Artist: Geoff Tate
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release Date: 6/25/02
Rating: 2 Skulls
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Title: Geoff Tate Artist: Geoff Tate Label: Sanctuary Records Release Date: 6/25/02
Rating: 2 Skulls |
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Death's Review (7/10/02):
A Geoff Tate solo album was an interesting prospect for me, the longtime yet recently disillusioned Queensryche fan. I was hoping that either one of two things would happen. Either Tate's first ever solo album would kick ass and the be dark, intense, introspective epic metal journey I was looking for from Mr. Tate, or it would be the absolute opposite and would therefore quench Geoff's desire to "spread his musical wings and fly," thereby freeing Queensryche up to go "back to the roots" and maintain its core audience by appeasing long time fans with the album we've all been wanting rather than Q2K or Hear in the Now Frontier. Within seconds of hearing it, I moved all of my chips over to scenario two. This is not the Geoff Tate metalheads grew up with, that's for sure.Instead, this is a "mature" (read commercial and poppy) release, albeit one of a good deal of introspection, some mild intensity at points, and a good deal of honest emotion on display. The integrity of the release is present, but one nevertheless has to question what the fuck is going on in the Queensryche camp generally and Geoff Tate's mind specifically that have led us to where we are now: Geoff giving interviews talking about not being into metal at all and how he never speaks to the other Queensryche members or sees them socially, all of it on the heels of Chris DeGarmo's and Kelly Gray's departures.
And now this. This is essentially an electronic pop album from one of metal's alltime greats. Does the world really need such a thing? In many ways, it is sad to see. Talk about biting the hand that feeds. On the other hand it is clear both that Geoff needed to make this record and that the convictions in the music are truer, much truer to Geoff current frame of mind, I'm sure, than him opening up for Iron Maiden singing "Queen of the Reich". I suppose we can't force Mr. Tate to embrace metal on his own time, so long as he keeps the day job (Queensryche) and bangs out the old school metal it requires on the new release this fall, I suppose we can forgive the moonlighting.
Tate's immense vocal talent is well-documented, and I respect him for playing music that is in his heart and not being afraid to say what he thinks. But I'm afraid that his forsaking of metal almost smacks of affectation, like he's way too anxious to write off or distance himself from the genre (example: he was recently reported to have said something to the effect that his rumored project with Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson was derailed in part because he wasn't into the style of music they were doing). As a long-time fan a huge Queensryche supporter through the years, I find that attitude disappointing, frankly.
Still, I tried to leave all of my "baggage" aside when listening to Geoff's debut solo effort. All in all, this is a "rock" record, not a metal record. It has electronic elements and bluesy piano parts and sax and overall a much more mellow vibe than anything Queensryche ever did. While some early reviews of the album have compared the feel to that of Promised Land, I think it is important to point out that this is only true as to some of the expansive instrumentation and laid-back "smoky bar" vibe that album had at points. Promised Land was much darker, much more metal and much better, in my opinion.
Admittedly, some of this stuff is not that far away from recent Queensryche material, I suppose. While the opener, "Flood" definitely shocked me a bit at first, I really have grown to actually love that song. It is very good, very smooth with a building intensity and some Queensryche-esque guitar, and is an awesome showcase for the power and originality of Tate's voice. The confidence with which Tate belts out lines like "Where you're standing now . . ." really is fantastic, and this song will get under your skin if you'll let it. If this was the one "more commercially styled" song on an otherwise more metal new Queensryche album, I'd be into it.
Other songs are just OK. I became very concerned when I heard the early MP3 of "Off the TV," thinking it seemed pretty generic and boring. After spending significant time with this album, I think it is my second favorite song on the record after "Flood." Take from that what you will. I like the breakdown quiet part--another excellent showcase for Tate and his original stylings.
The other song which stands out for me is the closer, "Over Me," which has a catchiness and a flowing vibe that are worth mentioning here. While Geoff's vocals and backing band are surely what you'd call accomplished and I'm sure there is a lot to many of these songs which I simply do not have the patience to discover, the rest of the album is simply too far afield to maintain my attention and I'm sure I'll put this away for good soon. Think Peter Gabriel's Security only nowhere near as dark or as trippy or as good. Sure, I may really like it if Queensryche happens to bust out "Flood" in concert a few years from now, but otherwise, I'd rather pretend this one didn't happen and focus on the next Queensryche effort. Hopefully, Geoff throws a bone to the fans and takes that record in a darker and heavier direction, further distancing his two projects. Hopefully.
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