So I've now listened to this twice. And it seems that as with most things, the truth about Queensrÿche's latest effort, lies somewhere in the middle. This disc is neither awful, nor worthy of purchase. Truth be told, it's probably more worthy of purchase than criticism. The reality is, this band will forever be both haunted by and the beneficiary of, their glorious past. It's simply impossible to listen to a new Queensrÿche release devoid of context.
In the plus column, Geoff's vocals are strong and passionate, the music and lyrics mostly feel inspired, and the music is solid. If I had to compare this disc to a prior Queensrÿche release, it would be Promised Land. The pacing, layering and production are almost eerily similar. In the minus column are the overly prominent Pop sensibilities, the endless soldier voice-overs and the lack of aggression. In all fairness, the former and latter complaints speak more to what I want Queensrÿche to be, and not really to a flaw intrinsic to the music. The truth is, Queensrÿche hasn't been a Metal band, arguably, since Operation: Mindcrime. However, to their credit, there are aspects of this disc that feel more progressive, than much of what gets dubbed Prog around these parts.
Without question, the disc's worst moments occur during "Home Again". It's here that Emily Tate, Geoff's ten year old daughter, does a duet with dear old Dad. The song is just awful. And the idea of featuring the voice of a ten year old in a duet, is something even the Manowar guys would find absurdly cheesy.
All in all, this may be the best thing they've done since Promised Land. Unfortunately, that's sort of like saying Jessica is the more talented of the Simpson sisters.
Zod
uke:
