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Sounds a bit fanboy-ish, but from what I've read from reviewers and people who've heard the album, not one has said it's a bad album, all have said it's quite good, but of course it's not the old QR.
"While I knew I was going to get an advanced copy a few weeks before the release, I had no idea it would be this soon. With past album releases, I typically got an advanced copy 6-7 weeks beforehand. This came 2 ½ months before… WOW!
I remember last Wednesday, pulling up to my mailbox after a long drive home from work, opening the door and seeing that ever so familiar manila bubble-wrap package. My heart started to beat... I knew exactly what it was. I couldn't wait anymore; I ripped that sucker open, slide it into my car's CD player and pushed play. I couldn’t help it! I drove around the block for another hour listening. And I can say without any hesitation that this IS Queensryche album that we’ve all been waiting for… times 10!
This first review will not be to compare it to the original or to go into song details, but rather an overall review and impression without any biased opinions. So here we go….
Let me start this off by answering some of the most common of questions:
First, this is THE HEAVIEST Queensryche album since Warning & Rage, hands down. Over half of this album is just balls out in your face! I have to be honest here, the first time I listened to the CD, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. While I did (and continue to) thoroughly enjoy Hear, Q2k and Tribe, let me put the rumors to rest… OM2 doesn’t even come close! If anything, it’s on the other side of the spectrum. This is the album we as Queensryche fans have been begging for since the original. It’s dramatic, theatrical, guitars solos galore, heavy, sad, dark, angry, and fitting.
You’re next question will probably have to do with guitars and music! Well I’m here to put the rumors to rest! You wanted solos, you got’em! You wanted dueling guitars, you got’em! You wanted a choir, you got it! You wanted symphony, you got it! You wanted intricacy, you f**kin’ got it! I’m even going to go out on a limb here and say that this is the most complex Queensryche record to date. I keep asking myself, “This can’t be Queensryche!?” But yet it clearly is.
Ok, so now that your juices are flowing I’m going to tease you with some more. Let’s talk Pamela Moore. In the original you only got to hear her in one song. Try four for this one! Now, I will say that she doesn’t sing from start to finish in all four, only one, but she does make many appearances throughout. At one point during one of the songs (we’ll get to this in another review) I actually got mad at Sister Mary. She does something that well, makes you scratch your head in wonderment.
Ok fine, let’s talk Dio! Sheesh! Did you all know he’s Dr. X? Well, if you didn’t know that by now, now you do. He only makes an appearance for one song, but that one song is clearly enough. X is such a prick on this album, you can’t wait for what Nikki is going to do to him… and just wait till you find out what. Ronnie is in top form, his voice fits X perfectly! And now that I’ve heard it, there’s no other person in my mind that could fill this position. “The Chase”, the song in which is sings, is very dramatic! Everyone is familiar with dueling guitars right… but how about dueling vocals? Dio and Tate go back and forth on this song like no other duet you’ve ever heard. X teasing Nikki, Nikki threatening X, oh my … it’s just perfect. Mindcrime aside, just hearing two of the most recognized voices in metal history together on one of the most anticipated albums of 2006… it’s just downright fantastic. Even the music and songs surrounding “The Chase” are amazing. The build up of anticipation is carried out very well, obviously.
Now everyone here, I’m sure, has listened to the two bootlegs of “I’m American” and “Hostage.” I’ve seen and read some discussions on what people think them, whether it’s the songs themselves, comparing them to OM1, the decision that was made to make one of them the first single, etc. The bootlegs, first of all, are NOTHING like the final version are. When I first hear I’m American I’ll admit, I too went… “Geoff rapping?” I preferred “Hostage” by far. But now that I’ve heard the final versions of both, I can safely and comfortably say they are completely different. The bootlegs you heard are very raw and stripped down, musically. The lyrics are completely the same. I do find myself playing “I’m American” over and over again, I like it 10x more than the bootleg, let me tell ya! But enough on songs, I promised I wouldn’t do that. =)
As I mentioned in my first review, the album come in at a little under hour. You wouldn’t know it listening to it from start to finish. The album is so complex, and in many ways more of a story. This is a very dramatic album and clear to me what Queensryche was put on this earth to do… tell stories! The guitar work is the best I’ve ever heard out of these guys. Geoff’s vocals seems like he was singing from 20 years past, he’s in top form! The album is most guitar laden, bass/drum driven record from Queensryche that we’ve ever heard. If any of you have missed Eddie, he’s right in your face on this one! Wilton and Stone are frickin’ meant for each other. I’m so high right now! Someone pinch me!
With every album comes some slow songs, but you won’t find any ballads here. The slower songs, mainly with Geoff and Pamela, are haunting, theatrical and somewhat eerie at times. I can actually picture in my head the two of them singing, acting their parts out on stage as if I’m reading a book or sitting at a play or theater.
So now for a little bit of bad news, and it really ain’t all that bad. The first is with the ambience. I was hoping and expecting more sound effects. You know, the “Sweet dreams you bastard”, the rolling down of the X’s limo windows, or perhaps the “I’ve had enough and I want out” pieces? While they are certainly on this album, but not as much as I would’ve expected or perhaps not where I would’ve expected. With the original you heard them between songs, but on this they’re more in the song. Kinda hard to explain, but you’ll hear what I mean. Geoff, rather Nikki, does a lot of thinking and strategizing, which is turn is heard out loud. Stuff like this.
The other small irritation I have is with Geoff’s vocals. He’s in top form, better than I’ve heard from him in a long time. But that’s not the problem. This album is so heavy and musical it over powers him at times, making it hard to understand what he’s saying. The good news is that it’s very possible the problem is on my end. I’ve listened to it 3 different ways now… in the car, on my home theater and on my ipod. By far the best way was with my ipod. I can hear so much more going on. I hear all the background chatter much better, stuff you won’t even pick up on unless you have headphones on. It was refreshing to hear and know that they’re stuff going on behind the scenes, if you will. Perhaps this album was made for headphones? Perhaps even my car and home stereos need an upgrade (it has been awhile). I just can’t wait to get the lyrics!
Fans of the original will be glad to know that there is a twist in this story, something similar to that of “Who killed Mary?” I think it’s a little more obvious this time, but certainly will because a big topic of discussion. It’s not what you think or know already either, so enough said! Don’t want to give any hints away, because it’s actually pretty damn cool.
So, that’s it in a nutshell. Hope this will tide you over a bit until the release. I believe, and yes I’ll say it again, 2006 is going to be a big year for Queensryche, and now I have proof. I can’t wait for what’s to come!"
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