|
[7/10] From their self-titled EP in 1983, right through to 1994’s Promised Land, I was a huge fan of Seattle based progressive rock act Queensr˙che. Every one of the band’s six releases within that time were varied, forward thinking and thought-provoking, and independent of one another in both style and direction. But by 1997’s Hear In The Now Frontier, Queensr˙che’s direction seemed to falter, and coupled with the departure of guitarist Chris DeGarmo a year later, the band’s creative force seemed to be seriously running dry. Since then, the band has struggled to recreate the same magic with their four successive studio releases, especially on the band’s somewhat ill-advised sequel to their 1988 classic Operation: Mindcrime II in 2006.
Having finally laid Operation: Mindcrime to rest, and 2007’s terrible covers album Take Cover now a distant memory, Queensr˙che (who comprise of vocalist Geoff Tate, guitarist Michael Wilton, bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Scott Rockenfield) have returned with their conceptually based 11th studio effort American Soldier, which revolves around soldier’s experiences in war (including Tate’s father Perry). And true to recent form, it’s another mixed bag of both the good and the no so good.
Although up-tempo and definitely rocking, “Sliver” is a bit of a disaster with Below the Stich/Imperial Shreds/Baqslash vocalist A.J. Fratto providing some embarrassingly Saliva-like rapped lines throughout the song. Queensr˙che have always experimented with different sounds, but in all honesty, Fratto’s efforts just sound completely out of place, and somewhat cheapen what could have otherwise been a solid song from the band.
“Unafraid,” although sounding a little heavier and progressive-tinged in places (particularly on the drumming side of things), is again another flawed effort, with the various interview snippets from the soldiers themselves overshadowing what sounds like another promising Queensr˙che song.
It isn’t until “Hundred Mile Stare” that the band finally seems to get things right and underway. Although it’s a far cry from their glory days, the song is a solid enough effort, and at least features a bit of muscle in the guitar department.
“At 30,000 FT” is typically laid back fare from latter day Queensr˙che for the most part. And while the second half of the song does manage to get a little heavier and aggressive, it sounds a little too influenced by the tones and riffs DeGarmo laid down in the past.Around the middle of the album, the trio of “A Dead Man’s Words,” “The Killer” and “Middle Of Hell” proves to be strongest set of songs on the album, even if they are a little unadventurous in terms of riffs and tempo.
The single “If I Were King” is a perfect overview of the album with its spoken word pieces and catchy rock-like chorus, while the heavier “Man Down!” and “Remember Me” inject a little more energy into the tail end of the album.
While it may have sounded like a good idea, Tate’s daughter Emily singing on the ballad “Home Again” simply doesn’t work, while the Middle Eastern influences within the closing track “The Voice” sound more like an afterthought rather than an experiment into new territory for the band.
It’s been years since Queensr˙che have really created something breathtaking, and sadly American Soldier isn’t the sort of album to rival Promised Land. If you’re expecting a comeback from Queensr˙che on American Soldier, then prepare to be disappointed. But if on the other hand you enjoyed the band’s latter day efforts such as Q2K (1999) or Tribe (2003), then you may very well enjoy this.
www.queensryche.com
|
