Queensryche
From the Northwest, Queensryche was well after the Kingsmen, Paul Revere & the Raiders and even Heart, but well before the whole Grunge scene. They came together at a time when Northwest groups, attempting to ride New Wave, were failing miserably. The Northwest was about no nonsense Rock, played loud. It was not about style, posing, or any of that.
Formed around lead singer Geoff Tate, Queensryche produced a self-financed album in '83 entitled "Queen of the Ryche." EMI Records re-released it and dubbed the group Queensryche. Tate, drummer Scott Rockenfield (great name), bassist Eddie Jackson, guitarists Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo spent the next two years opening for Bon Jovi, KISS and Metallica. They also produced their second and third albums, "The Warning" and "Rage for Order."
Borrowing from George Orwell and using producer Peter Collins "Operation: mindcrime" was released in '88. While the album didn't roll up the charts, it did stay around for over a year selling a million copies. Two years later "Empire" arrived with the ballad "Silent Lucidity" cracking the Top 10 on the pop charts. Queensryche hit the "Monsters of Rock" tour and recorded "Operation: livecrime."
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With fame came the opportunity to make some bad choices, like contributing a song ("Real World") to Arnold's bomb, "The Last Action Hero." However, the band got back on track with "Promised Land" and "Here In The Now Frontier." At the end of the decade De Garmo left. The next step was the launch of "Q2K" which featured the hook laden "Falling Down."
'03 release "Revolution Calling" was the obligatory remastered box set containing the group's first seven albums. But there was more, including live and bonus tracks - even some MTV Unplugged stuff. That same year Queensryche regrouped for "Tribe" which was followed by the concert souvenir "The Art Of Live."
"Operation: mindcrime II," a sequel released eighteen years after the original, rolled out in '06.
After plodding through the '80s with three albums that re-enforced their opening act status Queensryche released "Empire" and "Operation: mindcrime." The latter has "Eyes Of A Stranger." Those two albums, along with "Hear In The Now Frontier," released in '97, are the group's strongest albums.
"Tribe" marks the return of Queensryche following a lengthy absence. While not one of their stellar efforts it shouldn't be dismissed. Rocker "Losing Myself" ("I'm so far away") and the acoustic mid-tempo "Falling Behind" are outstanding. The title track is a tightly wound blast while the pop oriented "Rhythm Of Hope" has an accessible appeal.
"Revolution Calling" is a massive box set with over 100 tracks. There is enough live and bonus material to entice fans who thought they had everything. "The Art Of Live," which hit in '04, is an OK set but there is too much emphasis on recent ("Tribe") material.
"Operation: mindcrime II" vaults from ponderous Prog Rock claptrap ("Speed Of Light," "An International Confrontation" and "All The Promises") to blistering, nasty, mind mashing Rock ("I'm American," "Signs Say Go" and "Re-Arrange You"). Arguably, it's over-long and self indulgent but it has enough power and Queensryche glory (not to mention madness) to put it over. That it doesn't measure up to the original isn't much of a surprise, it would be unfair to expect anything different.