Growing up in the 70s and 80s rock... the diversity of Metal is where it is🤘🏽😎... we all have our favorite but... when the sound is good... u can't hate on it 🤘🏽😎
He has an incredible range. From what I recall, he might have had the widest range or any singer in the world when he was in this band. However, to me, his vocal tone is not great. Not bad, but not great. It's not wrong for someone to have the opinion that they don't like his voice. It's an opinion. There are no facts in play when it comes to whether someone likes something or not.
@@stevekozlowski5963 I think it's Geoff's tone they don't like.... same with Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson in their higher registers....I love all 3....
@@stevekozlowski5963 And it's wild to ME that people can't understand how for a lot of people these vocals can come off as cheesy. There's no "objectively" best singer because vocals hit everybody differently.
@@travistotle I'm not talking about personal taste, which is subjective, Geoff Tate is OBJECTIVELY one of the most talented singers in metal history. His range and ability are insane, regardless if you actually like the tone of his voice or not. There's a reason why vocal coaches absolutely adore him and can't stop raving about his talent.
Don't care what any ignorant or just uninformed folks [not you 2 guys!] might think: unquestionably, Queensryche came out with two of the finest consecutive albums of all time. Operation: Mindcrime followed by Empire showcased a superb band at the very height of their musical powers. Geoff Tate's voice was singular and the whole band was firing on all cylinders....Long live The Ryche! BTW, you guys are wrong about the relative musical complexity in Ryche music. The entire band were top tier musicians and composers, writing arrangements that might sound less complex but in actuality are pretty elaborate. Guitarists DeGarmo and Wilton were definitely among the top echelon of twin guitar attack bands - melodic players who complimented each other's styles perfectly: as a guitar player, trust me on that. Scott Rockenfeld on drums was also quite legendary, especially for having a reputation as a one take wonder. Eddie Jackson on bass laid down monstrous tones. And of course, Tate's voice was singular. Don't forget also the lyrics and the complex themes The Ryche wrote about. Certainly the farthest thing from popcorn hair metal. Do an episode on Jet City Woman, one of my fave tracks from this stellar Empire album. :) PEACE!
Operation Mindcrime is a masterpiece from start to finish. My all time favorite concept album that must be listened to in it's entirety rather than a song here and there. This band is top three for me. Was my favorite band in high school as soon as Mindcrime came out. Timeless! I could go back and listen to it over and over. Never gets old. It's a shame the members didn't all get along but what we did get out of them is epic. Degarmo wrote Mindcrime btw.
You like what you like, I suppose, but Geoff Tate's vocals are technically amazing. The dude could have been an Opera singer easily if he had opted to go that route.
Actually, what most people say is that QR went downhill during Tate’s later years (which they did) but then came roaring back when LaTorre took over vocals. The albums they put out with him are killer.
@@RobCaldera I happen to much prefer the eclectic Empire to Operation Mindcrime - regardless of its commercial success and wide appeal, for sheer song variety, production and what I personally believe to be superior compositions and better thought-out arrangements
Chris DeGarmo was the star of this band. Music wise, he wrote 85% of the bands catalog which propelled them to super stardom. Without him, this band would've never left Seattle and the day he left, the quality of their songs went downhill very fast, and never recovered. Geoff was a great vocalist for the time but Chris gets ALL the credit here. He was smart to make his millions and get out while on top so that he could focus on being a dad to his newborn daughter, and he never looked back.
DeGarmo was definitely the piece they missed. God bless Wilton for carrying on, and LaTorre is an amazing singer. But damn...I would love to see Chris come back. It would be huge!
ya and he also wrote a huge percent of the next album promise land and it was a complete flop. He lost it after this album. Sorry But tate was Queensryche to me. He wrote a lot of operation mindcrime
Geoff Tate belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of metal vocalists (along w/ Dio, Halford, and Dickinson). Queensryche's first 5 studio releases are essential, with Mindcrime being the masterpiece of the lot.
Carving your name in the RUclips history If you deal with this mix so viciously Seems like the hype's all about your authenticity Forget these other channels, guys We need that top-rated reaction victory, fam
Metal Fan Here: This album is a hard rock masterpiece. Purists might think it's a bit melodramatic and clean to be "metal" but i'm saying this is a band of absolute top tier musicians and songwriters at their peak. Not to mention the engineering and production. You roll down the street blasting this album and the people 10 cars back will hear the crisp in all these notes and drum hits.
Nicely said! State of the art hard rock, compelling musicianship as always with Queensryche, and as you stated, the pristine production allows each instrument to shine!
By GOD man. I’ve found this album numerous times in used CD stores and each time, not only do I purchase it, but I simultaneously wonder: why the HELL would any sane music lover give this album away??! People seem to have the consensus that Mindcrime is QR’s best, but I’d say that Empire is a close VERY close second. With Jet City Woman, The Best I Can, and Silent Lucidity, not to mention the bonus track Scarborough Fair, my GOD this album is a great example of what honed and focused musical talent and inspiration sounds like. Loved reading your thoughts on the album and have a good day bro. -Mike from Cali 🙏
@@stormcorrosion176So your buying Empire again and again? What are you doing with all the extra copies? I feel you on that, though. I am a used CD music hunter, I dig the search for music gold! I go to a Book Off store near home and I am constantly surprised at amazing albums that people turn in for mere pennies, and then Book Off sells them for much more - tidy little profit there! Empire is a gleaming, expertly played and crafted, sonic earworm, Queensryche firing on all cylinders. I never fail to be completely amazed by Geoff Tates vocal power and range, and all the different tones he uses, rare vocal instrument on display in every Queensryche song! Ugly how his time in the band ended - just a really shitty conclusion to something that was once truly magical.
@@stormcorrosion176 Just off the top of my head, in addition to the tracks you mentioned, Anybody Listening and Della Brown are also amazing songs and of course the title track here.
I like your statement about them being an acquired taste. My early years of getting into music were heavily influenced by my friends who were into metal so that’s what I was listening to. But, when alternative got going that’s where home became. I’m not really a metal guy but, Queensryche is still one of my all time favorite bands. My very first album purchases were “Empire” and Cranberries “no need to argue.”There’s just something special there. I definitely developed a taste for them and probably I’ll be 80 years old, still rocking Empire and Promiseland.
@@Vraxx7 nice! I say I’m a metalhead but really I listen to a very wide selection of music. Queensryche’s first five albums have been mainstays in my music collection since I was a kid.
@@SophiaAphrodite Empire was their biggest seller. Only Empire and Mindcrime went Platinum and make up the lions share of sales. You'd be surprised how many people 40-60 either never heard of them, or only know Silent Lucidity, but still don't know the band who made it.
Jeff Tate is also incredible in live performances, at a time when a lot of singers were using so many filters and overdubs (layering) their lives weren't up to par.
In the same album Empire there is a tune called Silent Lucidity which is a ballad and I consider it to be a masterpiece. It could be one of the most well written songs of all time and year before last they had come out with an album called Digital noise alliance which has a tune called Tormentum which is simply superb.
Hell I'm still blown away by how good it sounds in 2024. This was absolutely top, top tier for 1990 let alone 2024. Sure, stylistically things are different now, but a good production and a good mix is still both of those things in any year.
This was Queensryche’s peak album. Silent Lucidity from that album was their biggest hit by far, a smash hit, and is one of the most unique and beautiful songs I know.
Queensryche has always been a respected band in metal. They rose above the hair bands of their day when they started and Mindcrime cemented them as legends of the genre. If you spend time going through their catalog you can probably start to appreciate the vocals. Geoff Tate is considered one of the best metal vocalists of all time. I was lucky enough to see these guys live opening for Metallica. Metallica was touring And Justice For All and Queensryche just released Mindcrime. Metallica had enough respect for them that they let them play the whole album in its entirety. Rare for an opening band to get that much time.
Queensryche is very well regarded by the metal community. This song and this album were huge. Nothing sounded like this at the time. Silent Lucidity was a gigantic crossover hit. That said, if you don't like the vocals on one song, you're not going to like them on just about any song. I think in hindsight, the stuff about tax dollars and law enforcement spending is a bit tone deaf, but at the time, crime was a huge issue, and this was one of the reactions. I just think, a year or so later, Body Count was much better at delivering the message.
Good point about crime being a bigger thing at the time. To 2024 ears, talking about systemic racism in one verse and then talking about spending more money on law enforcement in another feels extremely tone deaf, especially when the song seems like its heart is in the right place.
Queensryche weren’t EVERY metal head’s cup of coffee…but they are absolutely amazing. There was a clunker period for a few years, but everything from their debut EP to “Promised Land” (for ME) was gold!!
Geoff Tate has one of THE most iconic and peerless voices in rock/metal. He possessed at one point a 6 octave range (I believe) - with W. Axl Rose, Mariah Carey, Morten Harket and Michael Kiske (Helloween) being the only other popular singers who held that talent c
Axl doesn’t count. Shrieks don’t count as anything. David Lee Roth also has a recorded range of 5 or 6 octaves…but its only because he sings low, with random uncontrolled shrieks, that register high. Axl way overrated - actually awful vocalist, who after a mere 5 or 6 years, couldn’t even do the shit he once could. Old / washed out voice by his early 30’s. Geoff Tate had an actual amazing range with control and repeatable delivery.💪
"Another Rainy Night" and "Jet City Woman" are absolute FIRE from this album. If you want some melody, which might not be for you guys, "Silent Lucidity" is pure harmony
No one said Geoff cant sing. It is just not their preferred style of singing/vocal in metal. Tate has a more theatrical/operatic voice like Dickinson for example. I think they prefer a more agressive vocal such as 80s/early 90s Hetfield.
Empire isn’t my favorite Queensrÿche album, but I can’t deny that the production and mix on that record is absolute ear candy. Everything on that record sounds absolutely fantastic!
I feel like Empire suffers due to it being the album after Mindcrime. It's a very good album but it's the followup to one of the greatest albums of the genre so it seemed underwhelming.
@@tmage23 Empire is their best selling album, but yeah, I get what you’re saying. I feel the same way about Promised Land, which creatively is a better album than Empire, but never reached that level of success.
This was released during that brief period when the genre received the attention and the money from the record companies. This album, Metallica's Black album, Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction, Skid Row's Slave to the Grind, Dream Theater's Images and Words. Even some of the smaller bands like Fate's Warning and Flotsam and Jetsam managed to sneak in a record with top-notch production. Then the grunge bomb went off, and the money went chasing those bands.
Context fellas, the East Side / West side parts was sign of the times and exactly the way it was said on MTV and any live interview coverage of gang violence. Production on this song is world class
@@stormcorrosion176 uh, no. "Another Rainy Night"is another impeccable lyrical &musical composition masterpiece from Empire. There is no subpar track on that album.
Queensryche's musicianship is always GREAT. Being off the same album, Jet City Woman sounds similar to this song. When I first listened to Queensryche in 1983 I bought the cassette which had the same four songs on both sides. I wanted to buy stock in the band before the tape was over.
One of the greatest bands of all time … thanks for giving them some attention … as I very long time fan of this band, I appreciate when they get some love … they don’t get enough!
Fair enough critique… as an avid fan it’s not in my top 15 of their songs. The band calls it “Thinking Mans Rock”. Do not give up on them as they have lots of different sounds. - Queen of the Reich (live in Tokyo 1984) - Walking In The Shadows - Resistance -Take Hold of the Flame - The Warning. - Operation Mindcrime - Gonna Get Close To You (cover). .
Check out Jet City Woman. Same album. I'm quite confident that you will have a much more positive viewpoint on the overall sound and feel of the song. It's a banger!
The original idea for the spoken word portion was to record an actual drug deal in Seattle. Every dealer spotted the audio equipment and ran. Realizing things were getting dangerous, they threw in the crime stats.
You guys might like Della Brown (off this same album, Empire). It's really bluesy and written about a homeless woman. Also check out Damaged? (from Promised Land) for some of the heavier/groovier side of QR, and is about his own mental illness. Also I don't think the vocals will distract you as much in those. I still to this day have a hard time understanding how some people don't like Tate's vocals (he's one of the technically best of all time and I personally LOVE his tone and phrasing). In fact, many people consider Tate THE REASON they love QR so much and what separated them from their peers. He's so smooth and controlled, way more nuance than most metal vocalists. I guess it's just the slightly nasally delivery that turns some people off. Aside: The lyrics are almost exclusively written by Tate, so even if you don't like his vocal style, know that he's a hell of a lyricist.
Empire is a monster. Saw them perform all of both Mindcrime albums at the Ryman, and this (during the encore) was the best thing they played all night. It's that good.
The lyrics, and the relentless cycling groove and beat really summed up the 90's drug culture. "Tear it all down, we'll put it up again - another empire." Beak up one drug ring, another popped up overnight.
Well, I think you guys need to move on to Silent Lucidity off the same album. It was their biggest commercial success, and just might be a song where you can appreciate Geoff Tate's vocals, since it's a ballad. Tate has a very theatrical delivery. To those of us who loved it, he was the best, but I had friends growing up who couldn't stand his voice. So, it's not unheard of.
I saw these guys when I was 16, just after their EP, and they KILLED. KISS came on after them with their "Animalize" tour, with their makeup off, high leg kicks, and skin-tight leotards, and one song into KISS's set, we were chanting, _"Queensrÿche! Queensrÿche! Queensrÿche!"_ Paul Stanley stopped the show to chastise us, as they added an extra show (the fourth show) because the demand was so high. But I think Paul didn't understand _why_ that demand was so high. It wasn't to see KISS; it was because Queensrÿche CRUSHED IT SO HARD that word got around. So, KISS started back up, and we continued our chant, _"Queensrÿche! Queensrÿche! Queensrÿche!"_ About this song, though, that monologue in the middle of the song talking about not spending enough on law enforcement seems now like tone deafness because that 1994 crime bill that was passed by the Clintons and Joe Biden, among many other myopic politicians, incarcerated more black and brown people than their white counterparts for committing the same crimes. Empire came out in 1990.
This is my favorite Queensryche song. It has this deep and important message as well. They were huge in the late 80's and through the 90's. Empire and Operation: Mind Crime were massive successes for them.
Queensryche was the Seattle version of Pink Floyd in the eighties and nineties, every album had a theme and every album stayed true to that theme from the beginning to the end 👍
Jet City Woman, Silent Lucidity, and Another Rainy Night (Without You) were the big air play songs, but the one song you guys might like off of the Empire album is The Thin Line. Check that one out.
If you havent done it yet you should do revolution calling by them, lyrics are good. Also i dont believe in love and eyes of a stranger. From empire album jet city woman and their ballad silent lucidity.
I don't get why you guys are so negative towards the vocals of Geoff Tate, he is generally considered to be one of the best metal and hard rock vocalists of all time together with Halford, Dio and Dickinson.
I think it’s the vocal melodies they don’t like. They’ve given him respect for his vocal ability but not liked the melodies he is delivering with his vocal ability.
@RuthlessMetalYT I'm not particularly a fan of either one, but on pure technical ability and range, they are excellent. Mike Patton in particular is one of the most versatile vocalists in the history of recorded music. Just...not in a way that I like.
Queensryche was the bizniz back in the gap. Operation Mindcrime is a masterpiece start to finish but you have to take it in just that way, start to finish. Anybody Listening? off of Empire is excellent. Queensryche was very political at times but a truly talented band.
‘“Anybody listening” is another criminally underrated song from this album! … this album reminds me quite a bit of later, post Roger Waters, Pink Floyd albums (Momentary Lapse of Reason, Division Bell) … and Queensryche is a bit like Rush in the sense that they can be a little bit ‘cheesy’ but they are so damn good, that their earnestness actually becomes an endearing part of their sound and why fans love them.
Nobody in the metal community can legitimately hate on this band.
🤟🤟
100% truth. They were great
Growing up in the 70s and 80s rock... the diversity of Metal is where it is🤘🏽😎... we all have our favorite but... when the sound is good... u can't hate on it 🤘🏽😎
I dunno man, I absolutely adore Mindcrime and Empire, but later in their career Queensryche dropped some real steamy turds lol
@@chapelcollins1 Unfortunately, that is very true… Lol
Yea, I'll never understand the lack of appreciation for insane vocalists like this.
Dudes this guy is a once in a lifetime vocalist. . .
Ronnie James Did specifically requested Geoff to sing at his funeral and memorial... he was one of his favorites.
He has an incredible range. From what I recall, he might have had the widest range or any singer in the world when he was in this band. However, to me, his vocal tone is not great. Not bad, but not great. It's not wrong for someone to have the opinion that they don't like his voice. It's an opinion. There are no facts in play when it comes to whether someone likes something or not.
He’s one of my personal favorites. His voice is so unique.
@@ivanboston8582 Very interesting. Did not know that.
Geoff Tate is one of the best singers in metal history!
Of all time, objectively. It's wild to me that these guys think he's a bad vocalist.
@@stevekozlowski5963 I think it's Geoff's tone they don't like.... same with Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson in their higher registers....I love all 3....
@@stevekozlowski5963 And it's wild to ME that people can't understand how for a lot of people these vocals can come off as cheesy. There's no "objectively" best singer because vocals hit everybody differently.
For sure I agree on that.
@@travistotle I'm not talking about personal taste, which is subjective, Geoff Tate is OBJECTIVELY one of the most talented singers in metal history. His range and ability are insane, regardless if you actually like the tone of his voice or not. There's a reason why vocal coaches absolutely adore him and can't stop raving about his talent.
Don't care what any ignorant or just uninformed folks [not you 2 guys!] might think: unquestionably, Queensryche came out with two of the finest consecutive albums of all time. Operation: Mindcrime followed by Empire showcased a superb band at the very height of their musical powers. Geoff Tate's voice was singular and the whole band was firing on all cylinders....Long live The Ryche!
BTW, you guys are wrong about the relative musical complexity in Ryche music. The entire band were top tier musicians and composers, writing arrangements that might sound less complex but in actuality are pretty elaborate. Guitarists DeGarmo and Wilton were definitely among the top echelon of twin guitar attack bands - melodic players who complimented each other's styles perfectly: as a guitar player, trust me on that. Scott Rockenfeld on drums was also quite legendary, especially for having a reputation as a one take wonder. Eddie Jackson on bass laid down monstrous tones.
And of course, Tate's voice was singular. Don't forget also the lyrics and the complex themes The Ryche wrote about. Certainly the farthest thing from popcorn hair metal.
Do an episode on Jet City Woman, one of my fave tracks from this stellar Empire album. :)
PEACE!
Yes Jet City Woman and Walk in the Shadows. Two of my favorite Queensryche songs!
Love Jet City Woman- from the opening bass line through to the first chorus is fire!
Mindcrime is amazing and Empire just proved that they were really worthy of being a great unit. Promised land had some great stuff also.
Say it louder for the people in the back. 💯👊
Operation Mindcrime is a masterpiece from start to finish. My all time favorite concept album that must be listened to in it's entirety rather than a song here and there. This band is top three for me. Was my favorite band in high school as soon as Mindcrime came out. Timeless! I could go back and listen to it over and over. Never gets old. It's a shame the members didn't all get along but what we did get out of them is epic. Degarmo wrote Mindcrime btw.
You like what you like, I suppose, but Geoff Tate's vocals are technically amazing. The dude could have been an Opera singer easily if he had opted to go that route.
Hell yeah.
He actually was trained in opera
A lot of people say Queensryche went downhill after Geoff Tate left, but for me it was Chris DeGarmo's departure that was most heavily felt.
Actually, what most people say is that QR went downhill during Tate’s later years (which they did) but then came roaring back when LaTorre took over vocals. The albums they put out with him are killer.
@@RobCaldera No, when DeGarmo left...the band died.
To be fair: Promised Land - the follow-up to this album (Mr. Degarmo’s last recording with the band) was a serious letdown
@@tristanrl1940Serious letdown? Promised Land is a very good album. I mean, it’s no Mindcrime but neither was Empire.
@@RobCaldera I happen to much prefer the eclectic Empire to Operation Mindcrime - regardless of its commercial success and wide appeal, for sheer song variety, production and what I personally believe to be superior compositions and better thought-out arrangements
Mega sleeper Queensryche song is Walk in the Shadows off Rage for Order. Ridiculous groove
Fuckin love that song !
My absolute favorite Queesryche song.
That whole album kicks serious ass!
Neue Regel or death.
@@GeneSimmonsBoots Best Ryche album
Chris DeGarmo was the star of this band. Music wise, he wrote 85% of the bands catalog which propelled them to super stardom. Without him, this band would've never left Seattle and the day he left, the quality of their songs went downhill very fast, and never recovered. Geoff was a great vocalist for the time but Chris gets ALL the credit here. He was smart to make his millions and get out while on top so that he could focus on being a dad to his newborn daughter, and he never looked back.
And yet this song was written by Wilton and Tate. JS
@@shanedobiesz6993 Yes, this song and Resistance are the only songs DeGarmo didn't touch on this album but like I said, 85%.
DeGarmo was definitely the piece they missed. God bless Wilton for carrying on, and LaTorre is an amazing singer. But damn...I would love to see Chris come back. It would be huge!
ya and he also wrote a huge percent of the next album promise land and it was a complete flop. He lost it after this album. Sorry But tate was Queensryche to me. He wrote a lot of operation mindcrime
Yeah DeGarmo was the man. Him and Whipper were a bad ass team.
Geoff Tate belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of metal vocalists (along w/ Dio, Halford, and Dickinson).
Queensryche's first 5 studio releases are essential, with Mindcrime being the masterpiece of the lot.
Nowhere near those three guys, lets not kid ourselves
@@jans2887Dio and Dickenson have gone on record saying he is one of the best as the OP said above. No idea what Halford thinks about Tate though.
and ozzy
I've been saying that 25 years on now, hell yeah!
I agree they missed this one
“Lost in Vegas we need ya, The Reaction Saviors” 🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂
No lie, i know they don't react based on whats trending, but this is special circumstances. Even Chris and Quavo are getting busy
🤣🤣🤣
Carving your name in the RUclips history
If you deal with this mix so viciously
Seems like the hype's all about your authenticity
Forget these other channels, guys
We need that top-rated reaction victory, fam
🤣
TAYLOR MADE
Right! How is that not today’s video!?!
Please lol wtf
I had to hit the unsubsribe for that. No 🧢. Because at this point you just playing.
@@GTJCI don’t blame you
Taylor Made!!!
Metal Fan Here: This album is a hard rock masterpiece. Purists might think it's a bit melodramatic and clean to be "metal" but i'm saying this is a band of absolute top tier musicians and songwriters at their peak. Not to mention the engineering and production. You roll down the street blasting this album and the people 10 cars back will hear the crisp in all these notes and drum hits.
Not going to lie, I noticed top notch sound production right off the bat. Nothing beats good sound production. You can tell when stuff sounds full.
Nicely said! State of the art hard rock, compelling musicianship as always with Queensryche, and as you stated, the pristine production allows each instrument to shine!
By GOD man. I’ve found this album numerous times in used CD stores and each time, not only do I purchase it, but I simultaneously wonder: why the HELL would any sane music lover give this album away??! People seem to have the consensus that Mindcrime is QR’s best, but I’d say that Empire is a close VERY close second. With Jet City Woman, The Best I Can, and Silent Lucidity, not to mention the bonus track Scarborough Fair, my GOD this album is a great example of what honed and focused musical talent and inspiration sounds like. Loved reading your thoughts on the album and have a good day bro. -Mike from Cali 🙏
@@stormcorrosion176So your buying Empire again and again? What are you doing with all the extra copies? I feel you on that, though. I am a used CD music hunter, I dig the search for music gold! I go to a Book Off store near home and I am constantly surprised at amazing albums that people turn in for mere pennies, and then Book Off sells them for much more - tidy little profit there! Empire is a gleaming, expertly played and crafted, sonic earworm, Queensryche firing on all cylinders. I never fail to be completely amazed by Geoff Tates vocal power and range, and all the different tones he uses, rare vocal instrument on display in every Queensryche song! Ugly how his time in the band ended - just a really shitty conclusion to something that was once truly magical.
@@stormcorrosion176 Just off the top of my head, in addition to the tracks you mentioned, Anybody Listening and Della Brown are also amazing songs and of course the title track here.
Metalhead here! Yep, LOVE Queensryche. They’re an acquired taste, but once you acquire it, they’re unbelievable.
I like your statement about them being an acquired taste. My early years of getting into music were heavily influenced by my friends who were into metal so that’s what I was listening to. But, when alternative got going that’s where home became. I’m not really a metal guy but, Queensryche is still one of my all time favorite bands. My very first album purchases were “Empire” and Cranberries “no need to argue.”There’s just something special there. I definitely developed a taste for them and probably I’ll be 80 years old, still rocking Empire and Promiseland.
@@Vraxx7 nice! I say I’m a metalhead but really I listen to a very wide selection of music. Queensryche’s first five albums have been mainstays in my music collection since I was a kid.
Queensryche is highly underrated. Tate is one of the greatest vocalists around. You should definitely listen to Mindcrime in it's entirety.
LOL they were one of the best selling artists of the late 80's and through the 90s ! Does ANYONE know what the word underrated means anymore? FFS!
@@SophiaAphrodite Empire was their biggest seller. Only Empire and Mindcrime went Platinum and make up the lions share of sales. You'd be surprised how many people 40-60 either never heard of them, or only know Silent Lucidity, but still don't know the band who made it.
"underrated, one of the greatest" jesus christ how about an original thought
Jeff Tate is also incredible in live performances, at a time when a lot of singers were using so many filters and overdubs (layering) their lives weren't up to par.
One of the most rated hard rock/metal bands in history are "underrated"???
Jet City Woman & Another Rainy Night are a must by Queensryche!
Damn right
One of the greatest vocalists of all time! Godly!
This song came out when gang violence in the 90s was at it's peak. People tend to forget or just not realize how bad that shit got back then.
These gentlemen are not fans of soaring vocals 🤣. Even the ones by some of the most respected metal singers and screamers of all time.
In the same album Empire there is a tune called Silent Lucidity which is a ballad and I consider it to be a masterpiece. It could be one of the most well written songs of all time and year before last they had come out with an album called Digital noise alliance which has a tune called Tormentum which is simply superb.
It's definitely up there! Song is a classic. It's like "Comfortably numb" by Floyd or "Nothing else Matters" It don't have to be heavy to be heavy!
Just saw Geoff Tate live in Las Vegas this weekend. He still has his amazing voice 30 years later.
This album blew everyone away just by the quality of the production and mixing. It had pretty groundbreaking effects and vocal mix.
Hell I'm still blown away by how good it sounds in 2024. This was absolutely top, top tier for 1990 let alone 2024. Sure, stylistically things are different now, but a good production and a good mix is still both of those things in any year.
This was Queensryche’s peak album. Silent Lucidity from that album was their biggest hit by far, a smash hit, and is one of the most unique and beautiful songs I know.
Love that record! Another rainy night, and jet city woman are bangers.
Queensryche has always been a respected band in metal. They rose above the hair bands of their day when they started and Mindcrime cemented them as legends of the genre. If you spend time going through their catalog you can probably start to appreciate the vocals. Geoff Tate is considered one of the best metal vocalists of all time. I was lucky enough to see these guys live opening for Metallica. Metallica was touring And Justice For All and Queensryche just released Mindcrime. Metallica had enough respect for them that they let them play the whole album in its entirety. Rare for an opening band to get that much time.
Queensryche is very well regarded by the metal community. This song and this album were huge. Nothing sounded like this at the time. Silent Lucidity was a gigantic crossover hit. That said, if you don't like the vocals on one song, you're not going to like them on just about any song. I think in hindsight, the stuff about tax dollars and law enforcement spending is a bit tone deaf, but at the time, crime was a huge issue, and this was one of the reactions. I just think, a year or so later, Body Count was much better at delivering the message.
Good point about crime being a bigger thing at the time. To 2024 ears, talking about systemic racism in one verse and then talking about spending more money on law enforcement in another feels extremely tone deaf, especially when the song seems like its heart is in the right place.
MegaDeth and slayer super fan here, love everything about queensryche
Queensryche weren’t EVERY metal head’s cup of coffee…but they are absolutely amazing. There was a clunker period for a few years, but everything from their debut EP to “Promised Land” (for ME) was gold!!
im glad there are others that like Promised land because i think it's better than Empire although Empire is pretty good lol
@@metalcryptorthe title track to Promised Land is STILL one of my favorite RYCHE songs!
@@WristwatchAddiction lol i must replay that one i barely know it it's one track i always skipped over!
Promised Land to me ? Masterpiece !
Geoff Tate has one of THE most iconic and peerless voices in rock/metal. He possessed at one point a 6 octave range (I believe) - with W. Axl Rose, Mariah Carey, Morten Harket and Michael Kiske (Helloween) being the only other popular singers who held that talent c
Fuckin Kiske 🔥
Brad Delp?
Agreed 100%. Mike Patton too.
Axl doesn’t count. Shrieks don’t count as anything. David Lee Roth also has a recorded range of 5 or 6 octaves…but its only because he sings low, with random uncontrolled shrieks, that register high. Axl way overrated - actually awful vocalist, who after a mere 5 or 6 years, couldn’t even do the shit he once could. Old / washed out voice by his early 30’s.
Geoff Tate had an actual amazing range with control and repeatable delivery.💪
Really? morten harket? from A-ha?
"Another Rainy Night" and "Jet City Woman" are absolute FIRE from this album. If you want some melody, which might not be for you guys, "Silent Lucidity" is pure harmony
No Yall didn’t just dropped this and ignored the Drake one
Chris Brown diss was better
And Kanye. Did they do Rick Ross?
@@Kickinthescience stop the cap buddy
@@saifalaseeri1446 you actually think Drake was more disrespectful than Chris was?
@@saifalaseeri1446yes it was! Chris had everybody shocked
That drop is a classic Rush move. They were clearly fans.
Appreciate the mindset! Queensryche is one of the few bands you can say that their first 5 albums were absolute 🔥🔥🔥
No one said Geoff cant sing. It is just not their preferred style of singing/vocal in metal. Tate has a more theatrical/operatic voice like Dickinson for example. I think they prefer a more agressive vocal such as 80s/early 90s Hetfield.
Yep and it boggles my mind. They like Dio, but not Dickinson and Tate smh
SILENT LUCIDITY !?
That’s their best song ever??
@@richardnunns5727it's a pleasant Comfortably Numb copycat that scored them a big hit, but it's not very indicative of Queensryche in general
That was the big hit. Huge song
You wouldn't know a world class singer if one bit you.
Funny watching these guys...and then watching vocal coaches react to Tate...these guys have no clue how good Geoff Tate is.
Having a hard time here watching them hate on Tate....this, and the prior album were both masterpieces
@@alistairclifton1286 They're not saying he's a bad singer. They just don't like the style.
Also from the "Empire" LP you'll probably dig "Jet City Woman" & 'Silent Lucidity"
Never heard anyone say they didn't like Geoff Tates voice.
Empire isn’t my favorite Queensrÿche album, but I can’t deny that the production and mix on that record is absolute ear candy. Everything on that record sounds absolutely fantastic!
I feel like Empire suffers due to it being the album after Mindcrime. It's a very good album but it's the followup to one of the greatest albums of the genre so it seemed underwhelming.
@@tmage23 Empire is their best selling album, but yeah, I get what you’re saying. I feel the same way about Promised Land, which creatively is a better album than Empire, but never reached that level of success.
This was released during that brief period when the genre received the attention and the money from the record companies. This album, Metallica's Black album, Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction, Skid Row's Slave to the Grind, Dream Theater's Images and Words. Even some of the smaller bands like Fate's Warning and Flotsam and Jetsam managed to sneak in a record with top-notch production. Then the grunge bomb went off, and the money went chasing those bands.
@@tmage23I fully agree.
Agreed
Think they’d like “Jet City Women” too
There was a period in time when Queensryche was arguably the greatest band in the world and Operation Mindcrime is the greatest album ever recorded.
Stop hating on them for uploading this stuff, we enjoy it
If you want to react to any other Queensryche, may I suggest some even earlier stuff like Walk In The Shadows
Context fellas, the East Side / West side parts was sign of the times and exactly the way it was said on MTV and any live interview coverage of gang violence. Production on this song is world class
Empire is a great song, but imo, the weakest on the album. A great commentary of street life in the early 90s tho.
@@c.j.7752weakest song on the album?…uh I think you mean “another rainy night”: that song is laughable. Catchy but laughable.
@@stormcorrosion176 uh, no. "Another Rainy Night"is another impeccable lyrical &musical composition masterpiece from Empire. There is no subpar track on that album.
Queensryche's musicianship is always GREAT. Being off the same album, Jet City Woman sounds similar to this song. When I first listened to Queensryche in 1983 I bought the cassette which had the same four songs on both sides. I wanted to buy stock in the band before the tape was over.
All I know is in 1990 if you listened to slayer you listened to queensryche
All I know is in 84, I listened to both to include Metallica and Anthrax
Growing up in the 70s and 80s the diversity of Metal was the joy... we all have our favorites but when the song rocks... u can't hate on it 🤘🏽😎
Not true. Queensryche didn't click with me until I listened again in later years, whereas Slayer was my shit
Completely agree…both worked hand in hand!
@@tghagen1967slayer lol . The guitar playing was abysmal in slayer .. just can’t do it
One of the best metal vocalists, ever.
That bass sound is badass
I’m 60 and loved Queensryche when they came out. They were ahead of their time.
One of the most talented bands in 80's metal.
Scott Rockenfield is also an underrated drummer. Hard hitter with lots of soul.
Context: song was made in the middle of the crack epidemic.
One of the greatest bands of all time … thanks for giving them some attention … as I very long time fan of this band, I appreciate when they get some love … they don’t get enough!
Geoff Tate is one of the greatest singers of his generation. Queensryche has been referred to as "the thinking man's metal band."
Fair enough critique… as an avid fan it’s not in my top 15 of their songs.
The band calls it “Thinking Mans Rock”.
Do not give up on them as they have lots of different sounds.
- Queen of the Reich
(live in Tokyo 1984)
- Walking In The Shadows
- Resistance
-Take Hold of the Flame
- The Warning.
- Operation Mindcrime
- Gonna Get Close To You (cover). .
No way they just ignored all these dissed that have dropped. Fumbling the bag man that’s where the views at
If u know them, u know they don’t do videos for publicity lol
Huh?
Imagine
They really did..lost in Vegas is lost in Vegas!
TAYLOR MADE
Thank you for the intro part. I just checked out Kill Thanatos because of you and I am.liking them. Good work gentlemen
Do "Walk in the Shadows" off Rage for Order
Last 3 times I saw Geoff Tate, he opened the shows with this one. Gets the crowd hyped from the jump!
Chris Degarmo, lead guitar, was the master of melodic lead guitar
I came here to say this. When it comes to leads, very few do it better than Chris DeGarmo. His phrasing was so good.
Michael Wilton wrote this song, and also plays the lead guitar on it.
DeGarmo and Wilton always shared lead role. . . That was part of the foundation of the band.
Check out Jet City Woman. Same album. I'm quite confident that you will have a much more positive viewpoint on the overall sound and feel of the song. It's a banger!
One of the best voices in metal
The original idea for the spoken word portion was to record an actual drug deal in Seattle. Every dealer spotted the audio equipment and ran. Realizing things were getting dangerous, they threw in the crime stats.
Havent heard this in ages. Forgot how hard it hits. 🔥 Thanks!
If you want a groove… Everybody Knows A Little Bit Of Something… King’s X
That song and album are King's X at their most magical!
« Black The Sky » is pretty groovy too. 😉
Just react to Groove Machine!
I'd suggest "Spreading the Disease," with that fantastic guitar and vicious lyrics.
^ This!!
He's one of the best singers in Rock
I love the bass tone on this album.
Damn I was hopping for Taylor made
Same da fuq😂
You guys might like Della Brown (off this same album, Empire). It's really bluesy and written about a homeless woman. Also check out Damaged? (from Promised Land) for some of the heavier/groovier side of QR, and is about his own mental illness. Also I don't think the vocals will distract you as much in those.
I still to this day have a hard time understanding how some people don't like Tate's vocals (he's one of the technically best of all time and I personally LOVE his tone and phrasing). In fact, many people consider Tate THE REASON they love QR so much and what separated them from their peers. He's so smooth and controlled, way more nuance than most metal vocalists. I guess it's just the slightly nasally delivery that turns some people off.
Aside: The lyrics are almost exclusively written by Tate, so even if you don't like his vocal style, know that he's a hell of a lyricist.
Yep damaged would make an awesome reaction. The drums and guitar playing on there are amazingly done too
They would LOVE Della Brown
Don’t drip this due to vocals guy’s. Geoff has a fantastic take on this.
Empire is a monster. Saw them perform all of both Mindcrime albums at the Ryman, and this (during the encore) was the best thing they played all night. It's that good.
"Not a fan of the vocals" Arguably considered one of the best voices ever in prog metal.
The lyrics, and the relentless cycling groove and beat really summed up the 90's drug culture.
"Tear it all down, we'll put it up again - another empire."
Beak up one drug ring, another popped up overnight.
A socially aware metal band is relevant in any era. VASTLY underappreciated band then and now.
Lost in Vegas we need ya, the reaction saviour
you said you react to videos, but now you too busy to react i can't lie the people confused.
Anything from side one of Rage for Order, their best album, IMO, is worth the listen.
The entire Empire album is a banger! Those 80s/90s metal signers just had a little theatrics to them that's all, it worked.
Quick side note, "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks turns 60 years old this year. You should check it out.
If you whant groove try Della Brown same, album. Jet City Woman is really good aswell.
Another Rainy Night as well.
LOL this mans vocals are legendary, i loved this CD, " Jet City Woman" is awesome too
Queen of the Ryche, Night Rider, Warning, Another Day Without You, so many more that rock out. Enjoy
mmm those first 2 🤘
“Resistance” is another great track from this album
Well, I think you guys need to move on to Silent Lucidity off the same album. It was their biggest commercial success, and just might be a song where you can appreciate Geoff Tate's vocals, since it's a ballad. Tate has a very theatrical delivery. To those of us who loved it, he was the best, but I had friends growing up who couldn't stand his voice. So, it's not unheard of.
I saw these guys when I was 16, just after their EP, and they KILLED.
KISS came on after them with their "Animalize" tour, with their makeup off, high leg kicks, and skin-tight leotards, and one song into KISS's set, we were chanting, _"Queensrÿche! Queensrÿche! Queensrÿche!"_
Paul Stanley stopped the show to chastise us, as they added an extra show (the fourth show) because the demand was so high. But I think Paul didn't understand _why_ that demand was so high. It wasn't to see KISS; it was because Queensrÿche CRUSHED IT SO HARD that word got around.
So, KISS started back up, and we continued our chant, _"Queensrÿche! Queensrÿche! Queensrÿche!"_
About this song, though, that monologue in the middle of the song talking about not spending enough on law enforcement seems now like tone deafness because that 1994 crime bill that was passed by the Clintons and Joe Biden, among many other myopic politicians, incarcerated more black and brown people than their white counterparts for committing the same crimes.
Empire came out in 1990.
Brilliant band! Thanks for the reaction. Check out "Revolution Calling"
Great suggestion. I have been watching these guys since 2018. They would dig Revolution Calling.
A lot of great songs on this album. “Jet City Woman”, and “Another Rainy Night (Without You)”, are AWESOME!
WHERE DRIZZY AT
He goes from B3 to E5. Tremendous range! One of the best singers of all time
This is my favorite Queensryche song. It has this deep and important message as well. They were huge in the late 80's and through the 90's. Empire and Operation: Mind Crime were massive successes for them.
Queensryche was the Seattle version of Pink Floyd in the eighties and nineties, every album had a theme and every album stayed true to that theme from the beginning to the end 👍
That's a great song. Killer vibe and groove, no doubt.
Jet City Woman, Silent Lucidity, and Another Rainy Night (Without You) were the big air play songs, but the one song you guys might like off of the Empire album is The Thin Line. Check that one out.
If you havent done it yet you should do revolution calling by them, lyrics are good. Also i dont believe in love and eyes of a stranger.
From empire album jet city woman and their ballad silent lucidity.
They did Eyes of a Stranger. They gave it a thumbs up.
The song is on the "instantly puts you in a good mood" playlist.
Knew you guys would dig the groove.
Yes, some of us metalheads LOVE this groove. The vocals are okay, but that groove is DEFINITELY head-bang worthy.
Jet City Woman is another banger from this album.
I don't get why you guys are so negative towards the vocals of Geoff Tate, he is generally considered to be one of the best metal and hard rock vocalists of all time together with Halford, Dio and Dickinson.
I think it’s the vocal melodies they don’t like. They’ve given him respect for his vocal ability but not liked the melodies he is delivering with his vocal ability.
@@kevinpearson8562 yeah, that deep empire voice is kinda corny but overall Tate is an insane vocalist, he held back a bit on Empire though.
The timbre of certain voices can be grating, regardless of technical ability. It's a similar deal with Mike Patton, Axl Rose, etc.
@@CricketStyleJ but those are mediocre in comparison. haha
@RuthlessMetalYT I'm not particularly a fan of either one, but on pure technical ability and range, they are excellent. Mike Patton in particular is one of the most versatile vocalists in the history of recorded music. Just...not in a way that I like.
Your comments on Geoff Tates vocals are hilarious. He literally considered top3 metal vocalist ever.😂
Queensryche was the bizniz back in the gap. Operation Mindcrime is a masterpiece start to finish but you have to take it in just that way, start to finish. Anybody Listening? off of Empire is excellent. Queensryche was very political at times but a truly talented band.
‘“Anybody listening” is another criminally underrated song from this album! … this album reminds me quite a bit of later, post Roger Waters, Pink Floyd albums (Momentary Lapse of Reason, Division Bell) … and Queensryche is a bit like Rush in the sense that they can be a little bit ‘cheesy’ but they are so damn good, that their earnestness actually becomes an endearing part of their sound and why fans love them.