Customer Reviews

Hear In The Now Frontier (Remastered) [Expanded Edition]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Queensryche was never a band to sit still-- from their early metal roots on their first couple releases, the band began blending elements of progressive rock and other influences into their sound until "Promised Land". In many ways a pinnacle acheivement in the band's history, it would have been extremely difficult to equal. The album was well constructed, an acheivement of arranging and sound, and while it was unpopular with a number of the band's fans (who would have preferred a straight metal sound), it was certainly a unique statement. Many bands would have been tempted to try for a sequel in sound and feel, others would have tried to get even more over the top, still even more would be likely to retreat backwards, to rejoin the metal sounds of their youth. Queensryche did something quite different.

"Hear in the Now Frontier" is a stripped done, bare record. Gone are the swirling arrangements, the extra instruments, keyboards, synths, samples, layered vocal harmonies, etc. Instead, straightforward riffing, blistering leads, and a looseness bleed forth, as though the band had been listening to what the other locals in Seattle were doing. When I first heard the record, I hated it (even as a fan of the grunge movement that in many ways inspired it), but there was enough decent material to keep me coming back to it.

These days I love it. In truth, I think it represents guitarist Chris DeGarmo's waning interest in metal-- he exited the band shortly after and ended up playing guitar with Jerry Cantrell for a while, and his stamp is all over this-- 12 of the 13 cuts on the record were written or cowritten by him, and the best material (that which looks back as little as possible) was soley from his voice. From opener "Sign of the Times", with its sludgy rhythm guitars and wobbly lead, its clear this is something different. The best material on the record tends to be the less heavy work-- from the laid back ballad "Some People Fly" to swirling love song "You" to the brilliant and soporific "Hero". DeGarmo even takes the mic from vocalist Geoff Tate on great love song "All I Want", and while some of the heavier and more abstract material also works well ("Saved", the bizarre fan-favorite "sp00L"), its really an album that excels in the midtempo pieces.

The remaster is further augmented with b-side "Chasing Blue Sky" (a relatively uninteresting piece) and three recordings from the MTV unplugged show several years beforehand-- "Silent Lucidity" and "I Will Remember" get decent readings, but its really "The Killing Words" that is noteworthy-- its a fantastic and delicate performance of a great song.

It doesn't sound like old Queensryche, but that's what I love about the band. They'd reach higher heights, but there's an awful lot of great material on here that deserves listening. Careful and patient listening will yield rewards.

I like everything Queensryche has done consider them to be one of the best bands still around. But, this is a weak album in comparison to what has gone before. Many fans who agree, blame Chris DeGarmo, as he was the primary force behind this album, which might be unfair, or accurate. If another band had released this, it may have been given three, or even four stars, but Queensryche has raised the bar so high on themselves. The weakest of songs, lyrically and musically, are those that are composed by Chris DeGarmo alone (except perhaps, Sign, which was good in both ways, and actually gained them some decent airplay locally), while the strongest songs, lyrically or musically, are those he composed with the other band members. Songs written by DeGarmo with singer Geoff Tate, Get A Life, Some People Fly, Saved, You, and especially the near-classic, nearly-unanimous, fan-favorite, spOOL, are very much up to Queensryche standards, lyrically, or musically, or both.

The Tate/Wilton composed, Reach, is a great rocker with some `let off the leash' guitar playing. It is an honest song about living free and the words weave so well with the music it works. The DeGarmo/ Eddie Jackson song, Hit The Black, rocks just as well as, Reach, and makes one wish there were more songs like this here, and that Jackson and Wilton had more input because clearly they come up with great stuff. The Tate/Jackson/DeGarmo composed, Anytime-Anywhere, is a great song to simply rock to, with lyrics that are essentially a list of obsessions for someone's (Tate's?) better-half. Sincere and absurd at the same time, but un-edited honesty comes off that way sometimes in song, and in life.

Why didn't they put Chasing Blue Sky on the album? This sort-of-ballad by Tate and drummer Scott Rockenfield could easily have replaced one of a half dozen songs on here originally, and would have added significantly to the overall feel of the original album. Great to see it on here as a bonus track at least.

Now, if you have the original CD release of HITNF is this worth getting? Yes...

Despite all the criticism there are some good, and even great songs on here, if you don't have it. And if you do have the earlier version, this release is 24-bit remastered (including Chasing Blue Sky) and also included, are three tracks Queensryche did for MTV Unplugged: Silent Lucidity, Killing Words, and, I Will Remember. If you're tired of, Silent Lucidity, due to radio over-play, you owe it to yourself to hear the Unplugged version. Killing, and especially, Remember, are stunningly rendered in acoustic versions.

It was interesting to hear this album when it first came out still surviving the haze of grunge back in 1997.. I was quite surprised to hear a more stripped down sound, but impressed that the bands lyrical writing and simplicity was a refreshing change of pace. Gone are some of the polished sounds, but still there are great rocking tunes such as 'You', 'Hit The Black', 'Sign Of The Times', 'Get a Life', 'Saved' and many more. Also the album has great a etheral feel in songs like 'Some People Fly' and the acoustic renderings of 'Hero' what a great change for the band. I was also pleased to hear a little less lyrics about moaning about 'missing women' and that love stinks (Empire album anyone?), which also seemed to continue on the next follow up release Q2K.

It was also interesting to pull this album off my shelf after easily a 5+ year absence to see that the songs still hold up great. Its amazing how hearing the songs 'Sign Of The Times' and 'Cuckoo's Nest' still stand up to this day.. (Chandra Levy anyone ;) )

While 'All I Want' a song vocalised by DeGarmo certainly remains the only 'what the?' on the album kind of interupting the creative flow, it's still a great sound. It's not their worst, and not their best (Nothing will top Operation Mindcrime), but is just solidly GOOD!

Did we really need a remastered version of Queensryche's 1997 album Hear in the Now Frontier? Were that many fans demanding one?

Hear in the Now Frontier is the first album in Queensryche's sad slide into mediocrity. As much as I loved the band, since Promised Land their albums have been a major disappointment. I know vocalist Geoff Tate has been trying to distance the band from its metal roots, but I think he took them a bit too far. Queensryche has gone from being a progressive metal innovator to just another rock band, and not even a very good one.

With Hear in the Now Frontier, Queensryche's music becomes schizophrenic and uneven, though it does have a few good moments. "Sign of the Times" is a great opener, and "Hero," "You," "Miles Away" and "Reach" are quality songs. Unfortunately the rest of the album just fades into a blur of nondescript alternative rock songs. I understand that the band is progressing and continuing to update their sound, but it just doesn't sound like Queensryche anymore.

Edition Notes: I probably would have skipped this album altogether, but the remastered version adds some nice bonus material, including three acoustic tracks from an MTV Unplugged performance and the song "Chasing Blue Sky," which was previously only available on the band's Greatest Hits album, and is a really cool tune.

Queensryche embarked on "Now Frontier," their most straightforward rock album in 1997, with relatively concise, consistent songs. "You" ranks as one of the best songs in their entire catalog, and Steely Dan-esque "Hit the Black" (sung by guitarist Chris DeGarmo) is a neat change of pace. This is not a monumental album, but I found it very nice to see Queensryche going back to basics and still sounding good. This is not likely to expand their fan base, and the lack of ambition that was evident on previous albums may alienate longtime fans, but a good effort nonetheless and arguably their most listenable post "Empire" effort.

I bought the original CD when it first came out. Being a huge fan of The Warning, Operation Mindcrime, and Empire, I was really looking forward to listening to this album. I got it home, put it on my stereo, and really got into the first song (Sign of the Times). I thought, OK, this is a little stripped down, but it rocks. But with each subsequent song, I found it less and less interesting. Where were all those amazing guitar solos I'd become accustomed to? I listened to it one more time, and then put it away... for 8 years. About a year ago I popped it into my car CD player and started listening to it again. And again, and again, and again, and again. The Seattle grunge influence is obviously there, and it took awhile for me to overcome that. But just like Queensryche's best work, the songs get better and better the more you listen to them. With this album, it doesn't immediately hit you how good the songs really are. But with each listen, the musical nuances become more apparent. Overall, the lyrics are very strong, thoughful, mature, and thought provoking. I think this album was too far ahead of it's time when it came out. Queensryche fans weren't ready for it, and neither was the average rock listener. It took me awhile to warm up to this album, but I now listen to it more than OMC (which is still my all-time favorite) and rank it as one of their best works. And "Some People Fly" is a great song.

After the subsequent overexposure of "Empire",Queensryche went full tilt with "Promised Land",In my opinion their best...But that's another review...
"Hear In The Now Frontier" is an excellent gathering of songs,continuing Queensryche's tradition of following their own rules,not trends,which in this day and age is a glorious breath of fresh air...
Purchase this disc...You will not be disappointed...

I've seen a lot of reviews saying that Hear In The Now Frontier is Queensryche's worst album. I greatly disagree and think that this album has its fair share of high points. I'm reviewing the original CD release which I bought in 1997. I've heard the extra tracks that are on the re-release but they are not on my CD.

With Operation: Mindcrime I was blown away. In my book it was the best metal album of all time. Empire was also an excellent album. Every song was a winner. Promised Land took some getting used to but after a few listens I loved it. Then came Hear In The Now Frontier. When I put it in the player and heard Sign Of The Times I thought 'Not bad but I know you can do better.' Then Cuckoo's Nest came on and I thought 'This is crap' and I felt the same way about the next few songs. I think the whole time I was hoping they would return to their Empire sound.

On Saved they redeemed themselves and I started to see some hope for them. Then I heard You and thought 'Yes, now here's a great song'. I played You quite a few times I liked it so much. Next came some songs that I thought were just OK. On All I Want I wasn't very impressed (after more listens I really started to like this one). When Hit The Black, Anytime/Anywhere, spOOL played I was in Queensryche heaven. They were dark and edgy with some great riffs and catchy lyrics. On all of their albums the last song seems to be the standout song that stands above almost all others. On Mindcrime that was Eyes Of A Stranger; on Empire it was Anybody Listening?; on Promised Land it was Someone Else? (not much of a standout, there were other better songs on that one); and on Hear In The Now Frontier it was spOOL. spOOL has that sort of transcendent quality to it that makes you want to discover the hidden meanings in the song. By the way, on Q2K the standout song (by a long shot) was Right Side Of My Mind (also the last song on the album). When I listen to Q2K that song is usually the only one I listen to.

So, while Hear In The Now Frontier does have its share of mediocre songs, there are also plenty of GREAT songs. After multiple listenings I started to like Hear In The Now Frontier more and more. I even liked Cuckoo's Nest and Get A Life after a while. Mind you, it still doesn't rank with their previous 4 albums (including Rage For Order; I haven't heard anything before Rage); but it's still better than Q2K and worth owning for any Queensryche fan.

I'll be honest: I hated this album when I first heard it. I really thought it was a sell-out album, trying to sound like the other music at the time.
But I saw Queensryche on the "Hear in the Now Frontier" tour and got a much better appreciation for the songs. Now today I can say that this really is a good album.
Sure, it's no "Operation: Mindcrime" or "Empire", but songs like "Sign of the Times" and "The Voice Inside" are very well written. Queensryche was always a tough band to categorize, and I think this album was just another attempt by the band to be different.
The extra tracks on this version are good ones. The three Unplugged songs are great, but most fans of the band probably already have these on CD.
This certainly was not their worst CD - I'll leave that honor to Q2K.

I'm sorry, but how can anyone say this is a bad album. I was instantly drawn in to this album from the first song. This cd was in my player for 6 months before it was taken out only to have 'Empire' replace it. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5, is because this is not 'Mindcrime', or 'Empire'; both 5 star albums. This competely blew away the follow up album Q2K and is filled with songs that remain great by todays standards. People should listen to this album again and give it a chance. Listen to the songs 'Spool', 'You', 'Hit the Black' and 'Hero' and then say this is not the old Queensryche. Any one of thoes songs could have been on any eariler Queensryche album and no one would have complained. Queensryche is a band that grows with no album sounding alike. HITNF is no different. Yes they have a new sound, more organic and stripped down, but this is just another growth of the band getting away from the "robotic" sound of the 80's and early 90's. The guitar sounds are great, I do think, however, that the drum sound is lacking. It has more of the "new rock" sound. Rockenfield plays a new Pearl set now instead of the thunderous sound he had with the Tama set he played in the past. Every song on this album (with the exception of 'Cookoo's Nest', which is the only weak song on the album) is extremely well written and played. I even had people, girls, buy this album who were not Queensryche fans and they loved it. This is a powerful record which I feel is one of their best. I saw Queensryche on tour for this album and they pulled off what would have been an impossible feat for any other metal band; they opened the show with a ballad, 'The Voice inside', which is a true testament to their greatness. Even the layout of the booklet was amazing using images and pictures remaniscent of something Rush would have done, further solidifying their status as more progressive than metal. Bottom line, this album is a masterpiece, and anyone who cannot see that is not a fan.