Queensryche & Geoff Tate

[Yax]

I thought it was good! Like, musically it's rather different from the original, and as you say borrows heavily from the Key, especially in terms of vocals, but I think it all gels. The thematic stuff is very cool with the lyrics coming from Doctor X's perspective.

 

[Jer]

So basically you say buying the album would be a bad investment?

It’s so bad that listening to it might give you vesticular cancer!

 

[MindRuler]

I thought it was good! Like, musically it's rather different from the original, and as you say borrows heavily from the Key, especially in terms of vocals, but I think it all gels. The thematic stuff is very cool with the lyrics coming from Doctor X's perspective.

I heard some snippets of 4 to 5 tracks so far and they sounded good to me, especially guitar melodies are much more inspired than the Key ones.

 

[Jer]

I heard some snippets of 4 to 5 tracks so far and they sounded good to me, especially guitar melodies are much more inspired than the Key ones.

The vocal melodies and harmonies are awful, and the songwriting is mostly terrible too.

 

[Yax]

The vocal melodies and harmonies are awful

Geoff always seem to do better when he's coached, or co-writes the vocal melodies with somebody else, be it DeGarmo, or Tobias Sammet.

I really like You Know My Fucking Name, The Answer, Vulnerable, I'll Eat Your Heart Out, Do You Still Believe and Power. But I do agree they would be better with more... challenging and classic Tate-esque melodies and singing. All the stuff he's done with Avantasia kicks ass, but I think when he writes his lines by himself, like here, he tends to be a bit lazy and sing comfortable lines.

 

[Jer]

After multiple listens my opinion is unchanged — this album is a hot mess of terrible vocal melodies and harmonies, embarrassing synth orchestration, weak songwriting, and very uneven instrumental work (with some admittedly high points). “Power” is by far the best song on offer here, and even that one is pretty uneven.

Critical consensus seems to be fairly positive on this album, which is an utter shock to me. Don’t know what you guys are smoking.

Honestly, if you like this cowpie of a record, you should give The Key trilogy another shot, because it’s way better than this one.

Also, fuck Geoff Tate for only selling the CD through his website and then trying to charge $30 for it. For those of you who enjoy the album that’s incredibly exploitative.