Customer Reviews

Q2k

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(52)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(29)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

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.

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.

Back when Q2K was originally released, I would have rated it two stars. With the passage of time, I see it as a stronger, though by no means great, album and have given it three stars. It has some good tracks, including "Falling Down," "Sacred Ground," "Liquid Sky," and the fantastic "Right Side of My Mind." It also has some terrible tracks ("Wot Kinda Man" indeed). Just prior to Q2K, the band had lost it's label and it is clear they were on a downhill slide artistically. The departure of Chris DeGarmo did not help matters in any way, shape or form. They've continued to struggle, though their recent Operation Mindcrime 2 is their best album since "Promised Land."

2006 REISSUE: Given the fact Q2K was out of print, it's great that this remastered version has been released, (though it is likely it didn't really need to be remastered). The two bonus tracks are quite good, and I'm frankly astonished they weren't included on the original release. It would have benefitted from their inclusion.

Q2k is exactly what every Queensr˙che 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 Queensr˙che is STILL one of the best rock/metal bands out there - they aren't afraid to change and move forward.

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.

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.

"Music fan" is right. I'm not an expert on QR, but I can tell this is a different style due to a different guitarist. And, thank goodness, this band does not keep making the same album over and over.

If you want hard raw metal like their earlier stuff, this may not be for you. On the other hand, I think (similar to Rush) that as Queenryche's career goes on, each album may need more listening time to reveal itself. For me, though, the first listen hooked me.

Disclosure: I saw the Q2k tour, which probably biased me positively towards liking this album tons and tons. I especially like some of the lyrical content.

To be completely honest with you - yes - there is something missing on this album. It isn't the Queensryche some have grown to love - and it isn't the Queensryche that some have grown to hate. With Degarmo leaving the band, he took something with him. But what he took, Queensryche has replaced with something fresh, new, and absolutely riveting. Enter Kelly Grey. Bluesy, cutting edge, and not afraid to shove a lick down your throat. I love his style, and I love what he has brought to the band. "One Life" is an instant Queensryche classic. "When the Rain Comes" is a brilliantly written song. Geoff sounds great on that one. "Sacred Ground" - one word - groovy.

If you're looking for old school Queensryche - don't look here. No more Bruce Dickenson-ish singing from Geoff, and no more whining guitars. Queensryche has officially established themselves as a multi decade band. Something only few rock bands have ever done.

More power to you, Queensryche - don't stop trying for change.

Though certainly not the only yardstick, I've always felt that one true test of an album's greatness is it's longevity in terms of what songs you still listen to years down the road. In the case of Q2K, after several years, I listen to more songs per capita off this album than any other QR offering, save of course OMC, which is sans pareil.

Even as a diehard QR faithful, I must admit the band certainly hit a low point in their career between Empire and OMC II. Promised Land, HITNF, and Tribe were disjointed efforts that contain only a couple songs that I still want to hear. Q2K is the exception to this nadir. It is the oasis in the middle of the desert.

While certainly not perfect, it seems to me that Q2K has some very intelligent songs sporting superb guitar work and inspired percussion. "Falling Down" contains one of the most spirited solos QR has written in years; I'd listen to this opener just for the solo alone. "Sacred Ground" is driving and melodic, great to listen to in the car. Both of these songs could have been on Empire and not missed a beat. "When the Rain Comes" is a very thoughtful piece, probably what the goal of HITNF should have been. "Beside You" is one of 'mature' songs that QR has done, among the songs obviously inspired by going through marriage and parenthood (which many QR fans might feel are very odd topics for this band to cover), but nonetheless is a really good song with some unusual vocals from Geoff. "Liquid Sky" is another song worthy of Empire, good lyrics, great guitar work, some eerie sounds lending a mystic tone. It has a great opening lick and drum roll. "Burning Man" has the best bass and drum work on the album; Eddie and Scott are really in the groove, and this is another track great to listen to in the car. Would love to hear this live.

Lastly we come to "The Right Side of My Mind", which ranks as one of my favorite QR songs ever. It is quintessential QR, upholding the great traditions of songs like "Roads to Madness" and "Is there Anybody Listening?" This is the thoughtful progressive metal that made this band who they are. If anything, maybe there should have been more of this type of music on the album.

It's not perfect, it has a couple low points. Two of the songs later in the album are ok at best, forgettable, and there are two early on that I usually skip, but they are no worse than several of the "B" side songs on Empire. But I think that's the point....even on Empire, certainly one of QRs best albums, there are basically six songs that I go back to listen to. On Q2K, there are no less than seven, and by comparison they are just as solid.

Obviously just one man's opinion, but if you were offset by Promised Land, HITNF, or Tribe, give Q2K a few spins and just let it soak in. It is a highly underrated album and definitely worth the purchase price.

I was a huge Queensryche fan with the release of their EP and The Warning. My interest in them faded with their next few albums even though I now consider Mindcrime to be one of the best albums ever. I never gave any of their later work much of a chance, Promised Land and Q2K. I now feel these albums as well as Tribe make the EP and other albums of that era sound dated. I absolutely love the sound of Queensryche later material and look forward to the future of the band. I would definatly recommend this album to any true Queensryche fan. Have an open mind, dwell not on the past, but embrace the present.