Metal Reviews

Part II is a great album, but drastically different in style from the first. Just be aware of that. There is one stinker on the album, "Speed Of Light." The rest are good to great.

I heard it yesterday - I couldn't pick the songs apart because the whole damn thing was streamed as a single file, but it seemed pretty good. Certainly the song with Ronnie sounds a lot better in the context of the full album.

To be honest, the songwriting is too boring to catch my attention. I don't expect Mindcrime II to grow with time either.

It did for me.

Perhaps... i've been wrong before.

It did for me, too. It has some proggy stuff in it, but it's buried in that stuffy, cotton candy production. Once you get used to the sound it really starts grabbing at you.

About ten listens in, the only song that really doesn't do it for me is that I'm American song. It's out of place in the overall and so obviously an MTV single attempt at drawing the crapmetal fans who worship Headbanger's Ball 2006.

I have my doubts whether this will land on my top-10 of '06 list, but it is a really good album, better than anything Qr has done since Empire.

I wish they had just gone for a more modern production. I understand that they used the same equipment as they did back in the day, but they obviously approached the recording with a modern way of thinking. It doesn't sound like an old production, it comes off just sonically inferior.


I like "I'm American," the heavy breakdown seems a bit forced, but it's short so whatever. I totally dislike "Speed Of Light," worst song on the album and the worst they've written, I think.


It's definitely better than both Tribe and Q2K, but I really like Promised Land and Hear In The Now Frontier, so I won't even compare it to those albums. Definitely the best they've done out of the last three.

WTF? I bought OMII today in the local cd store. There was only one copy in the whole store! with not even so much as a poster!!!!

Apparently your country is gay.

thank you... sometimes I wonder... switzerland is just still way to much dominated by the rap/pop/disco crap. SO Queensrÿche gets no recognition. and by the way, Speed of Light is a cool song!

I've listened to about two-thirds of it so far (it's still going as I type this), and I would definately say it's the best thing they've done since Promised Land. That being said, I certainly wouldn't say it's a great album, but it's pretty good. It is certainly not a return to their old form or style, but that would not have been a realistic expectation.

And "Speed of Light" is definately a dud, but I don't think "Kashmir" was the only song they borrowed from on this record, whether they intended it or not. Anyone else notice the (almost) "Vaseline" (STP) riff at the start of "A Junkie's Blues"?

-Tyrion

You think? That "Kashmir" rip-off riff is just weak, the hook is weak and that shitty semi-industrial/sampled outro is terrible.

Yep. I caught that, as well, but I think that's a good song so it's easily overlooked, plus, like you eluded to, it's only somewhat similar.

I heard it was complete and utter shit from people that are big fans of the e/p through OM. I think I will skip it for sure.

It sounds nothing like those albums, that's why. People can't accept that a band changes. Mindcrime is a story, it doesn't have to link up musically.

They were a pure, early PM band but for only two albums. Def songs like Queen of the ryche and Lady wore black, take hold of the flame are pure.

Ha, sorry haven't been on in awhile to monitor eyesore. Listen the 1st 4 Ryche albums are mandatory (Rage for Order takes a little getting used to but has killer songs), Empire has 4 good songs, Promised Land is horrid with only the bridge being decent, Hear in the Now Frontier........there is a reason this thing sells for 3.99 most places, that is its rating out of 100 total garbage, Q2K is god awful and not even 'ryche and Tribe I never bothered with. You want to listen to awesome early US PM, get the first two. You like some prog and thinking man stuf mixed with your metal, go ahead and get the next 2. You want to support the band because the worked so hard the 1st 4 albums, get Empire. Never touch anything else they recorded.


Eyesore, please tell me you don't like Tate's solo album?

'
They were never a power metal band.

Dude, QR were never power metal. You've lost credibility already. They had power metal moments, but overall they were not power metal. As for Promised Land, you're crazy. GREAT album! "Bridge" is the only good song? How can you like THAT song and not any other? That's borderline ridiculous. As for Q2K and Tribe, "Right Side Of My Mind" is a great tune, "Blood" and "Open" are also really good. The rest are good to boring. As for Hear In The Now Frontier, it's a good album overall. A good rock album, some songs are weak, but some are really good.

You obviously like the old shit, your opinion on the newer stuff is severely biased.

And no, I don't like Tate's solo album. I own it and there are maybe 3 songs that I didn't think sucked.

Dude, if you don't get that the first EP and The Warning are early US Power Metal with SOME prog elements you are the one mising the boat.

Promised Land is a horrible album but I know lots of people like it that discovered Queensryche late or past their prime or were into Grunge and shit.

Anyways, when is that new Moospell out and you were dead on about how great the new Amorphis is.