Customer Reviews

Queensryche

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 1983, Queensryche exploded onto the metal scene with this EP. A little known band from Bellevue, WA, it was by pure chance that KERRANG! Magazine got their hands on this EP and wrote an article heralding it as the future of metal. The world would never be the same.

22 years later, this EP has aged extremely well. The music takes hold of you once you hear Geoff Tate's amazing scream in the beginning of the title track, and it never lets you go. If someone were to hear this music for the first time in the present day, they may not think much of it, but for 1983, it was a groundbreaking release. Backing up Tate are the band's two most important songwriters, lead guitarists Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton, as well as Eddie Jackson (bass) and Scott Rockenfield (drums). This lineup would remain the same for the next fifteen years. Geoff Tate, in my opinion, is the greatest rock/metal vocalist of all time. I have seen this band live many times, and his range and power are just as perfect in person, even in the year 2005.

The title track, 'Nightrider,' 'Blinded,' and 'The Lady Wore Black' are all metal classics that can be listened to thousands of times. In addition to Tate's vocals, both DeGarmo and Wilton were already writing and playing some of the most well constructed and creative solos on this record. They were in their late teens/early 20's, but their solos were totally flawless. When this album was re-released in 1986, the bonus track 'Prophecy' was added. I have always felt this track was a hidden gem in the Queensryche catalog and I would even say it's better than the rest of the tracks on this EP. The solos are full of tremolo action, finger tapping, hammer-on's, pull-off's, and arpeggios. One of my favorite aspects of DeGarmo's and Wilton's solos is there's always a healthy balance between technique and feeling. I always felt this was missing in most other metal from the early 80's.

If you're new to Queensryche, I would buy this EP along with THE WARNING and RAGE FOR ORDER. After you listen to all three albums about one hundred times, and you start to believe the music just couldn't get any better, go out and buy OPERATION MINDCRIME to be truly blown away!!!

Coming out of the still nascent Seattle scene (Heart being the first to bust out from there) This EP was recorded in 1982 and didn't get released until late 1983 by EMI. I first heard "Queen Of The Reich" on the late-night "Metal Shop" program aired from WIYY-98Rock, and I was immediately in shock and awe! I heard the best of JP, Maiden, and the Scorpions all rolled into one (Queensryche)! I bought the EP as soon as I saw it on the record rack and played it for my friends, who were all blown away by the awsomeness of the Queensryche sound! I saw them open for Judas Priest during their tour for the Warning album and they were FANTASTIC! Here are my reviews of the songs based out of 5 *****:

"Queen Of The Reich" - Cymbals and a quick drum thump lead into a scorching guitar melody and a Geoff Tate piercing howl. A heavy, thumping bass and galloping guitars. Fantastic drumming from Scott Rockenfield (a true metal drummer's last name!) as well as scorching guitar solos from DeGarmo and Wilton. Geoff sounds terrific! A fast-paced metal onslaught that grabs you by the throut and shreds your vocal chords. Some of the highest pitched screams ever put on vinyl. This is the song that brought the band worldwide attention and shook the metal genre up. A CLASSIC! Rating - *****

"Nightrider" - Sounds alot like Judas Priest's "Dissident Aggressor" (actually the opening IS "Dissident Aggressor"!). Another furiously paced tune with very heavy drumming and bass lines. Very heavy song. A combination of Diano Iron Maiden and early Judas Priest. Doing Judas Priest BETTER than JP was at the time! A GREAT song! Rating - *****

"Blinded" - - Opens with very heavy drum and bass with power chord guitaring. Man can Scott Rockenfield f'n slam those drum skins! Some fine bass playing from Eddie Jackson as well. Has a repetitive melody "the voices keep calling...." to end the song. Another very heavy hitting, hard rocking piece of sonic art! The gems keep on being mined! Rating - *****

"the Lady Wore Black" - The only song on the EP penned by Tate. Opens with an eerie sounding electronic wind, ala Def Leppard's "Too Late For Love". Soft guitar and ballad like tempo to open the tune. Some heartfelt singing by Tate. The tempo really picks up for the chorus and then returns to the opening ballad form. Guitar solo sounds alot like the Scorpions "Still Loving You". This song got the most airplay off of the EP, and deservedly so because this song ROCKS! The future sound of Queensryche is heard on this song as the band would lean towards the more melodic Tate songs. Rating - ****

The icing on the cake here is the bonus live concert from 8/5/84 in Japan. The band not only does the whole EP, but what makes this truly special is that they are playing a PREVIEW of thier forthcoming album "The Warning"! That's right, the album hadn't been released, and the band was practicing these new songs for the forthcoming tour in support of this new album! The concert sounds fantastic! The band is as tight as a drum and as solid as steel! The liner notes say this was taken from a video/laser disc and transferred to CD. WHERE CAN I GET A COPY OF THE VIDEO? Why hasn't this been released on DVD? This needs to be put on the market NOW! Anyway, this EP destroyed most of the other metal/rock albums that were released in '83. This is a true classic that deserves to be recognized as one of the best rock debuts ever! If you are a true music lover that appreciates musicianship, BUY THIS NOW! You will not be disappointed!

This disc is a remastered collection of Queensryche's first EP (tracks 1-4) and Queensryche: Live In Tokyo (tracks 5-14) which was previously only available on video. Tracks one through four include songs "Queen of the Reich" and "The Lady Wore Black"; both classic, hard-hitting Queensryche tunes from the early days of American metal. "Queen of the Reich" depicts the band's true influences of English metal, with a thunderous sound that will leave no doubt in your mind that these lads were listening to the likes of Priest and Maiden just like the rest of us were. "The Lady Wore Black" is track four on the disc, and already begins to display the quintessential sound of Queensryche that many would not be introduced to until later in the 1980's. Both of these tracks reappear in the latter part of the disc as live tracks taken from a Tokyo show in August of '84.

Tracks five through fourteen are from the band's live performance in Tokyo around the time the "Warning" album was released. The tracks include all the songs from the EP as well as tracks from the "Warning" album such as "En Force", and one of my favorites "Take Hold of the Flame". The live segment ends with the song "Queen of the Reich" in all of it's thunder and glory. Tate's voice is insane, as is the rest of the band's fury, especially Scott Rockenfield's drums. This track alone makes the entire disc worth it in my opinion.

The remastering of this collection is second to none. The live tracks are so good that it's like you have the classic 1984 line up live in your living room playing before you. I am usually big on original recordings, because often the sound which is so much the identity of the band, can get lost or mis-translated during the course of a remastering session, but that is not the case here. This collection sounds incredible, and you can't beat the price. Just make sure you have a good understanding of your local noise ordinances prior to inserting this disc in your cd player, because this collection will undoubtly have you looking for the highest volume setting. "Queensryche" (remastered) is a must for any 1980's fan of pure Heavy Metal.

In the original version, the self-titled EP would have rated 3 stars, to me. In some ways, after all, it was typical of that era (1982/83), as there were some Iron Maiden and Judas Priest inspired moments in the songs. Yet, in others not so typical. The band's musical brashness and intensity shone through. And of course since it led to greater works later on, this EP is a significant testament. When you think of it, these guys were in their late teens then, and though most had played extensively in other bands, Queensryche began, primarily, in a basement and recorded an EP before they had ever played live as a band. Back then, that was something.

It is admittedly my own fault that I am jaded these days towards, Queen Of The Reich, and, The Lady Wore Black. Over the years I have played the songs to death. Queen Of The Reich, comes off kind of cheese-y lyrically, these days, but, The Lady Wore Black, still stands up lyrically, being an especially high-quality song-writing moment for an EP from a band just starting.

What makes this remaster of the EP worth getting, is the number of extra tracks that have been added to the package, which are taken from the "Live In Tokyo" VHS (not otherwise released). Songs such as, Nightrider, and, Blinded, are seldom played in more recent years. Nightrider, is especially cool to hear as a live track with the volume cranked. One recalls lines of dialogue from Mad Max while listening. The live version of, Prophecy, is also quite good, as well as, Road To Madness, in classic form with the original lyrics.

Even if you are a Queensryche fan who has the initial version of the EP on CD, you have to get this anyway. The live tracks include all four EP tracks, Prophecy, and most tracks from The Warning.

Isn't it cool how a 4-song demo recorded at Scott Rockenfield's parents' home basement back in 1982 has led to all of this--the birth of one of the greatest and most influential bands of all times? What makes me even happier is that they have finally decided to remix this debut EP with a great production that shines from beginning to end. The self-titled EP was understandably overshadowed by the band's following releases, however now with the addition of live tracks and a top notch mix, everything sounds much better. Considering Queensryche's current musical direction, I think I've done a great choice picking this reissue up. It was like going back to the old days when Queensryche was the best and most important prog metal band of the 80's along with Fates Warning and the not so popular Crimson Glory. Vocalist Geoff Tate was considered a true hero and vocal god and paved the way for thousands of other singers who were more than eager to follow his footsteps.

I lack words to describe the joy in explaining how great it feels to hear songs like "Queen of the Reich", "Blinded", and "The Lady Wore Black" again, with flawless production quality. With the exception of "The Lady..." the other three songs on this EP never got the attention they deserved. It's hard to be noticed when a band constantly puts out quality material like The Warning, Rage for Order, and the masterpiece Operation: Mindcrime. Nevertheless I happen to think that this is a truely majestic debut EP with a lot of potential. Its only weak point was the production which now sounds lightyears better. The drums have a great punch to them and the guitar and bass work complement each other perfectly. Geoff Tate's vocals contain a lot power, energy, and emotion. Chris DeGarmo, to this day, is one of my favourite songwriters ever. His emphasis on melody and the articulation he puts behind his playing is beyond this world. The solo on "Blinded" is particularly to my liking. The dual attacks accompanied by the drums is very moving.

Queensryche weren't really "prog" when they released this, but it clearly hinted that they were onto something here and would become one of the pioneers of the genre in the upcoming years and decaded. Which they successfully did. Needless to say, this is very highly recommended. One of the best reissues that you must own if you like Queensryche. The extra tracks are worth it as well.

I don't consider Queensryche metal, and don't understand how they could ever be considered metal... This and The Warning being the exception. Frankly they're not heavy enough to be metal, and no Poison, Motley Crue, and winger are not metal either.

I haven't heard the remaster, but one thing I saw that already irked me about it is that they left Prophecy off. the cd version I have has that song. I know it wasn't on the original ep, but come on. Not only is it a great song, ok they have a live version but that doesn't count. The album is short enough without them removing songs.

Honestly and as highly as I rate this little gem, the collection is mostly greater than the sum of its parts. Sure Queen Of The Ryche and Lady Wore Black are Queensryche classics, but Nightrider and Blinded, while enjoyable are only decent tunes. Definitely worthy of being on an album, but with so few songs you really want them all to be 9's or higher out of 10. The production is rough. Tate's vocals are amazing. The band plays with an energy level they really don't ever match, definitely not once the 90's started.

Queen Of The Ryche 10/10 Damn at the time I heard this for the first time, I'd have never imagined Tate could sound like this, and it's awesome. Nice guitar riffs, great pace for the metal classic.. Awesome catchy solo. This song has it all.

Nightrider 7/10 nice song. Like the drumming in the chorus. the verses are pretty cool, and the solo's solid. Overall it isn't a great song, but it's still a good song.

Blinded 7/10 this one doesn't really grab me. It's a decent song, but there really isn't anything that makes me come back to it. It makes me laugh, for personal reasons. I guess that gives it a special place in my heart.

The Lady Wore Black 9/10 is the first, of many throughout their career, slow song the band ever did, and from the 90's on, this one kicks most of their a--es, especially from Q2k on. It starts with a cool wind blowing effect, sound of nothingness, and dread, kind of an erie calm. Then some clean electric guitars come in, and we hear the first of Tate's cleaner vocals. Sure it's not like he would on I will Remember, or Silent Lucidity, but the vocals are pretty solid here. Nice chorus as well.

Prophecy 8/10 recorded during the Rage For Order sessions, was put on some, I guess the one I have at least, copies of this album. So, I'll review it too. Overall it has a nice sound. It's a fairly up tempo rocker, feels softer compared to most of this album.

So, there you have it. A quick little 4 or 5 song album. When I put this to mp3, and I even copied a cd of it, I added in addition to Prophecy, Scarborough Fair, Last Time In Paris, Real World, Waiting For The Kill, Chasing Blue Sky, Dirty Lil Secret-eh probably could have left that one out, and Someone Else full band version, which should have been the version on Promised Land, but whatever. It wasn't, so I put it on here, to make a full album's worth of songs. But that's me. You can do whatever you want with your copy. Either way this is a definite must for a Queensryche fan. For a newbie, get Mindcrime.

Before they made (and some would say lost) a name for themselves as progressive metal legends, Seattle's Queensryche debuted with this self-titled 1983 EP, which remains a classic slab of power/traditional heavy metal nearly 30 years after its original release.

Queensryche is best known, and rightly so, for their progressive metal concept album Operation: Mindcrime, one of metal's most essential albums. But before the band took on high concept and grand orchestration, they were one of the most powerful and unique bands in the emerging American power metal scene. Clearly taking a cue from Judas Priest and especially Iron Maiden, Queensryche's self-financed debut was a fierce, powerful burst of headbanging guitar riffs, intricate solos, sci-fi themes and an astonishing vocal performance from Geoff Tate, whose high notes were crystal clear. This was the natural extension of the NWOBHM sound, and Queensryche, along with Warlord, Armored Saint, Obsession and other early Metal Massacre-type bands were leading the way.

Queensryche's early albums always seem to get overlooked in favor of more epic releases like Rage for Order and Operation MindCrime, but as the years go by I find it's albums like this EP and the even more powerful follow-up Warning that I come back to the most. Hearing "Queen of the Reich" and "The Lady Wore Black" still gives me chills. It really is a brilliant example of the American heavy metal scene at an astonishingly creative time when it seemed like anything was possible. I suppose if I'm completely honest, I'd give this a 4-star rating, but the quality of the 2003 reissue is enough to merit a full 5-star rating.

Edition Notes: The 2003 reissue of the Queensryche debut makes a great album even better. Not only does it feature a brilliant digital remastering and detailed expanded liner notes, it also includes a whopping ten live bonus tracks, which were taken from the 1985 Live in Tokyo video that was recorded during their Warning tour. The remastering alone is worth replacing your older copy of the EP, and the live tracks are the icing on the cake.

Alot has been said about this debut, and with the expanded remaster to me it's the best of the bunch with basically en entire Live set from the Warning tour. The orignial was very good debut, this is just outstanding work for a reissue etc.

Introducing Geoff Tate as another great male vocalist in metal along with Bruce and Rob, and to me this was probably most similar to Judas Priest, but more in the progressive field which made Queensryche so different and innovative in the beginning, and their first few albums...the 'Ryche semed to be hell bent on expanding metal even more and that's what set them apart.

Powerful metal with soaring vocals and intelligent lyrics coupled with a pummeling crunch of guitars and solos that made each song an adventure. Alot of bands were trying to sound as dark and fast as they could around this time also, and Queensryche seemed to stand out in their basic metal approach of the past welded onto a futuristic frame of mind.

This recording, originally a 4 song ep, its here offered as remix with a whole bunch of extra material added. This is the original hard rockin metal visionary band at its finest. Pure 80's sound by a great band in their prime. Highly Recommended.

Truly a must for every metalhead that grew up in the 80's and to any newbies a must for your collection. The company who provided the cd was quick too.