If you left the earth after Queensryche’s Empire or Promised Land album, came back in 2013, went into a record store and bought their current release Queensryche you’d hear exactly what you’d expect: a modern sounding Queensryche record with good lyrics, great riffs, grooving bass lines and of course Rockenfield as Rockenfield on drums. All non-time travellers had to suffer several some so-so albums but should trust all reviews out there, rejoice and make sure to catch the Todd La Torre-fronted Queensryche on their upcoming tour (I know I will, even if I have to go to f*cking Quadrath-Ichenau… seriously, who finds these places in the woods).
My favorite older album is Empire and I can say exactly what won me over on this record: Bass guitar and drums are grooving in sync again. You don’t have to listen farther than the second track and make it to the verse to understand what I mean. If you were worried about the new frontman don’t be – he can actually sing, and does which feels genuinely refreshing, compared to the last albums with Geoff Tate (who’s turd of a record Queensryche – Frequency Unknown features 1-2 nice songs but only one track that fits under the label Queensryche).
I’d say the new Queensryche definitely delivered and if that is what will convince the judge, so be it. I for one can’t bend my head around the fact that a judge would hold back his verdict on such an integral part as a band’s name for almost a year, but hey, I am no judge…