OPINION: Queensryche - 35:03?

35:03

The new Queensryche album is too short!!!

                                                                       

35:57

35:35

  35:13

 

 

35:01

 

 

34:31

 

34:29

 

 

34:27

 

 

33:28

 

 

31:10

 

28:56

OH, NEVERMIND.

 

REVIEW: Avantasia - The Mystery Of Time

Feel free to disregard this review in light of my current musical preferences but my patience for extravagant theatrical epics has waned considerably since the last Avantasia album graced my speakers three years ago. Granted, I wasn't aware of this until hearing their latest opus, The Mystery Of Time.

I've been a fervent supporter of Tobias Sammet for the past ten years due primarily to the following flaming arrows: 2004's Hellfire Club (Edguy) and 2008's The Scarecrow (Avantasia). As far as I'm concerned, the aforementioned albums are the creative benchmark for both respective projects and have cemented me as a fan regardless of the philosophical and musical shifts both outfits have subsequently adopted. Beginning with Edguy's Tinnitus Sanctus and Avantasia's The Wicked Symphony/Angel Of Babylon, both bands began a noticeable drift towards a hard rock oriented sound evident not only in the production but in Tobi's vocal delivery as well. The operatic power screams were replaced with a more rough and ready, rock n' roll wearied rasp and the frenetic and beefy Euro-styled rhythms were paired down to a rawer street swagger. I love hard rock but even so, I find myself less and less enamored with the sounds Tobi wants to make these days.

As with all Avantasia projects there is an underlying story tacked on to The Mystery Of Time but understanding or relating to it in any manner is not required and in my experience not entirely possible. I really have no idea what's going on here from a story standpoint. That being said, musically, The Mystery Of Time makes a genuine effort to revisit the velocities of earlier Avantasia works. The problem here is the inability to maintain these velocities throughout entire tracks. In the attempt at grandiosity, many of these songs simply forget to rock. Some tracks seem epic just for the sake of being epic. Savior In The Clockwork and The Great Mystery (the song), both clock in at ten minutes and both squander precious time. Savior kicks off with an absolutely killer power metal riff but then diverges from it for the last half of the song. This would have been so much more effective as a four minute face-melter. Instead, I find myself disappointed. The promise of that glorious riff is never realized. Mystery has a similar problem. It's a diverse and detailed pomp smorgasbord that reminds me of a much heavier Styx. It's also in possession of a fantastic cloud-clearing chorus and yet, it never seems to get there quite fast enough. Instead, preferring to dive into quiet introspective passages and odd time changes. I get it. It's a progressive styled rock opera. I just find it tiresome and would much prefer something more immediate. Get to the point already.

Thankfully, tracks like the symphonic Black Orchid and Invoke The Machine fill the void for straight-up ass-kickers.  Orchid is what I want from Avantasia. It's a dark metal pounder with cryptic lyrics and a huge menacing hook. This is the type of stuff Tobi should be doing more of. Now, I'm obviously biased towards Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), but his brief appearance on Invoke The Machine stands out amongst the layers of clean, operatic vocals filling up every other nook and cranny of the album. I wish he was featured more.

There is a noticeable emphasis this time on singers from a general hard rock background than ever before. Remember, this is no longer a "metal opera" but instead, a "rock epic." Unfortunately, legendary vocalists like Joe Lynn Turner (Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple), Biff Byford (Saxon), and Bob Catley (Magnum) seem to be lost in the mix.  Michael Kiske (Helloween), however, is always recognizable and still manages to thrill on old school power metaller Where Clockhands Freeze and Eric Martin (Mr. Big) is also a big surprise on the record's best ballad What's Left Of Me. The other ballad, Sleepwalking, features a duet between Tobi and Cloudy Yang and is the type of track Tobi needs to start leaving on the cutting room floor. Very much in the vein of What Kind Of Love from The Scarecrow and like that one, the worst track on offer and a real flow killer.

Don't get me wrong. This is a good album...but I feel it's also the weakest of the six. Something just seems off here. Something is missing. Could it be the absence of long time collaborator Jorn Lande? Perhaps. But, I think it's more than that. Some of these songs just don't have the magic one associates with Avantasia. The opener, Spectres, for example, kicks things off in fine form with some truly stirring orchestral work but then drops the ball with a rather middle-of-the-road hook. The same can be said of The Watchmaker's Dream. Fantastic musically, but mundane come chorus time.

The special edition of the album features two bonus tracks, one being an alternate version of Death Is Only A Feeling from the Angel Of Babylon album and featuring John Oliva (Savatage) on vocals. This was one of my least favorite songs on the previous slab and the new version doesn't win me over. I always felt this was a weak attempt to follow up The Toy Master and I never warmed to Oliva's strange vocal delivery on it...even though I remain a huge Savatage fan. The other bonus track is a straight up hard rocker called The Cross And You. After all the belabored epics on the album proper this is actually a breath of fresh air. It's a fun track for the reason that it sheds all the pomposity and self importance of the album and just simply rocks. I think that may be my main problem with Avantasia these days. Yes, I realize this is billed as a "rock epic" but I was somehow hoping Tobi would start delivering some kick ass metal without all the theatrical dressing. If you're looking for something over the top and perhaps a bit ridiculous in the lyrical department then this Mystery will suit you fine. However, if you're like me and were hoping for more of a serious power metal vibe without all the high-minded frilliness you may want skip this one.

6.5/10

REVIEW: Queensryche - Frequency Unknown

People are going to love this album...and people are going to hate it. Trust none of them. Including me. If Queensryche ever challenged us to think for ourselves then Frequency Unknown, more so than any other release in the history of the band, is the most blatant embodiment of that challenge. It has already proven to be extremely polarizing. I fear, however, that this polarization has resulted more from the drama surrounding the band than the music on display. My advice: listen to the record. Forget the context in which it exists. Chances are, you may find yourself wedged between the factions rather than firmly planted on either side.Then again, maybe not.

Frequency Unknown is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. But, it's not the complete disaster some of the harbingers have predicted either. Musically, its very much akin to Operation: Mindcrime 2 and American Soldier. It's not the lovechild of Dedicated To Chaos and Kings And Thieves you may have expected. That being the case, and if not for the unfortunate events over the past year, we might very well have championed this album as a return to form had the original band released it. There's only one problem. Frequency Unknown is not a Queensyche album.

Frequency Unknown finds Geoff Tate as the lone remaining member of Queensryche's classic lineup. He is joined here by a veritable army of notable talent including Kelly Gray (Queensryche 1998-2000), Robert Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Hurricane), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Whitesnake, Quiet Riot), Simon Wright (AC/DC, Dio, Rhino Bucket), Randy Gane, Craig Locicero (Forbidden), Jason Slater, Martin Irigoyen, Paul Bostaph (Slayer, Testament, Exodus), Evan Bautista, Chris Cannella, Ty Tabor (King's X), K.K. Downing (Judas Priest), Brad Gillis (Night Ranger), Dave Meniketti (Y/T), and Chris Poland (Megadeth). An impressive group of musicians, no doubt. But as one would surmise...a group unable to replicate anything approximating the Queensryche sound.

Having spent some additional time with first single and lead-off track, Cold, I'm going to update my original assessment of it. My view hasn't changed much. Only now, having heard the entire album, it's abundantly clear why this was picked as the teaser. It is arguably the most commercial and accessible track on offer here. Previously, I slammed the production on this, but having lived with the entire record for a few days I can honestly say this sounds the most "finished" of all the tracks. It also reminds me of Open, the first single from Tribe. Both songs utilize a deceptively old-school metal riff to hook the listener. Both albums then rarely, if ever, provide a riff as memorable again throughout their duration. Still, I've warmed to this considerably. My original rating was a 6 but I'm tempted to bump that to a 7. My only issue is that it seems to overstay its welcome a bit. I would have trimmed off the last 40 seconds, cut back into the main riff, and closed it out. I feel those last 40 seconds not only kill the momentum but they also begin to expose Geoff's diminishing vocal prowess which up until this point wasn't as noticeable. One more issue: the solo doesn't fit...but, I like it anyway. Go figure.

I can't understand why Dare was front-loaded on this album. At track two it has the dubious distinction of being the single worst song on the record. Already, the flow is botched. To begin with, the sonic shift from the opening salvo to Dare is jarring. It's obvious these songs were mixed by different people. That isn't something you want made obvious. Musically, this is dated and dull. The riff is browned out and boring. The lyrics are embarrassing. Geoff's tough guy attitude and use of the F-bomb do him absolutely no favors here. Let's talk about the hook: there isn't one. It goes nowhere. This is a stale leftover from Dedicated To Chaos...and nobody wants those leftovers.

Give It To You is next. I was relieved to discover this had no musical or lyrical similarity to Got It Bad despite my intuition telling me it would. Instead, this is a laid back modern rocker and a very different sound for Geoff. Again, odd placement on the record. However, I actually enjoy the main lick quite a bit. There's a distinct southern rock vibe to it. It reminds me of something on Tesla's last two studio albums. Robert Sarzo's solo on this is also a nice surprise. It's just unfortunate that Give It To You wasn't an instrumental piece because the lyrics and vocals ruin the entire thing.

Thankfully, things pick up with Slave. I was expecting to hate this track based on the 30-second sample but it has become one of the few that I feel actually works both musically and vocally. Firstly, it's in possession of a monster groove and Geoff sounds good over it. His sinister, whispered vocal on the verses is effective even if he begins to strain again during the chorus. While I think the track loses steam during the break down segment, I find it quite solid overall. My only major gripe...the awkward fade out. What happened there?

In The Hands Of God is my favorite track. This could have appeared on Operation: Mindcrime 2 or American Soldier. I wouldn't be surprised if it was originally written for either of those. This is dark, moody, and experimental. It's filled with those trademark Tate spoken-word passages you either love or think have become a crutch. There's definitely a nod to Gonna Get Close To You going on here as well. The most progressive oriented song on the album and the closest to the classic Queensryche sound.

When Running Backwards kicked in I was beginning to think the album had hit its stride. I legitimately dig the opening riff...but once again, the vocals and lyrics make it virtually unlistenable. Tate's tendency to scat his words here just ruins any impact the music may have had. As before, no hook to speak of. Just the title repeated over and over with no emotion behind it. Rushed and pointless.

Life Without You is a leftover from Operation: Mindcrime 2. I have no concrete evidence to back this up but I am convinced of it. Listen to this and imagine Nikki singing this to the now deceased Sister Mary. The music during the verses attempts that moody motif from Mindcrime. There's even a line about revolution. Regardless, this is second only to Cold as the most commercially viable track on the album. I'm assuming "second single" but my better judgement tells me I'm fooling myself.

Everything is yet another interesting musical idea marred by a sleepy vocal and inane lyrics. This track demands an intense, powerful delivery but what we get is one of Tate's most emotionless performances so far. He just sounds so bored by the whole mess. He clearly has no interest in this music at all. There's a nice little Queen-esque break at the two-minute mark but Geoff sings over it so, nevermind.

Fallen. See Everything above, but add "faceless modern garbage" to the description.

Weight Of The World creeps in with Geoff's increasingly shaky vocals over acoustic guitar. Nowhere is it more apparent just how far his instrument has deteriorated than it is here. Where once he was powerful, clear, and smooth...now he's strained, nasally, and raspy. This is the album's closing piece and is clearly modeled after epics like Anybody Listening? and Someone Else? and The Right Side Of My Mind. It comes nowhere near the majestic power displayed on those classics. Those songs were sweeping, emotional, and beautiful. Weight Of The World is none of those things. It quickly devolves from such lofty aspirations into a brash conglomeration of under produced and poorly mixed nonsense. It's a six minute song. It seems like ten.

In regards to the four re-recorded classics that close the album: Listen to each of them one time to satiate your curiosity. Then, delete them. There's no reason to listen to these bastardizations ever again. There's no reason they should even exist. The re-recorded tracks are the biggest abomination imaginable and are an absolute disgrace to the originals. I am absolutely shocked Tate allowed these to ever see the light of day. Anyone with any respect for the legacy of the band would have never participated in the creation of these travesties. Moving on...

Frequency Unknown could have very easily been the best Geoff Tate solo album ever released. If Tate had started this project last summer, hired a competent producer, engineer, and mixer, fleshed out the lyrics, and dedicated some time with a respected vocal coach...the results would have surprised everyone. That may seem like a lot of work. It really isn't. All of those things could have been achieved within the past year. Instead, the album was rushed. Don't believe me? Listen to it. The proof is right there in the production, in the mix, in the vocals, in the lyrics, and in the songs. Again, there is much here I enjoy. Geoff Tate has always been eclectic in his musical tastes and influences. There are interesting musical ideas scattered all over this. However, the pieces are constructed with a careless, show-me-the-money attitude. That attitude translates directly to the finished project. You can hear it. Any commerical and/or critical potential this could have had has been suffocated by the desire to speed this product onto the shelves for a quick buck. Talk about irony.

Maybe Geoff's next project should be a concept album based around the story of the Tortoise and the Hare.

4.5/10

REVIEW: Queensryche - "Redemption" vs. "Cold"

I hold Queensryche in very high regard. Wait. Let me rephrase. I hold a certain era of Queensryche in very high regard.

Their debut, the 1983 Queensryche EP, kicks off what I consider a flawless string of progressive metal masterworks culminating with 1994's Promised Land. The creative arc displayed by these six albums is staggering. This was a band that had it all. Amazing musicians, phenomenal songwriters, and one of the greatest voices on the planet in Geoff Tate. In his prime, Tate was simply untouchable. Forget Dickinson. Forget Halford. Tate killed them both.

Over the course of three albums (The Warning, Rage For Order, Operation: Mindcrime) Queensryche created the blueprint for modern progressive metal and inspired a raft of bands from Fates Warning to Crimson Glory to Dream Theater in the process. OK, there was also Siam, Lethal, and Hittman as well. This was a cutting edge sound that mixed intelligent lyrics with classically inspired arrangements in a distinctly heavy metal framework. It was cinematic and futuristic and it beget an entire genre of music. Of note, Operation: Mindcrime is still considered one of the greatest concept albums ever recorded and is frequently listed alongside The Who's Tommy and Pink Floyd's The Wall. That's how good it is.

Some fans claim the creative decay began to take root by 1990's Empire and dismiss Promised Land altogether. Not this fan. In my opinion, Promised Land is the last true epic the band produced. It was dark, introspective, experimental, heavy. A complete 180 from the commercially oriented Empire opus. Promised Land would have been the perfect farewell album. I've always viewed it as the end of a journey. This could have been a glorious summation to an amazing career. But as we know, it wasn't.

Queensryche would go on to release six more studio albums. Some were good (Hear In The Now Frontier, Tribe) some were decent (Operation: Mindcrime 2, American Soldier) and others were horrible (Q2K, Dedicated To Chaos). None were classics. The biggest issue plaguing many of these later era records (besides the absence of founding guitarist Chris Degarmo) was the shift from epic song structures to a more stripped down sound. Following 2003's Tribe, many of the hallmarks of the Queensryche sound had been abandoned in favor of a more simplistic approach both production-wise as well as vocally. The fan base was split between those pining for the glory days and those willing to accept the new Queensryche as a band adhering to the very definition of progressive music.

It's an extremely thin line a band must tread in order to balance creative growth with a core sound. If you lean too far away from that core sound you risk losing the fan base you've amassed over the breadth of your career. Yet, if you remain stuck in one particular muse you risk stagnation. The last ten years saw Queensryche leaning further and further away from their core. As a progressive band they were expected to evolve...but they were also expected to retain those elements that made them great in the first place.

I continued to support the band during this uncertain period because there was always something to enjoy on each release. You just had to be patient. These later albums were not immediate. Often, it would take me dozens of spins to connect with certain tracks. Q2K comes to mind. I spun that album a hundred times. Most of it still does nothing for me. I wanted something to move me like the classics did. I was willing to put the effort in as a listener to find those hidden gems. The band deserved it. However, it was becoming harder and harder to defend them. When Dedicated To Chaos arrived, I knew the end had finally come. Apparently, so did 4/5 of the band.

Last year, the band (Wilton, Rockenfield, Jackson, Lundgren) fired Geoff Tate and enlisted ex-Crimson Glory belter Todd LaTorre to handle vocals. Tate countered with a decision to continue with his own version of the 'Ryche. The drama that continues to unfold is better suited to a reality show than this blog. There's no need to rehash it here. Bottom line: the world has two Queensryches until November 2013 when the courts decide who's entitled to the name.

Now, with the existence of two Queensryches, we have two debut singles from two versions of the upcoming "13th Studio Album." Which record ultimately keeps the 'Ryche moniker remains to be seen, but for now, let's assume both bands are Queensryche and both songs are Queensryche songs.

REDEMPTION

The title says it all. The first thing I notice on this track is the stellar production courtesy of James Barton. It's dynamic. Aggressive. Vital. Classic, yet modern. This is the type of progressive arrangement Queensryche hasn't attempted in a long time. It sounds like an updated take on Mindcrime. No complaints here. La Torre recalls classic Tate but brings his own distinct rasp to the fore as well. He's grittier. Nastier. There's just a lot of passion in these vocals. That's something we haven't heard on a 'Ryche release in years. Overall, this is full of ideas, great performances, and a killer vocal. This sounds like Queensryche and I can't wait to dive into the whole album.

COLD

This isn't a bad song. It also isn't a Queensryche song. Production-wise, it pales in comparison to Redemption. It's muddier. Grungier. It's definitely in line with what Tate was doing on Dedicated To Chaos and his last solo album Kings And Thieves albeit better than anything on those releases. Don't get me wrong. It's got a strong hook and perhaps with a better vocal and production it might have been a hit for some younger, hungrier act. That's the central problem. There's no urgency. No passion. Tate sounds bored. He clearly isn't enamored with this genre anymore. Still, I find the song memorable. Unfortunately, it bares little resemblance to classic 'Ryche which is my primary reason for dismissing it. This really should have been released as a Tate solo track. Good, but destined to be forgotten.

REDEMPTION: 9/10
COLD: 6/10

Geoff Tate's Queensryche releases their album, Frequency Unknown, on April 23rd. Todd La Torre's version of the band releases their as yet unnamed album on June 11th.

Full reviews coming soon.

REVIEW: Pretty Maids - Motherland

          

THEN

I'll admit, I was a little late to the Pretty Maids party.

The Danish heavy metal band formed in 1981 (I was 4) and I didn't become aware of them until around 1996. Even then, my initial introduction came about not through their music but through a want ad in the back of a Metal Edge magazine. The now defunct rag had a section in each issue where fans could trade tapes and memorabilia with other like-minded fans. I used to scan these listings periodically for the names of bands I hadn't heard yet. I'd warrant that 65% of the bands in my current collection came from those classified ads. By 1996, however, I had become familiar with most of the A, B, and C-level bands of the 80s and early 90s. I had almost given up even checking the classifieds at all. That was when I saw the two words that would haunt me forever: PRETTY MAIDS. I immediately assumed they were an LA-based glam group...one with minimal studio output. Still, being the  completest that I was (and still am), I filed the name away in my subconscious under the heading: MUST HEAR.

Six months later, while digging through dusty boxes of used cassettes at the local CD warehouse, I came across Future World. I snatched it up immediately due in part to the collector in me but more so because of the fantastical futuristic landscape and regal logo emblazoned across the front cover. Simply put, it looked bad ass. I got it home, put it in, and turned it up. I was hooked. 

I don't need to go into the merits of Future World. If you're familiar with the Maids, you're already well versed in that seminal slab of melodic stadium metal. I will say this: It was the perfect record to solidify me as a fan. Future World sounded like nothing I had ever heard before from that era. Future World sounded futuristic.

I needed more. The problem was, I wasn't even sure there was more. Remember, this was in the early days of the internet...and I lived in the United States. As far as I knew, this was the only record this amazing band had ever recorded. Four months later, I found Jump The Gun. Two months after that, I found Sin-Decade. My mind was blown.

I just couldn't believe this band existed. Here were three albums of top notch hard rock released in an era dominated by the genre and yet, they were virtually unknown to the general population. How was this possible? As the years went on, and as I obsessively acquired every last studio album, EP, live set, and Best Of in their catalog, I came to the realization that there really was no explanation.

With the release of their latest album, Motherland, the Maids have amassed a combined total of 13 studio albums, 6 EPs, 3 live albums, and 2 compilations. All of this over a career spanning 30 years. And yet, they are still very much a cult band. If Motherland proves anything, however, it's that the Maids are still hungry for more...

NOW

Motherland is the highly anticipated followup to 2010's critically and commercially successful comeback album Pandemonium. Pandemonium was a great record...but I don't consider it the unabashed classic that some do. True, it was the freshest and most vital the band had sounded since the early 90s but it also had its share of filler as well. Beautiful Madness and Breathless always struck me as leftovers...possibly from the previous release Wake Up To The Real World. Also, I felt the inclusion of a remixed version of It Comes At Night was unnecessary and damaged the flow of the album.

It's always difficult to follow a successful record. I remember reading interviews with the band where this was addressed over the last couple years. Well, they don't need to worry. Motherland surpasses Pandemonium easily.

The production is absolutely stellar. It stomps all over Pandemonium from a height of 10 miles. It makes Wake Up To The Real World sound like a collection of demos. I'm not exaggerating. Go listen to that album and then chase it with Motherland. They sound 20 years apart. Jacob Hansen (Volbeat) has given the band a sound that not only reinvigorates them but also incorporates the soundscapes of the past. This is Pretty Maids circa 1987, shoved into a time machine, and dropped off in 2013. It is modern and classic at the same time. Jacob Hansen might be the Maids' very own Mutt Lange.

Another huge part of this new sound is Morten Sandager (ex-Mercenary) whose keyboard work is epic and moving but non-intrusive. His work here is ambient and chilling in places and warm and connecting in others. Above all, it is modern and gives all these songs an heir of respectability and power. It's been a while since the Maids had an official keyboard player in the band...Morten was a fabulous choice. 

What can be said about Ronnie Atkins and Ken Hammer? One of the best writing teams in the genre. Atkins' voice just gets better as the years go by. Menacing and vicious one minute, melodic and soothing the next...he's truly a marvel and I suspect an inspiration to many melodic death vocalists today. Motherland is his shining moment. I really can't say he's sung better on any other album. He's always sounded awesome...but this is another level entirely. Likewise, Hammer is on fire here and lays down some of his heaviest riffs in recent memory. The definition of underrated.

Every track on this thing is worthy of attention whether its the dark, mid-tempo crush of Mother Of All Lies and To Fool A Nation, the face melting stormers The Iceman and Hooligan, the ultra groove monsters Motherland and Who What Why Where When, the top-flight melodic metal of Why So Serious and I See Ghosts (this one is going to be an absolute corker live), or the lush, commercial stadium anthems Sad To See You Suffer, Infinity, Bullet For You, and Wasted.

Wasted, in particular, is one of the greatest heavy ballads the band has ever produced. This is a true modern lighters in the air power ballad. Massive vocals on the hook, that haunting keyboard riff...they really nailed this one. Just brilliant.

Motherland marks a new sound. A new focus. A new beginning. If you've never heard Pretty Maids, this is a perfect place to start.

Don't be late to the party.

10/10