I always thought "Rage for Order" had the best production in Queensryche's catalog along with the sublime "Promised Land"... and far superior to successors "Operation: Mindcrime" (which I thought sounded too dry) and "Empire" (which is a bit too antiseptic). For being a 1986 release, I always thought "Rage for Order" was compositionally and sonically avant garde and forward-thinking.
However, the sound on my "Rage for Order" cd was rather quiet and punchless. I finally got to hear the remaster, and I think it made a huge improvement. I think this album was a perfect candidate for remastering. The sound is so full and rich and powerful. I thought the multi-tracked vocals during choruses were significantly improved. And the drums sound massive. I always liked how they sounded (I believe I read the drums were recorded in an empty warehouse to achieve that unique booming sound), but they're just bigger than ever now. I might just have to break down and get the remastered version for myself one of these days... comes with some great bonus tracks as well.
However, the sound on my "Rage for Order" cd was rather quiet and punchless. I finally got to hear the remaster, and I think it made a huge improvement. I think this album was a perfect candidate for remastering. The sound is so full and rich and powerful. I thought the multi-tracked vocals during choruses were significantly improved. And the drums sound massive. I always liked how they sounded (I believe I read the drums were recorded in an empty warehouse to achieve that unique booming sound), but they're just bigger than ever now. I might just have to break down and get the remastered version for myself one of these days... comes with some great bonus tracks as well.