Queensryche - Q2k (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

Not the Queensryche you're used to!

Chris Pinto | Mahopac, NY United States | 04/07/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"OK, Queensryche fans, this is the newest CD from our boys from Seattle. Well, lets get right to it, shall we: I kept trying to find an exciting song to listen to here, but I couldn't....I've been a serious fan of QR since their first album. The songs all seem to have the same sound on this cd. I hate to be the bearer of bad news for QR fans, but, this one is just NOT the Queensryche I'm used to. If you're expecting to hear the technical guitar wizardry, the great vocals, the new-aged style of their brand of "metal" you so love from these guys, you're not gonna get it here....There are no guitar solos here, basic vocals, no excitement...etc. It seemed like there was more hype for the release of this album than there was rehersal time in the studio! I found two or three songs OK, but on a whole, I'm very dissapointed with this CD. I'm sure that with the departure of Chris DeGarmo, this group will never be the force they used to be...However, I hope not. I hope they prove me wrong with their next CD! Maybe they have matured a bit? I don't know...The songs just have a bit of a horrible "grungy", "ethereal" sound. The songs are, in my opinion, just plain 'ol "BORING" and have a "droning" feel, like all the songs are in slow-motion! I know they can do much better than this. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to "bash" this new cd entirely, some people might really like this "new" Queensryche, it's not the worst CD I've ever heard, but I warn you, please listen to soundclips BEFORE you buy it. You might not recognize it's Queensryche at all. Conclusion: As many times as I've listened to this CD, trying to give Queensryche a fair shot, I just can't get into it. I'll wait for the next one to come out....The songs are just not that exciting."

What happened to the great mind inspiring band of all time?

11/21/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a ryche fan since I first saw them as an opening band. The music mad you feel something when you listened to it. The last two cd's just don't do it anymore. It's almost like they are trying to hard. Maybe it's the pressures from record contracts or they feel their popularity falling. They need to remember where they came from and who got them there. I usually buy there cd's without listening first. They are the only band I will ever do that for. There have been so many times when their music was the only thing that made sense, and kept me going. I'm dissapointed ,but I still think they are the best all time band ever. I like Rage For Order the best and hope they can get it together."

Ten years later.

Douglas Tidwell | 12/16/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've heard quite a few folks bashing this CD because they were expecting Operation Mindcrime 2 or something similiar to Queensryche's earlier releases. Well, it's 1999 not 1989 and I for one would like to be 10 years younger again but that's not gonna happen and I don't think Mindcrime 2 is gonna happen either. So let's get down to what is happening. Queenryche has served up an album that has some very well written music as well as performance. Granted there is a song or two that don't do much for me, the majority of the CD is quite good and a few of the songs I believe will become classics at their excellent live shows. If Queensryche can continue to put out music of this quality for the next 20 years, I'll continue to buy it. And if the truth be known, probably alot of the folks who I hear bashing it will too. Let's face it, there's just not alot of quality acts out there right now and Queensryche is and has always been a quality act."

Attacking a new angle...as usual

Chris Pinto | 04/29/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Q2k is exactly what every Queensrÿche record before it was - something new the band had not tried previously. Vocalist Geoff Tate admitted this album was tailored to get a record deal, but regardless, the songs (while simplistic compared to previous efforts) are full of groove and emotion. Top tracks are: "Falling Down," "Sacred Ground," "When the Rain Comes...," "Liquid Sky," and "The Right Side of My Mind."Back is Tate's aggressive vocal style. While he doesn't go into the upper realms on this release (although when they toured live, Tate proved the range is still there, and isn't afraid to use it), he sings with passion...something not done since the PROMISED LAND release of 1994. The most obvious difference is the lack of complex lyrics. While many stress this is evidence of former guitarist Chris DeGarmo's departure, it really isn't. As mentioned above, Tate is quoted as saying the lyrics and music were pushed towards a more simplistic style to capture a major record deal. Fans quickly forget that Tate is the lyrical author of some of QR's best songs - "Anybody Listening?," "Someone Else?," "The Lady Wore Black," etc. For those that have some reservations...don't worry, the lyrics will be back on the next release, and to be honest, while not the best lyrics, Q2k features some very interesting songs lyrically - most notable being the epics "The Right Side of My Mind" and "Liquid Sky."New guitarist Kelly Gray brings an atmospheric and bluesy style of playing to the traditional hard rock/metal lineup. Something very different than Chris DeGarmo, yet Gray can handle most of DeGarmo's riffs live. Q2k is NOT representative of the talents of Gray. On the album, the guitars are more subdued, and buried in the mix, focusing on the rhythm and groove of the record.However the classic "trade-off" guitar solo between Michael Wilton and Gray is featured on the initial track, "Falling Down," which gives the album a mid-tempo start, and later on in the aforementioned "The Right Side of My Mind." Wilton shines on his half of the solo in those songs, playing clear and crisp, while Gray plays with a rougher "plug it in and jam approach" which was never really attempted before. Bluesy and atmospheric, it is an interesting change and if the band harnesses Gray's positives and lets him have free reign playing rhythm guitar, it could make for a tasty guitar driven album with the distinct different styles of Wilton and Gray on future releases. Wilton still is at the top of his form, and has one of the best solos on the album in the ballad/epic "When the Rain Comes...," and along with "The Right Side of My Mind" are the first two songs Gray and Wilton ever wrote together.Scott Rockenfield and Eddie Jackson combine for a hard driving rhythm section, with SRock coming to the forefront a bit. His writing is unfortunately not used as much as it should be, and with the departure of DeGarmo, don't be surprised if Rockenfield replaces DeGarmo as a major musical writing force in the band. In sum, Q2k is NOT a heavy metal album. It is a solid rock album from a band who is capable of much more in both the eyes of their fans and themselves. But to say Q2k isn't a good release would be doing it an injustice. If promoted properly, and the correct single chosen ("Sacred Ground" would have been a rock radio hit in today's market), the album would have received the credit it deserves. Q2k is yet another example of why Queensrÿche is STILL one of the best rock/metal bands out there - they aren't afraid to change and move forward."

Q2K - D@mn Good CD

Douglas Tidwell | 05/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not sure why many people don't like this CD. Maybe it's because they're looking for Operation Mindcrime II, or Empire 2K. This CD has a lot of excellent tracks: Falling Down, Sacred Ground, Liquid Sky, Breakdown, Right Side of My Mind, Burning Man, ...The sound is different, but if I wanted to listen to a band whose sound didn't ever change, I'd listen to AC/DC. Q2K may not be my most fav QR CD, but it spends a lot of time in my player."

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