"The umlaut has haunted us for years."*

Quick, tell me what you know about Queensrÿche.

You’re probably wracking your brain, going back to the late-80’s, early 90’s; Operation: Mindcrime... Empire... are they even still around?

Well, I’m here to learn you on that today. First, Queensrÿche are still around. Last year they released Operation: Mindcrime II, a sequel to the 1988 album. And later this month, they will release Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensrÿche.

Sign of the Times reaches back almost 25 years beginning with two tracks from their self-titled 1983 debut EP: “Queen of the Reich” and “The Lady Wore Black,” and concluding with the closing track from Mindcrime II: “All the Promises.” The “Collector’s Edition” of Sign of the Times will also include a second disk with previously unreleased demos, outtakes, remixes, live recordings, and a new song not included on the first disk.

During the past two decades, Queensrÿche have gone from a generic-sounding metal band – complete with lemon-squeezing howls – to a band more defined by its progressive metal. In an interview with Pop Matters, singer Geoff Tate explained how the band grew from its Judas Priest-influenced roots. “(My influences were) things like Robert Fripp and King Crimson, ELP, Genesis, Yes. More musicians’ music, I guess. Theatrical stuff, like Queen, and then classical and jazz stuff,” he said. “So I brought those things into the band and said, ‘Well look, this is what I’m into.’ And I’d play the songs for the guys, and they’d try to understand what it was I found attractive about it. It took us quite a few years to finally meld.”

For more of the Queensrÿche story, check out their Wiki, or their official dotcom. The band will also be on the road with Alice Cooper beginning next month. Here are some of the dates. The rest – along with information on tickets – are on the band’s Web site.

09.05.2007 - Broom County Arena: Binghampton, NY
09.06.2007 - Rams Head Live: Baltimore, MD
09.07.2007 - Mohegan Sun Arena: Uncasville, CT
09.08.2007 - Jones Beach Amphitheatre: Long Island, NY
09.09.2007 - Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA
09.11.2007 - Sovereign Center: Reading, PA
09.12.2007 - Millennium Center: Winston-Salem, NC
09.13.2007- Roxy Theatre: Atlanta, GA
09.14.2007 - St. Petersburg Times Forum: Tampa, FL
09.15.2007 - Bank Atlantic Center: Sunrise, FL
09.16.2007 - Amway Arena: Orlando, FL

For a little taste of Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensrÿche, I’m offering up a couple of tracks: The first from the aforementioned EP, and the other, “Another Rainy Night,” from 1990’s Empire album. That song, even though it’s a few years old, gives you a fair idea of Queensrÿche’s current sound and direction. And it’s one of my favorites.

Queen of the Reich.mp3
Another Rainy Night.mp3

*credited to Geoff Tate

Labels: new stuff, rock

posted by aikin @ 10:09 PM