Queensryche's new material, featured on their MySpace page, shows both the evolution of a band, and the stagnancy. The vocals are stuck in 1980s cock rock fashion--mixed way too far in front, full of vibrato, devoid of growl.
"Man Down!" begins with some pretty cool, dark guitar work, but then the singer comes in and I just don't care anymore. (Borderline) cool music; annoying vocals.
"If I Were King" is all bad. Slow, ballad-y rock that sounds like pussy G 'n' R. Douchy guitar solos, more of the same annoying vocals. I mean, if I could hear the rest of the music better, I MIGHT be a little more satisfied. It's all really well-produced, and though that might seem like a good thing, to me it sounds like lots and lots and loooooots of other stupid fake metal. The singer is too stuck in the past to be interesting. Matter of fact--the whole band is.
I came upon their page a few minutes ago and was totally taken by the page design (no-nonsense black all around), and the new album (American Soldier) cover looks really cool--dirty tough boots out in no man's land. The only problem is the music!
In both songs they posted from AS, vocal samples of what sound like soldiers appear amid the music, a la Lamb of God's one song... where they ... um, did that too. They want to let the soldier tell the story--a good idea, but executed poorly.
...I should make a goddam awesome brutal metal song supporting the troops and put soldier's quotes in it. I could do it better than Queensryche.
But still--you're in a band, and you want to do a rockin album supporting the troops--cool! So predictable, though, that the music would be closer to republican country music than good metal. They're going to reach way more fans in the Midwest and in southern states than in progressive cities. Why does this band have to be from Seattle? Gosh.
One COULD take cock rock, reshape it, and make it accessible to kids (read: males, ages 13-47) these days. It would take some major tweaking, but it could be done. You'd somehow have to accentuate the doucheyness so that it's both funny, ironic, and badass. I mean, cock rock is supposed to be badass, right? That's the underlying intention?
QUEENSRYCHE : FAILURE
to be badass
New cock rock could be done for the 'oughts, but somehow I don't think a band from the ashes, trying to reinvent itself with the same dated styles in this modern world, is going to be the band to do it.
Queensryche hasn't been good for 20 years, though... and their new guitarist drew some pretty negative reactions as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is kinda funny when you mention the supposed political direction of the album... the band still says that they are quite left-of-center, just like they were back in the days of "Empire" and "Operation: Mindcrime", just they thought they had the right approach with "American Soldier" (which I thought was just bland and lifeless more than anything).
They can say they're left and then do this right-sounding thing... and then who's to say who's side they're on?
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