Queensryche - Dedicated to Chaos

[TageRyche]

Queensryche

Dedicated To Chaos

Loud & Proud Records / Roadrunner Records - 2010

http://www.queensryche.com

 

Having successfully avoided hearing any audio samples from the album but not online opinions, I didn't know what to expect but had a sinking feeling about Dedicated To Chaos going into my playing of the disc for review.

I came out rather pleasantly surprised for the most part. I think in order to really enjoy the disc, you have to accept that Queensryche as anything resembling a metal outfit is dead and buried. They are now a rock and roll band and this isn't a case of splitting musical genre hairs.

I continue to be amazed that Kelly Gray does a decent job producing the band when he was such a lousy addition as a band member.

I didn't like the "chaotic" design to the interior CD booklet for the album.

As for the music, I really liked the opening track "Get Started". Geoff Tate really sounds pretty good on this album and I'm hoping that it is all him and not some Autotunes stuff going on. "Hot Spot Junkie" was a nice uptempo track.

"Got It Bad" sounded almost like it was intended to be a pop song. And the band hasn't completely left themes behind either, "Retail Therapy" has some decidedly pointed lyrics on society's materialism. The song itself is okay.

The version I got of the album had 3 bonus tracks mixed in among the standard album cuts. "I Believe" and "LUVNU" were both bright spots but "Hard Times" was awful.

I also didn't care for "Broken". A few of the other songs were kind of iffy, but didn't rise to the "I HATE IT" category.

This isn't an album that will thrill longtime fans of the band, of which I consider myself one. But time and the musical interests of the band have moved on and it is either move on with them or move on FROM them.

It is a decent album if you can do the former.

As an aside, I really wish the band would NEVER do another caberet tour ever again. It was beyond embarrassing to see videos of their performances. And while Tate sounds good on this album, he comes off as an embarrassing wanker at times in interviews.

 

GRADE - B MINUS

 

 

[RJhog (Admin)]

TR, I'm surprised that you didn't "dislike" this more.  To me, it all sounds like a stab at some sort of cross-over into the pop world.  And while Tate's voice doesn't sound bad at all, it seems to me like he does very little actual singing.  I do agree that the first track is good.  But it went way down hill for me after that.  I'll listen again before the end of the year, but I'm afraid Queensryche is fighting Seether and Duff McKagan's Loaded tooth and nail for the top spot in my "disappointment of the year" category.

[TageRyche]

Hey, no one was more surprised than me that I didn't hate it more.

[Gordon Williams]

It is so interesting to see and read different peoples "takes" on music. I just became a Queensryche fan a few years ago. And I wasn't planning on buying this, but I think I will now. After hearing the 5 songs that were posted in the New Music Corner, I like it enough to spend the money.

"Hot Spot Junkie" is a good tune, and everyone seems to like this cut. But the track I'm really digging the most is "Around The World". I think it has an awesome melody, and it is one of those tunes that kind of just "takes me away", if you know what I mean. I like to refer to songs like this as "hauntingly beautiful". It actually reminds me a little (especially melody wise) of "If I Were King" from the "American Solider" release.

Anyway, thanks to the posting on NMC, and a decent grade from TageRyche in his execellent review, I'm now gonna purchase this, with hopes that I will enjoy at least some of the other tunes I have not heard yet.