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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Queensryche - The Verdict-(SICP 31236-7) + │
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│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Aug-20-2019 Encoder......L3.100 -v0 ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2019 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........cd1: 10 cd2: 9 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.queensrycheofficial.co ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Queensryche Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : The Verdict-(SICP 31236-7) Label : Sony Music ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Being a trailblazer means never remaining in the ║ │
│║ same place for more than just a passing glance ║ │
│║ to take in one's surroundings, often throwing ║ │
│║ caution to the wind and potentially getting lost ║ │
│║ in uncharted lands. While metal would indeed ║ │
│║ wither and die without innovation, there is ║ │
│║ something to be said for the multiplicity of ║ │
│║ iconic bands that had an impressive early run, ║ │
│║ only to frantically embark upon further ║ │
│║ stylistic development until they were all but ║ │
│║ unrecognizable to their early following. Such ║ │
│║ was the state that the Seattle-based power/prog ║ │
│║ pioneer outfit Queensryche fell into following ║ │
│║ the close of the 80s, continually trying to ║ │
│║ adapt to an ephemeral rock radio mainstream to ║ │
│║ the point that hardly a soul recognized them ║ │
│║ when 1997's Hear In The Now Frontier came out in ║ │
│║ all of its post-grunge glory, to speak nothing ║ │
│║ for the confused mess that defined their ║ │
│║ material after principle songwriter and co- ║ │
│║ founder Chris DeGarmo opted for retirement. To ║ │
│║ say that a shakeup was the only thing that could ║ │
│║ resurrect this once mighty powerhouse was an ║ │
│║ understatement, and things began to look up ║ │
│║ immediately following the ejection of Geoff Tate ║ │
│║ and the introduction of current singer and ║ │
│║ sound-alike Todd La Torre, culminating in a new ║ │
│║ masterpiece of an offering in 2015's second ║ │
│║ outing with him at the helm Condition Human. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ It would be an understatement to suggest that ║ │
│║ the long awaited follow up The Verdict had some ║ │
│║ high expectations to overcome, and while the ║ │
│║ road taken here is a bit different, it comes ║ │
│║ fairly close to recapturing that same ║ │
│║ revitalized spirit. In contrast to the brilliant ║ │
│║ yet overt throwback to the late 80s sound of its ║ │
│║ predecessor, this time around the approach has a ║ │
│║ decidedly modern flavor that is a bit more ║ │
│║ reminiscent of the dense atmospheric character ║ │
│║ of Promised Land with maybe a few blatant nods ║ │
│║ to Empire thrown in to add a stronger ║ │
│║ familiarity to things for those still hungry for ║ │
│║ more of this band's glory days. Consequently the ║ │
│║ songs tend to be more compact and almost ║ │
│║ uniformly mid-paced, though also rhythmically ║ │
│║ elaborate and possessing enough moving parts to ║ │
│║ avoid the monotony that sadly plagued much of ║ │
│║ this band's early 90s output. This time around ║ │
│║ Scott Rockenfield opted out of involvement in ║ │
│║ the recording process, which gave vocalist La ║ │
│║ Torre the rare honor of also handling drum ║ │
│║ duties in addition to embodying all of the ║ │
│║ strong points of Geoff Tate's younger years ║ │
│║ vocally, and his kit work is more than adequate ║ │
│║ in shaping that same classic sound that graced ║ │
│║ Empire. Truth be told, the whole band makes a ║ │
│║ strong showing in spite of the more simplified ║ │
│║ format, with Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren ║ │
│║ putting on a guitar display worthy of the ║ │
│║ former's longtime partnership with DeGarmo. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ If there is a singular sentiment that ties this ║ │
│║ collection of melancholy anthems and brooding ║ │
│║ protests, it would be that of cynicism. It ║ │
│║ doesn't quite reach the same sort of fatalistic ║ │
│║ woe that painted the Orwellian nightmare that ║ │
│║ was Operation: Mindcrime's plot, but there is ║ │
│║ definitely a similar vibe of a lone protester ║ │
│║ flying the flags of discontent before an ║ │
│║ uncaring power structure. Sometimes the ║ │
│║ objection takes the form of a specific political ║ │
│║ issue, as underscored in the punchy grooves and ║ │
│║ infectious hooks of the opening protest against ║ │
│║ the ongoing chaos in Syria that is "Blood Of The ║ │
│║ Levant", which almost listens like a darker, ║ │
│║ heavier reflection of the catchy air that hanged ║ │
│║ over "Resistance". Still at others, the harder ║ │
│║ fringe of this album's generally nuanced sound ║ │
│║ takes on a more generalized objection is raised ║ │
│║ against the entire political system, as embodied ║ │
│║ in "Man The Machine" and the almost thrashing ║ │
│║ "Propaganda Fashion". When things move away from ║ │
│║ impact-based progressive metallic force into ║ │
│║ more ballad-based territory, the optimistic ║ │
│║ philosophical pursuits of past hits like "Silent ║ │
│║ Lucidity" are foregone for bleaker territory in ║ │
│║ the occasionally subdued, occasionally thudding ║ │
│║ ode to personal struggle "Dark Reverie" and it's ║ │
│║ somewhat more subdued and consistently ║ │
│║ atmospheric cousin "Portrait". ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The greatest selling point of this album, and to ║ │
│║ an extent the entire La Torre-fronted ║ │
│║ incarnation of this band, is that it doesn't ║ │
│║ dwell upon the past as much as it seeks to learn ║ │
│║ from it. Though the commonalities that this ║ │
│║ album shares with Queensryche's early 90s era ║ │
│║ are about as overt as Condition Human's were ║ │
│║ with their late 80s sound, this album also ║ │
│║ shares the aforementioned album's approach of ║ │
│║ showcasing where that sound could have led on a ║ │
│║ followup rather that being just a full on ║ │
│║ throwback. The heavy-ended guitar sound and ║ │
│║ general degree of crispness and clarity in the ║ │
│║ whole arrangement has a very present-centered ║ │
│║ character, being maybe just a tad lighter than ║ │
│║ where bands like Ghost Ship Octavius and ║ │
│║ Witherfall have been going of late, but ║ │
│║ nevertheless capable of occupying the same ║ │
│║ modern paradigm. To put it a bit bluntly, it ║ │
│║ goes the opposite road that this band's former ║ │
│║ front man Geoff Tate has been going of late by ║ │
│║ remembering to keep the metal part of the ║ │
│║ equation front and center rather than sacrifice ║ │
│║ it in the name of experimentation. It may not ║ │
│║ quite reach the same level of sheer glory that ║ │
│║ was all over the early classics from the 80s, ║ │
│║ but it definitely presents a scenario where ║ │
│║ those albums were followed with a worthy ║ │
│║ successor, all but erasing the past mistakes ║ │
│║ that hounded this band for the better part of ║ │
│║ two decades while still moving the ball forward. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Originally written for The Metal Observer ║ │
│║ (www.metal-observer.com) on March 12th, 2019. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
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│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ - CD1 [ ] │
│ - [ ] │
│ 01 - Blood Of The Levant [03:27] │
│ 02 - Man The Machine [03:51] │
│ 03 - Light-Years [04:09] │
│ 04 - Inside Out [04:31] │
│ 05 - Propaganda Fashion [03:36] │
│ 06 - Dark Reverie [04:23] │
│ 07 - Bent [05:59] │
│ 08 - Inner Unrest [03:50] │
│ 09 - Launder The Conscience [05:15] │
│ 10 - Portrait [05:16] │
│ - [ ] │
│ - CD2 [ ] │
│ - [ ] │
│ 01 - I Dream In Infrared (Acoustic) [03:59] │
│ 02 - Open Road (Acoustic) [03:40] │
│ 03 - 46 North [03:33] │
│ 04 - Mercury Rising [03:55] │
│ 05 - Espiritu Muerto [03:40] │
│ 06 - Queen Of The Reich (Live 2012) [04:35] │
│ 07 - En Force (Live 2012) [04:22] │
│ 08 - Prophecy (Live 2012) [04:10] │
│ 09 - Eyes Of A Stranger (Live 2012) [06:53] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [83:04 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘