Artist: Queensryche
Label: Capitol Records
Release Date: 1984
Rating: 5 Skulls
|
|
Title: The Warning Artist: Queensryche Label: Capitol Records Release Date: 1984
Rating: 5 Skulls |
|
|
|
||
Death's Review:
With its first full album, The Warning (following a well-received debut EP), Queensryche took the drama, scope, complexity and twin guitar instrumentation of Iron Maiden (courtesy of guitarists Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo) and embraced the dreaminess and vocal gymnastics of early Judas Priest. But more importantly, Queensryche (along with contemporaries Fates Warning) gave birth to a new sub-genre: progressive metal. What made Queensryche more "prog" than Iron Maiden wasn't a Rush- or Yes-like propensity for a flurry of musical notes or odd time-signatures, rather, Queensryche embraced the dreamier side of Yes, the trippiness of Hawkwind and the existential introspection of Pink Floyd. Still, they did so in service of powerful, compelling metal, with the requisite air-raid siren vocalist in Geoff Tate, and the big-kit (complete with "cage" and gong) drumming of Scott Rockenfield. The result was some of the most intelligent, emotional and compelling metal music ever made, and arguably Queensryche's finest hour, before they simplified the music and before they courted MTV.In 2003, it appears some of these songs once again will appear in the live set, with deep-cut classics like "NM156" and "Roads to Madness" a part of a recent setlist from the band's Anchorage, Alaska show. With Chris DeGarmo back in the band and a forthcoming summer tour featuring Dream Theater and Fates Warning (recently rejoined by Frank Aresti, I'm told) on the same bill, perhaps those of us who count this and albums like Fates Warning's Awaken the Guardian among the finest and most underrated music ever made will finally have our day. Nevertheless, from the opening prophecies of doom echoed from the title track, to the brilliant building dynamics of "Before the Storm" ("We watch the sunrise, and hope, that it won't be our last") to the all-out metal attack of "Child of Fire" to the dreamy end of "En Force" ("Once long ago we had to hide, In the shadows of the land, To keep us away from the crawl, Enforcer's taking hold of us . . .all"), The Warning explores the full dynamic range of what Queensryche was capable of when focused on metal rather than radio hits. "NM156" is an absolutely fantastic song, incorporating a dark and frightening "mechanized," early industrial type beat in service of a compelling man versus machine concept that would later continue thematically on songs like "Screaming in Digital".
Of course, the crowning jewel of The Warning for many was the powerful, band-described "song of hope," "Take Hold of the Flame." With its dramatic vocal display and uplifiting message, "Take Hold of the Flame" goes down in my book as one of the best all-time metal anthems to emerge from the 1980's. Can Tate still hit all of these notes? I sure hope so, because for me, seeing Queensryche live without hearing "Take Hold" is a certain disappointment - I have always thought of this as one of the band's signature songs, at the core of what they are all about. And then, of course there is "Roads to Madness," quite possibly Geoff Tate's finest hour, and certainly one of the most interesting, twisted and dark little numbers the band has ever produced. Emotional, dramatic, epic and dark - what more could a true Queensryche fan ask for?
With Chris DeGarmo back in the band, hopes run high that Queensryche will "return to form" with their next studio release. I can only hope that this means a return to the EP, The Warning, Rage for Order and Promised Land, and to a lesser extent the musically simpler but overall conceptually complex Operation: Mindcrime, rather than the peak of their commercial success with Empire (best tune there though is definitely "Anybody Listening?"). I like Queensryche in their less poppy, more metal state. In fact, viewed from that perspective alone, they are one of my all-time favorite bands. Here's hoping they have another great record in them. Until then, for those of you who have never understood the passion with which some fans embraced Queensryche back in the day, clear your schedule, partake in your vice of choice, dim the lights, light a candle or two, crank up your finest stereo and kick back on your couch listening to The Warning. It blew people's minds back in the day, and definitely still would if it came out today.
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.