Less and less remains of the original line-up of Queensrÿche that we all love. Today only guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson remains. Guitarist Chris DeGarmo left back in 1998 and has been replaced many times over. Today Mike Stone is back in the band after being out of the band for 13 years replacing Parker Lundgren who left in 2021 after ten years in the band. Then singer Geoff Tate left/got fired under tumultuous circumstances back in 2012, replaced by former Crimson Glory singer Todd LaTorre and back in 2017 drummer Scott Rockenfield took a leave of absence which became permanent under more tumultuous circumstances, something that led to LaTorre handling drum duties on the last album The Verdict (2019). Touring drummer Casey Grillo is now a permanent member.
It’s hard to ignore the fact that it’s the four – five in my case – first records that is and will always be Queensrÿche’s finest moments and that the line-up on those albums are the one everybody wants to see and hear. That said, La Torre has adjusted to the band damn well and in my book he does a splendid job singing and fronting the band and after four albums, including this one, it feels right at home listening to him sing both on record and live. Fact is, Queensrÿche of today is an awesome live-act and if you’re a fan and haven’t seen this line-up then get of your ass and do so. So, with three really good albums under their belts, I have some really high hopes for this one too.
The single that pre-dated the album, “In Extremis” is also the album’s opener, a good choice as much of the song harkens back to the earlier years of Queensrÿche. It’s a heavy and punchy melodic Metal number in mid-tempo yet still upbeat. It’s an edgy and pretty in-your-face rocker with direct melodies and an intense yet catchy chorus. There’s a slight Iron Maiden nod in the twin leads too with some classic Metal riffage inserted. Great stuff. LaTorre unleashes some of his inner Geoff Tate – and no, I’m not saying clone – in the beefy and driven “Chapters”. This and the well-written melodies takes the song into classic QR territory. It’s hooky on a beefy foundation and the catchy melodies, especially the chorus, wouldn’t feel misplaced on an album like Empire (1990) at all. Very good.
“Lost In Sorrow”, despite its title, kicks away with some catchy riffing and a contagious groove. The melodic rhythms and the even more melodic guitar lines brings the Empire album to mind once again and the distinct and hooky vocal melodies are easily embraced and the subtle prog elements are brilliantly inserted without taking over. A big, catchy chorus is the icing on the cake here – a terrific number. The video-single “Sicdeth” follows. Not very single-like, this one’s more of a deep cut – heavy, rowdy riffage and rhythmically kicking with muscular punches and an in-your-face approach. It’s a chuggy headbanger, very classic Metal where a slow and darker breakdown brings some dynamics to the table. It’s a good song but doesn’t really hit me the right way. I kinda miss the hooks here.
The album’s second single, the prog-laden “Behind The Walls” is a step back to the earlier days and holds a similarity to the style of Rage For Order (1986). It’s a heavy track that holds some more held-back verses where the chorus is upbeat and punchy. A crunchy classic Metal guitar sound is combined with some colder styled keyboards and a strong main melody with a killer refrain on top. Great. The aggressive and dark yet groovy “Nocturnal Light” brings on some gritty staccato riffing over a solid, stone-hard rhythm, classic Heavy Metal style but also throws in some classic Queensrÿche guitar-lines. The song holds a brooding ambience yet it also comes with some melodic vocal-melodies, it’s proggy but also catchy and the chorus is simply spot-on. Very good.
Much of the same is “Out Of The Black”, a driven, heavy and upbeat rocker with some chunky riffing and a distinct and powerful rhythm where clear nods to the band’s golden days, especially in the vocal-melodies where the chorus sure brings on the hooks and catchiness. Good one. And speaking of past glories, the dreamy ballad “Forest” takes more than one look at “Silent Lucidity” with its atmospheric soundscape and calming arrangements. The “aaaaah” choir in the chorus is taken directly from that song as well. Acoustic guitars, held-back drums and strings with a softer take on the lead vocals in a slow tempo and of course Pink Floyd flavours – it’s all there but that said, it’s not a carbon copy by any means. It’s a gorgeous song with hypnotic melodies and one of the album’s finest moments.
“Realms” starts out slow, heavy and darkening which makes me think of 1994’s underrated and fantastic Promised Land. It picks up the pace and goes fist-in-the-air bumpy, firey and energetic with cracking guitars and a stellar main melody – and of course a hooky refrain. Very good. Another video-single, “Hold On” starts out sparse, down-beat and ballad-like but soon takes on a faster tempo and a rougher edge. The song’s verses takes on a softer approach and a laid-back rhythm which contrasts really nice to the faster and raunchier refrain. LaTorre’s vocal melodies here harkens back to old QR with an almost poppy outlook. Very good indeed.
“Tormentum” is a 7,5 minute epic number that starts out heavy and dark in a slower pace, quite gloomy and moody. The song then changes structure and goes into a faster and more punchy progressive Metal belter before it changes into a down-beat and quite ominous passage. The tune is a prog-metal beast featuring time-changes, mood swings and several breakdowns but still with deep yet accessible melodies all over. The song ends slow and heavy with a clear nod to Promised Land‘s title-track. I like this very much. The album ends with a totally unnecessary and incongruous bonus cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”. It’s done pretty close to the original albeit heavied up. I don’t get it. It’s not a bad cover but it’s out of place and doesn’t suit the record at all.
Out of all the LaTorre fronted albums, this one holds the most throwbacks to the band’s early days – and I think that’s a great move. It’s also a very strong album quality wise. I dig all the albums by this version of the band but the last couple of albums gave the impression of a band moving away from the classic Queensrÿche sound to a more classic Heavy Metal sound so the back-to-the-roots vibes here does the band well. Except for the “Rebel Yell” debacle, I can’t find any weak moments on this album and it keeps growing on me. Queensrÿche might never be as big as they were back in the late 80’s/early 90’s again but with the later albums they have proved to be a strong force to be reckoned with.
8/10
More Queensrÿche reviews:
Queensrÿche
Condition Hüman
The Verdict
Tracklist:
1. In Extremis
2. Chapters
3. Lost In Sorrow
4. Sicdeth
5. Behind The Walls
6. Nocturnal Light
7. Out Of The Black
8. Forest
9. Realms
10. Hold On
11. Tormentum
12. Rebel Yell
CD & Festival reviews 