Customer Reviews

American Soldier

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Queensr˙che has had quite a roller coaster ride over the past decade. From 1999-2009, the band featured three different sets of songwriters before settling in with producer/songwriter Jason Slater in 2006 for Operation: Mindcrime II. With Slater back for round two with lead singer Geoff Tate and company, Queensr˙che has clearly found its creative legs on American Soldier, a concept record detailing the experiences of United States servicemen and women.

Starting with the "on your feet!" call of a boot camp drill instructor in "Sliver," American Soldier takes the listener on a unique journey of hard rock bombardment. Featuring a plethora of heavy riffing throughout the album, particularly on the rockers "Man Down!" and "Unafraid," American Soldier embraces Queensr˙che's heavier roots, without forgetting the epic side of the band.

"At 30,000 Ft.," a track written from the point of view of a bomber pilot will remind fans of the grand "Anybody Listening?" off of 1990's Empire, whereas the moody "A Dead Man's Words" is reminiscent of the song "Promised Land." In fact, in a nutshell, American Soldier feels like a hybrid between the darkness of 1994's Promised Land with a good injection of modern musical angst.

American Soldier was written primarily by producer Slater (with Tate responsible for lyrics), although former Queensr˙che axeman and producer Kelly Gray (Q2k, Live Evolution) contributed some tracks ("Hundred Mile Stare" and the aforementioned "Man Down!"). Additionally, Gray's other band, Slave to the System, which features Queensr˙che drummer Scott Rockenfield and Brother Cane frontman/guitarist Damon Johnson, also contributed two songs - the battle haze-influenced "Middle of Hell" (featuring Tate on saxophone dueling with Wilton on guitar) and the touching father-daughter ballad (sung by Tate and his daughter, Emily), "Home Again."

Tate (saxophone), Wilton (guitars), Rockenfield (drums) and bassist Eddie Jackson deliver dynamic musical performances, arguably their strongest in 15 years. From Rockenfield's military cadence beat behind Wilton's solo in the emotionally-charged "The Killer," to Jackson's thundering groove throughout American Soldier, the band play more cohesively than they have in years, distinctively Queensr˙che, yet modern and relevant despite being around for 28 years.

Most fans of Queensr˙che would probably agree Tate is at his best when he is inspired and writes to a theme, and that holds true with American Soldier. Crafted from the stories of soldiers (including Tate's own father), the best of Geoff Tate is on display, telling emotional stories from a number of different perspectives and delivering them with conviction.

The unique factor, however, is that Tate takes care not to inject much of his own opinion, giving the listener true first-hand feel of the emotions soldiers experience in conflict. Throw in various interview clips from soldiers Tate spoke with entwining with the songs, and the emotional impact of American Soldier is undeniable.

So what's the downside? While the record features great instrumentation, including classic guitar solos by Wilton, the trademark vocals of Tate are always the first thing that people notice. Tate's delivery on American Soldier is up and down. At times, Tate sounds thin and straining (sections of "Sliver," "Hundred Mile Stare," and very noticeably on the lead single, "If I Were King"). Then on other songs, Tate sounds strong and melodic like most fans remember, particularly on the chorus of "Unafraid," and again on "At 30,000 Ft." and "A Dead Man's Words."

Further, while the soldier interview clips spliced through the record provide a necessary realism they also have a tendency to derail things. For example, "Unafraid" features interview clips serving as the actual verses to the song. Yes, you read that right. Tate wrote no lyrics, except for the chorus. It works artistically in the concept, but from a standalone song perspective, the chorus of the song screams "anthem" and "radio hit," but the eclectic decision to not have lyrics in the verses likely stifles that chance of taking the song to another level.

Additionally, American Soldier tends to lose some steam the last three tracks, with three acoustically-tinged ballads in a row. The closer, "The Voice" reminds one of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" at points, and is a step up from the previous two cuts ("Remember Me" and "Home Again"). But the darker, intense, vibe of the album is lifted for a more serene stroll to the finish line, which disrupts the flow.

Despite those minor criticisms, the writers and performers of Queensr˙che's American Soldier should take a bow. For those that abandoned the band after guitarist and songwriter Chris DeGarmo split in the late 1990s, the classic vibe of Queensr˙che is back, particularly for those fans that enjoyed the band's moodier material.

The members of Queensr˙che may be on record as not liking the term "thinking man's metal," when describing their music, but the complimentary term fits American Soldier perfectly. The record provides an authentic musical backdrop to the lives of soldiers in the United States and around the world, yet firmly maintains the band's place as a force to be reckoned with in the hierarchy of hard rock bands today.

Key tracks:

"At 30,000 Ft."
"A Dead Man's Words"
"Man Down!"
"The Killer"

I've liked Queensryche for a very long time. I'm a veteran of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan with the USAF, and I must say this album is outstanding. The way the album flows is exactly how I feel. I've been waiting for a long time for an album such as this to come out, and I'm so glad that it was Queensryche that took on a project such as this and completed it. I've never told anyone the misery, and sadness I experienced over there. After listening to this album it makes me want to finally open up, and tell my story to the people I know. I've never wanted to open up about any of it, but now I have the confidence to do so. Thank you Queensryche for doing this for me, and Soldiers/Veterans everywhere. It's about time someone did something like this for us. Thank you.

Queensryche's latest album, American Soldier, is destined to be (yet another) controversial album that will fail to satisfy a certain number of fans (especially those unable to appreciate albums released post-Promised Land). American Soldier does not include any songs that will become "hits" or concert favorites. It is a concept album that is meant to be listened to in its entirety. As a whole, it is quite good. The individual performances by the musicians, especially Geoff Tate's vocals, are great. Also, the songs flow together very well, resulting in an enjoyably cohesive album. If you're expecting Empire or Operation Mindcrime then you'll be disappointed. But, if, like me, you are open minded and able to enjoy post-Promised Land albums, this one will grow to your liking.

Count me in as one of those fans who believe Queensryche had lost their mojo after 1994's "Promised Land". Every album they have released since then has been middling at best: some nice spots, but with lacking consistency. The culmination of this post-Promised Land malaise was 2006's "Operation Mindcrime 2", a borderline desperate reach back to their glory days that missed the mark and left me wondering if it was a band's last gasp at musical relevancy. My 2006 2-star review of that CD was not kind.

Three years later and we now have "American Soldier", a concept album about the American military experience that plays fresh, uncontrived and serious without being overwrought. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this CD.

To be brief, three reasons I think this is a STELLAR "comeback" album for Queensryche:

1. The return of "soaring" guitar solos. A big gripe of mine with Queensryche after Chris Degarmo left was that they seemed to forget how to write and play good guitar solos. With "American Solider" guitarist Michael Wilton said himself that he made a special effort to write classic Queensryche-sounding solos, and he came through big time. Most of the songs on this CD have excellent, signature guitar solos and guitar work.

2. The songwriting and arrangements are dark, intelligent, and catchy. As a longtime Queensryche fan, I hear strains of Promised Land in tracks like "A Dead Man's Words" and "Middle Of Hell". Other tracks like the enigmatic "The Voice" and "Hundred Mile Stare" sound like they could have come from the "Empire" era. The lyrics are not jingoistic or trite. Geoff Tate is at his best when he has you reaching for the CD booklet to read along with the lyrics to figure out a particular song's meaning. He had me doing that throughout my initial listens to this CD. Excellent writing. A special mention to the track "At 30,000 Feet"; a beautiful, haunting, sad song that I kept coming back to. When Geoff Tate speaking as the bomber pilot cries the words at the end, "What in the Hell have I made?" I get chills. Queensryche at their best on this track. Kudos.

3. The CD just flat-out rocks with that identifiable Queensryche sound. The performances and production are wonderful. Eddie Jackson is one of the best bass players around, and he with Scott Rockenfield really put in some good work. The guitars as I mentioned are top-notch. And Geoff Tate's voice is still strong, unique, and delivers here with conviction. He really believes in this material, and it shows.

In short, Queensryche made a (re)Believer out of me with American Soldier. Their best since Promised Land, and just a wonderful surprise all around. Highly recommended.

After many years of sub-par albums, I was almost to the point of no return on ever buying another one of their albums. I considered myself a Ryche fan before it was even cool to be a Ryche fan, Starting from '83 I was totally hooked on their music, especially their Pre-Empire stuff.
American Soldier is one of the best Queensryche albums ever made. Period!
Just like their Rage or Warning records, the more you listen the deeper it gets....and headphones is a MUST!
Welcome back guys, and seriously, this album is exactly what your real fans have been waiting for, for over 15 yrs...
I hope this album gets the support & credit it deserves....it should out sell Empire!

Rock On!
I'm even buying extra copies for all by buddies, and help promote this amazing work of art!

See you on tour!

I have been listening to Queensryche since the debut EP back in the 80s. I'm also an ex-combat Marine so thematically this material is very close to me. Having said those two things, I **really** wanted to love this disc. In a nutshell, I think the concept of what they tried to do is fantastic. It's epic, it's timely and it's a band known for doing great conceptual music. This disc should be be amazing, but sadly, it is not. From concept to implemenation, what I keep coming away with is that the songs just aren't very good.

This is not about living up to different eras or capturing 'old magic'. This is an album, that despite having a conceptual theme, has very little musical identity. The songs are all over the place and most (not all) of the musical parts are forgettable. Tate's voice sounds rich and resonates well yet it's a shame that so many of the lyrics he is singing are somewhat lifeless - no small feat given the subect matter.

The only parts that really stand out for me are the chorus for 'If I Were King' because of all the VH1 commercials and the daughter vocal parts in 'Home Again'; I found this one especially difficult to listen to due to the lyrics feeling a bit trite and the off-kilter sound of having the child sing. Repitition and jarringly awkward are not the best reasons to stand out.

All that aside, the disc manages a relatively consistent emotional ride yet that is due to theme as opposed to content. Musically, I feel that Wilton/Jackson/Rockenfield just pulled a no-show. There are a few interesting tidbits and hooks such as some guitar/saxaphone interplay but it's not nearly enough color in a sonically drab and, ultimately, disappointing disc.

No time for a detailed review. I have listened to this album, with my Bose headphones on, in its entirety 3 times now. I love it. My skin got gooseflesh listening to it, especially Middle of Hell. The whole thing actually brought me to tears a few times. I leave listening to this album feeling very grateful to our military for fighting for us.

Didn't really like Operation Mindcrime II
Thought Tribe had some good tunes but easily forgotton
Q2K? Bored me
HITNF. Had to listen to it over and over to get into it.
My favorite album is Promised Land.

Chris DeGarmo is now a pilot. Go have him fly you around and whine to him about leaving Queensryche or STFU.

I like this album a lot.
It's growing on me more and more as I listen to it, just like classic Queensryche has always done.

The music is a blend of their Promised Land through Q2k years (with a brief moment of Empire here and there).
It is NOT like their early stuff except that it is more atmospheric than recent outings, like their old work used to be.

It's interesting, but Queensryche fans all have their favorite albums, and the albums they least like, which are very different from fan to fan. Some like Rage and Warning, some hate them. Some like Empire and Promised Land, some hate them. Most seem to love OMI, but it's not everyone's favorite.

So, you might say that no Queensryche album has ever been a fan favorite.

But, this album is very good. It is a return to their moodier, multi-layered work.
The subject matter is very adult, and thus the writing is very adult. No teenage/early 20's anthems here. And the album is slow-medium to medium paced. No tracks like The Needle Lies, here. (With one exception that comes close - Man Down).

The songs range from good to great.

So, check this one out.
Don't expect OMI. It's not.
Expect songs that lean more toward HTNF/Q2k in structure, but with Promised Land sound.

It's good.

Wonderful cd! I have been a diehard fan for over 20 years and this is a amazing cd. The subject matter is a bit close to home....sometimes too close since my husband has been in the Army 18+ years and my brother was just killed by a IED on the 28th of Feb. There is a lot of really good tracks. As with all of their stuff I am sure all of them will be favotites. "If I were King" makes me cry everytime.
Geoff's voice is still the best and it does not seem like even though there has been changes that anything has changed with the band.
It is a MUST buy!

Always a "trooper" for the Ryche regime, I figured after being underwhelmed by Operation Mindcrime II that another concept album-especially one that breaks the 4-year iteration mode of full studio efforts that we'd be in for another letdown and a harbinger of swan song. Time and again I've listened with an open mind and heart and been mindful of my favorite band's morphing with the years. Alas, I approached American Soldier with a warranted degree of skepticism and tolerance. After all, it wasn't presented with the fanfare and sneak previews of Mindcrime II...how solid could it be?

Needless to say, mere moments after slipping the headphones on for "Sliver" I was ready to hit the dirt and reach for the sky. Yes, there were some unconventional elements to the song but the undercurrents of this track resonated so much that I felt almost the same as when I first took in "Walk in the Shadows" over 20 years ago...and made Rage for Order my favorite album. An anomaly you say? "At 30,000 feet" took care of that misconception in short order. THIS is the album that 'Ryche fans have been waiting over a decade for. Granted, I've grown to appreciate some of their intermediate releases but have grown resigned to the fact that these guys have been rocking for three decades and style will reflect that. Deep down inside I've waited for the "return" album, one that takes its place in the annals of this bands history and I really believe this is it.

Why? For the initiated, the familiar dissonant chord progressions that range from atmospheric arpeggios to downright razor sharp attacks will strike a familiar well, chord. Geoff's voice? Realistically one can't expect an operatic reprise but I can't say I've heard a studio vocal presence like this since the first Mindcrime. Yes--you heard right. Scott Rockenfield and Eddie Jackson seem to almost take marching orders to fashion a driving barrage of rhythm and execute flawlessly.

How? Well, for both the uninitiated and initiated the well-known genesis of this effort was connecting with the Veteran community and getting a first-hand account of not the horrors and evils of war (they've already visited that) but life through the eyes of those who've experienced it. Few bands (especially progressive rock outfits) have treaded this ground; Queensryche didn't just encroach it they embraced it. The passion and exuberance borne out in American Solider is a testament to how much this group of "veteran" musicians were moved by stories of the brave souls who sacrificed, suffered and stood firm in battle.

In sum, yes, this album is one of their darkest and most melancholy and rightfully so. It seems that exploring a perspective never before explored was just the inertia that this band needed to grow both musically and otherwise. American Soldier is a milestone for Queensryche. Period.

The standouts:

Sliver
Unafraid
At 30,000 ft.
Hundred Mile Stare
The Killer
Remember Me
If I Were King

That said, not a bad track on this. Not one.

Cheers.