Queensryche New Album Artwork revealed/also check out "Arrow of Time"

Above is the cd artwork for the upcoming Queensryche album, CONDITION HÜMAN. The album was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris who has done a bunch of great stuff for Hatebreed and Shadows Fall to name just a few. Really looking forward to hearing what the band has come up with for this album, I did enjoy the last release but found the production over saturated.

The first track off the album they've made available for the fans to hear is "Arrow of Time" which they've been performing live on tour.

 

Geoff Tate returns to sound exactly like the watered down version of Queensryche we thought he'd bring to the table.

I started this blog reporting about infighting in Queensryche a few years ago. So why wouldn't I write about it now?

First off it's not hard to beat any expectations I have of what a Geoff Tate lead band will sound like that isn't Queensryche. The last Ryche album with Tate's handpicked members went over like a fart in church. I've said enough about what's gone on between Tate and the other members of the band. I've talked about how quickly many of the hand picked band found reasons why they couldn't tour to support the album that generated a contest about how much fans hated it. Rats jumping ship.  Remember that label even sponsoring that said contest and the very person to win was the least critical fan to even make it into the final round.

Ok, so the court case went on forever. Queensryche got to keep their name, Tate got paid off and was allowed to start a new band with a name that completely sounds like a Queensryche tribute band. OPERATION: MINDCRIME What was Tate's first plan of action for this new band? To write the completion of the Mindcrime arc throughout the next several albums of the band's initial offering. Talk about hogtying the creativity of your new band for years to come. Talk about an identity crisis.

So today this track appears in my Youtube. The hair, man that hair....Tate has a thing for switching up the mohawk and goatee to just a goatee every few years. It's cool, I get it, with all that hair dye going to waste just dyeing a beard you might as well grow out a chia pet on your head.

SO on to the music. What do I think of this first taste of OPERATION: MINDCRIME?...if this was actually a tribute band, I'd write them and tell them good job. It's what I'd expect from a tribute band playing the hallowed halls of an Asian cuisine and buffet joint on Saturdays in my hometown.
Oh wait, this is the genuine, original Ryche crooner. The spitter. The wine glass and vest man. hmm....Well, it's actually exactly what I thought it would be. The worn down voice of a guy who took his position in a once great band for granted and decided to start a pissing match with his band mates in public for the whole world to see. A world of viral videos and everything that actually used to happen behind doors all for the world to see - type of world. Good job Tate. You've succeeded in attaching your wagon to the sound that all the fans and your former band mates wish you had continued to perform instead of the shite you call burlesque when you were actually still in the band.
Whoop deee dooooo...

QUEENSRŸCHE & Geoff Tate meet official agreement on QUEENSRŸCHE name and more!

 QUEENSRŸCHE dispute comes to a conclusion.

Band keeps Name, Tate keeps Mindcrimes

Officially QUEENSRŸCHE

The first post on this site last year was in regards to the whole debacle about Geoff Tate getting fired from QUEENSRŸCHE and starting up his own QUEENSRŸCHE. Both Tate's band of misfit players known as QUEENSRŸCHE and the remaining members of QUEENSRŸCHE released albums seperately to varying degrees of success. To put it bluntly, Tate rushed out a terrible album panned by critics and fans as the worse material ever put out under the band's name. The other QUEENSRŸCHE along with new lead singer Todd La Torre were much more successful in translating the style that fans had expected from the band.

Fans were told to expect an official outcome about the use of the band's name and rights to recording under that said name. The end date for the court case was pushed back a few times and today, QUEENSRŸCHE officially released a statement. Which QUEENSRŸCHE you ask?
Here's the statement:

"We wanted to let QUEENSRŸCHE fans around the world know that an amicable settlement has been reached between Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton and Geoff Tate with regard to the future of the QUEENSRŸCHE name. According to the agreement, original QUEENSRŸCHE members Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Michael Wilton along with recent members, Todd La Torre and Parker Lundgren, will now be the sole entity recording and touring as QUEENSRŸCHE, performing selections from their entire musical catalog that spans over 30 years of material. Original QUEENSRŸCHE lead singer Geoff Tate will continue to record, perform and pursue a variety of other creative endeavors and, as part of the agreement, will have the exclusive rights to perform 'Operation: Mindcrime I' and 'II' in their entirety as a unique performance. Both sides wish each other well and are excited about what the future holds. We want to thank the fans for standing beside us through this ordeal and look forward to sharing our music with you for years to come."

Geoff Tate - Proud owner of Mindcrimes I & II

The above statement was released jointly by Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton and Geoff Tate.

Tate added
"One thing that's really important for people to understand is that this never went to court. They [Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield] bought the name from me. But I retain 'Operation: Mindcrime'. It's sort of similar to the PINK FLOYD situation where Roger Waters retained 'The Wall'. 'Mindcrime' was my thing and my story, so it's appropriate that I keep that. So they will continue on as QUEENSRŸCHE, and I will continue on as me."

And so the dispute is over. I'm sure fans will sling mud from time to time but I think this outcome was as favorable for the fans as it was for the band members former and current. Good luck to all.