║ their classic period, it's fully faithful to the ║ │
│║ bands roots without totally living in the past, ║ │
│║ it's just an all out triumph from beginning to ║ │
│║ end. For all the lyrical cynicism and ║ │
│║ introspection that it may express, Condition ║ │
│║ Human may actually prove to be the catalyst in ║ │
│║ restoring the faiths of many persons in the ║ │
│║ power of the human will, at least as far as this ║ │
│║ veteran Seattle outfit is concerned. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Arrow Of Time [03:59] │
│ 02 - Guardian [04:20] │
│ 03 - Hellfire [05:05] │
│ 04 - Toxic Remedy [04:09] │
│ 05 - Selfish Life [04:58] │
│ 06 - Eye 9 [03:21] │
│ 07 - Bulletproof [04:01] │
│ 08 - Hourglass [05:10] │
│ 09 - Just Us [05:58] │
│ 10 - All There Was [03:44] │
│ 11 - The Aftermath [00:56] │
│ 12 - Condition Human [07:48] │
│ 13 - Espiritu Muerto (Bonus Track) [03:40] │
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│ Total Length : [57:09 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
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