Queensryche – ‘Frequency Unknown’ Album Review

In recent months it has been difficult to ascertain exactly who has behaved with the least dignity with regards to the on-going debacle that is Geoff Tate versus Queensryche. Queensryche, so often portrayed as blameless, seem to have come off best largely by remaining silent, although a school of thought exists that they should simply have formed a new band with Todd La Torre rather than drag on under the same name; the fans of both camps have done much to promote the argument that if you have nothing constructive to say, you should stay silent; the media, with typical, venomous glee, have stoked the fires of discontent with a wonderful disregard for decorum and even Geoff Tate himself has offered up the gloriously unsubtle side-swipe of a cover that gracelessly graces the new “Queensryche” album with the letters F.U, meaning that no-one gets out of this arena of opprobrium without looking slightly tarnished.

However you view the continuously evolving situation we are now faced with the release of one Queensryche album (Geoff Tate’s version) and the imminent release of another, and so, for now, both bands seem finally content to let the music do the talking. Geoff Tate, remarkably, got together a line-up and ten songs with a speed few could have anticipated and, whilst he has suffered a number of setbacks (lost band members, lost producers, multiple mixes of the same record), the results are surprisingly good. Surprising because a) Geoff Tate has been unequivocally blamed for the pop-music inspired downfall of Queensryche; because b) Geoff Tate and his band has been under near continuous pressure since this whole situation exploded (regardless of whom you think is right or wrong); and because c) Trying to recreate the magic of a brand name with no original band members than yourself is an exercise that can badly backfire if you misstep. Whilst it is not a perfect album, ‘Frequency Unknown’ (tawdry title issues aside) provides plenty of evidence to suggest that Geoff Tate was far from the malevolent, wholly confused creative force he has been painted as being by the rest of the band, and it is highly likely that much of the criticism levelled at this record will come from those who have never actually heard it.

So, ‘frequency unknown’ contains ten tracks of rousing metal that leaves the most recent Queensryche release gasping for air and focuses in on an electronically augmented mixture of ‘Promised land’ and ‘tribe’, the songs largely short, sharp shocks of crunchy metal with an emphasis on beautifully phrased solos (provided by a wide array of guests from KK Dowling to Chris Poland) and while the album does not scale the heights of ‘Operation Mindcrime’ (the band’s immortal elephant in the room when it comes to creating any new music), it still has plenty to offer and to say.

Opening track ‘cold’ feels like a statement of intent from Geoff and his band. Echoing the short, powerful dynamics that one-time peers Dream Theater used to grand effect on ‘Systematic chaos’, the track is led by Geoff’s still powerful voice and a blistering solo from Kelly Gray, whilst Randy Gane’s keyboards add depth and melody to the crushing power chords that abound elsewhere on the song. The mood is maintained with the ascending riff of ‘dare’ which appears to be motivated by anger at faceless individuals abusing Geoff from a distance which, whilst a legitimate subject for commentary, is not covered with Geoff’s customary intelligence, his anger perhaps clouding his judgement as the lyrics come off like a cross between Limp Bizkit and ‘get in the ring’. Slowing the pace is ‘give it to you’ which employs unusual minor key embellishments and crunchy riffs to a track that starts off like a ballad, and which throws a brilliantly fluid solo at the listener (courtesy of Robert Sarzo) on the middle eight which makes it a memorable addition to the Queensryche canon. ‘Slave’ is a heavy, groove-based song that throws razor sharp guitars and a massive chorus into the mix, both of which should get a fair few heads nodding in the pit, although lyrically it suffers from a simplicity that has rarely been associated with Geoff in the past.

With the album passing by at some speed, one of the highlights is the spacey grandeur of ‘in the hands of God’ which does much to highlight the heights to which Geoff’s version of Queensryche can scale, the guitars tinged with Eastern promise and progressive elegance even as Geoff turns in a gloriously tight performance that echoes his vocal work on ‘Empire’. Equally impressive is ‘running backwards’ which adds Paul Bostaph on drums and KK Dowling on guitar to grand effect, the latter’s solo tearing the furious riffs to shreds in typical Priest style and it’s hard not to be impressed both by the level of power in Geoff’s song-writing and the quality of the musicians this project has attracted. Another more subtle effort is ‘life without you’ with its pounding drums, chiming guitars and memorable chorus all showcasing the pop sensibility that underscored tracks like ‘silent lucidity’ with such enduring power, whilst the furious solo that sees the song to its conclusion keeps things on the right side of heavy.

Possibly the most traditional song on the album, ‘everything’ (featuring Ty Tabor) could just as easily have been flown straight in from the 80s via Europe with its fast riffs, cheesy harmonies and piano breaks, and although it’s by no means a bad song, it sounds strangely incongruous in the overwhelmingly contemporary setting of the album. ‘Fallen’ is a slower number incorporating rich acoustic guitars and synth textures, recalling the mood of ‘hear in the now frontier’, although both vocals and solos rage harder as the song reaches its conclusion. The album finishes on ‘the weight of the world’ (a track featuring Chris Poland), a string-backed track that suggests the influence of the ‘Empire’ album on Geoff’s song-writing this time out, whilst the subtle introduction of a choir at the songs epic finale even harks back to ‘suite sister Mary’. It is a fine ending to the record and you can’t help but wish it had been left there.

However, with the new material dispensed with, the record continues with four re-recorded classic ‘ryche tracks – ‘I don’t believe in love’, ‘empire’, ‘jet city woman’ and ‘silent lucidity’. These are not badly done, although the modern production fails to capture the powerful magic of the originals, but the ultimate question is why? Clearly being ejected from Queensryche has had a profound impact upon Geoff, but re-recording classic tracks, with which he will forever be associated with anyway, seems so utterly pointless and it does nothing to add to the power of a record which would be better left to stand on its own, freed from the weight of expectation invariably heaped on it as a result of the band name adorning its cover. Oddly, with the exception of Randy Gane involving himself with a couple of minor points, the re-recordings were not even done by any of the Queensryche band members, all duties being handled instead by Martin Irigoyen, and it is quite impossible to ascertain in whose interest these carbon copies of great tracks actually are.

So what do we make of Geoff Tate’s Queensryche? If you take the trouble to listen to the album, free from the hype and hysteria that surrounds it, you’ll find a rock solid metal album that provides the perfect platform for one of metal’s finest voices, not to mention a host of solos provided by a variety of talented guests whose presence lends a certain weight to proceedings. The much-derided mix is certainly dry, but it is far from the horrendous mess certain websites would have you believe, and if this version of Queensryche does continue it is certainly not sullying the name of a band that has had its wild ups and downs over the years. Sure it’s no ‘operation mindcrime’, but then how could it be? That album was a remarkable product of its particular time, whilst ‘Frequency unknown’ is a powerful statement of intent from a singer whose ego has taken something of a bruising from both former band and fans alike in recent months. Whilst one must question the wisdom of a cover so thoroughly unsubtle and the decision to add four classic tracks to the album’s conclusion, the overall impression is a positive one, and Geoff’s voice, always a thing of wonder, is ably served here by ten tracks which are far heavier than the wild claims of his former band mates wold have you believe. Listen without prejudice and you’ll find much to enjoy in this flawed, but ultimately welcome record.