Queensryche & Geoff Tate

It seems I'm the only one really disappointed. I'd like to see them work it out, get back Chris DeGarmo, and try to make a brilliant record for once. This may seem messed up, but Geoff Tate and Chris DeGarmo were the only people I cared about in the band. I always saw Queensryche as Geoff Tate and Chris DeGarmo. When DeGarmo left, half the band was missing. And now, I just can't see the band as Queensryche anymore.

But I don't know. It just feels wrong to me to have Queensryche without Geoff or DeGarmo. In my mind, the band is totally different now. Whether it's for better or for worse, I don't know yet, but Queensryche is now dead to me. I'd rather just call them Rising West even if is a dumb name.
I've never been a huge QR fan, I've barely touched anything outside of Mindcrime really but I do certainly get where you're coming from. The voice is the most distinctive part of a band, followed by the song writing (imho, some people would define it the other way round). I also think they would be better just giving it a new name at this stage - even though the singer sounds extremely similar and many bands still succeed despite changing singer... there is simply too much bad associated with the QR name at this stage. A new band even consisting of the same members will shed that bad blood, while keeping the more 'hardcore' fans on board (because they'll know who they are) and having people who's first listen was one of the later albums and thought "nah QR arent good" open to another chance.

It's a bit like Velvet Revolver. It has most of the members of the band, but it doesn't have the two main songwriters, the two people who personified the band.

If you mean VR don't have the two main songwriters anymore... Scott Wieland is the only departured member. If you mean VR is GnR minus the 2 main songwriters, whilst Izzy Stradlin contributed a huge amount to GnR's sound, Slash is in VR and was one of the people who more 'personified' the band and did a great deal of the song writing.. so either way I think this statements wrong :p Again though, it's a new band even if it has some of the same members.. so it can take a different sound entirely, a different approach etc, and should not be compared as the same band.

Likewise I personally love Chinese Democracy but think whilst having the GnR name on it helped its sales, it would've been far better received by press and fans alike had it been under a new name (less comparing to AFD). It would've also reduced the "how has this taken 15 years" comments because people could have just assumed there was a complete hiatus.
 
It seems I'm the only one really disappointed. I'd like to see them work it out, get back Chris DeGarmo, and try to make a brilliant record for once. This may seem messed up, but Geoff Tate and Chris DeGarmo were the only people I cared about in the band. I always saw Queensryche as Geoff Tate and Chris DeGarmo. When DeGarmo left, half the band was missing. And now, I just can't see the band as Queensryche anymore.
I half share your sentiments. I would have liked it to sort out. Geoff Tate and DeGarmo were the heart and soul of QR. However, ever since Promised Lands they've only managed to put out a couple of good records (Tribe and Mindcrime 2) and a handful of CD's that only works as coasters.

I will decide on what I think after the new album. I get the feeling though that it's due to Tate that the later albums have sucked. Geoff Tate is still pretty good live, but certainly not nearly on par with the Mindcriem 1 era Geoff.
 
I've never been a huge QR fan, I've barely touched anything outside of Mindcrime really but I do certainly get where you're coming from. The voice is the most distinctive part of a band, followed by the song writing (imho, some people would define it the other way round). I also think they would be better just giving it a new name at this stage - even though the singer sounds extremely similar and many bands still succeed despite changing singer... there is simply too much bad associated with the QR name at this stage. A new band even consisting of the same members will shed that bad blood, while keeping the more 'hardcore' fans on board (because they'll know who they are) and having people who's first listen was one of the later albums and thought "nah QR arent good" open to another chance.

I agree with all of this. I'm all for them getting together and doing albums with Todd, but I just think they should break off of Queensryche. I was on Twitter, and just getting a look at the reaction from the casual fans, I mean, to say people weren't thrilled is an understatement. So those casuals don't look like they'll be following the band any longer. They'll pick up more later if the album is good enough, so they might as well just start from scratch.

If you mean VR don't have the two main songwriters anymore... Scott Wieland is the only departured member. If you mean VR is GnR minus the 2 main songwriters, whilst Izzy Stradlin contributed a huge amount to GnR's sound, Slash is in VR and was one of the people who more 'personified' the band and did a great deal of the song writing.. so either way I think this statements wrong :p Again though, it's a new band even if it has some of the same members.. so it can take a different sound entirely, a different approach etc, and should not be compared as the same band.

I meant that from my personal perspective, not from others' perspective. ;) The band for me is Axl and Izzy more than Axl and Slash, so when I first heard about VR, that's how I felt. VR had to win me over because it was basically my favorite band minus my two favorite members. And that's what I hope this new QR will do, win me over sans my two favorite members. But see, I'd like a name change to show that it's a different band. It's petty, I guess, but that's how I feel.

Likewise I personally love Chinese Democracy but think whilst having the GnR name on it helped its sales, it would've been far better received by press and fans alike had it been under a new name (less comparing to AFD). It would've also reduced the "how has this taken 15 years" comments because people could have just assumed there was a complete hiatus.

In all honesty, I think the name hurt more than it helped for the reasons you stated and because people thought, "Well, he destroyed one of the most legendary bands over this?" I actually admire him for keeping the name because there was so much baggage around it, even though I disagreed with it. The band should've just died. Still, it was a tough thing Axl did, and at some point, he deserves credit for enduring the shit thrown at him over it. I'm digressing here, but I really wish he'd just sold it as a solo album. I also wish the label hadn't taken that Best Buy deal. Nobody I knew knew that the album would be released until I said anything because they didn't go to Best Buy and the album wasn't promoted, like, at all. Axl totally disappeared and only surfaced for those super cool forum chats. Where he talked about a music video to be released in a couple weeks. :p

Ah, so many regrets in GN'R land.


I half share your sentiments. I would have liked it to sort out. Geoff Tate and DeGarmo were the heart and soul of QR. However, ever since Promised Lands they've only managed to put out a couple of good records (Tribe and Mindcrime 2) and a handful of CD's that only works as coasters.

I will decide on what I think after the new album. I get the feeling though that it's due to Tate that the later albums have sucked. Geoff Tate is still pretty good live, but certainly not nearly on par with the Mindcriem 1 era Geoff.

I pretty much agree with all this. Honestly, I just want to see it as either continue the band with both Geoff and DeGarmo, or start a new band with a new name, start from scratch. I think it'd just be the best for everybody. There's a lot of baggage tied to Queensryche now anyway, so just let it die.
 
He looked better with hair certainly :p Some of the higher notes are missing completely :( That's my fave QR song too :(

Also.. wheres the main riff during intro/chorus? :/
 
"The other guys have very little input in what Queensryche does. They just sort of show up and play shows and collect a paycheck." ::)

"I'm getting ready by my station, ready to go on stage, and Scott [Rockenfield] looks at me and he smirks and says, "We just fired your whole family, and you're next."

Wow, if that's true, I can imagine the rage boiling up. Anyway, I think that Tate comes across as an intelligent person, who can't be shoved aside that easily. We'll see how the other guys survive their career without him.
Playing only old songs they didn't write, using a copy... not sure if that will last long.
 
The true story is probably somewhere in between what we've already heard and what Tate has said.. the rest of the band are being very quiet at the very least.

Even if things like Cabaret weren't to everybody's liking, they were to some peoples. And ultimately if he is the real creative force then they will struggle. I did think it was a rather obvious indication this would happen when the tagline for Rising West was "playing the first 5 QR albums".. I mean "hey lets form a new band but play ONLY our old bands material!". Normally if you don't like the musical direction of a band you quit and start fresh, not fire the guy who does your writing - because if you are capable of that then why not just stop the direction to begin with and bring your own contributions? Let someone else do the writing then object to it when you don't like it... kinda odd.
 
I was really upset about the news. His voice is not what it use to be, but in the 80's he was a god. This may be for the best because the band was going down hill, but it's sad to see one of my favorite vocalists get kicked out of his own band. I really hope he puts out some great solo stuff, and if he come to town I will definitley go out a support him.
 
According to the first one, "Tate only writes lyrics no music" .. yet he gets blame for the music not sounding like it used to? Doesn't add up....
 
Well, it's hard to write the way you used to when your vocalist's range is shrinking.
 
Well, it's more about the suggestion he's the one writing all the non-metal ;) According to wiki (meh, don't care if it aint 100% reliable it's decent enough) he has writing credits for music and lyrics... so I think they need to make up their minds, did he write all the material and responsible for the bands movement away from the more metal style or not >/
 
Lawsuit documents here: http://www.anybodylistening.net/breakdownroom/index.php?topic=2906.0
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Queensryche defeated a motion for a preliminary injunction on July 13 that would have kept it from touring and operating under the band name, AGPS Management senior manager Glen Parrish exclusively tells Billboard. The act is defending a complaint filed by former singer Geoff Tate in a Washington state court over whether he should be awarded the Queensryche name after being expelled from the group in June.
"We are excited that the Washington courts saw what we and the fans have always known, that Queensryche is more than any one member," Parrish said in a statement. "We are sorry we had to go to court to show this, but we are determined to bring back the quality product Queensryche was known for. We can't wait to unveil to the fans what [the band creates] next musically."
:nana:
 
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