The album opens with typical Queensryche flair with the track "X2", an ominous instrumental to set the tone for the album. Very mechanical sounding, it obviously has the trademark dystopian flair that the band has become known for. "Where Dreams Go To Die" is a great track. Seemingly about a nasty break-up, I really enjoy La Torre's vocals, reminiscent of Geoff Tate, but somehow more accessible and modern. The chorus is infectious, very catchy. Next up is "Spore", showing how the band tread the line between traditional metal and progressive metal. Very modern-sounding, I love Scott Rockenfield's drumming on the track, a true highlight. Vocals are strong, but La Torre's vocals somewhat lack the charisma and unique character of Geoff Tate, more commercial-sounding. Nonetheless, a pretty solid track that will surely please fans of the band.
"In This Light" is one of the lighter songs on the album, a little too much for my taste. The song lacks bite, with barely any distortion and it sounds very slickly produced, with symphonic strings and keyboards covering the track. Also, the bass work of Eddie Jackson lies somewhat buried in the mix. Catchy and one of the most accessible songs in years by the band, but a bit too glossy for me. "Redemption" brings back the metal with heavy rap-rock verse riff, but again brings in a very pop-like chorus. An odd mix, it works somehow, but feels a bit disjointed during the transition from verse to chorus. The song does feel dated somewhat, sounding very 1990s in terms of production and style. Not bad at all, but not a classic Queensryche tune.
"Vindication" is one of the most progressive tracks on the album, with a very unconventional drum-beat, and guitars. Fans of the band will surely love the track, and I can understand the appeal. But the drumming is a little "over the top" is terms of ferocity, Rockenfield bangs the drums a little to hard for me, it becomes a distraction from the vocals and guitars, they feel suffocated by the hopelessly heavy drumming. The chorus is quite cool, very uplifting and almost "power metal" in terms of its very "soaring" vocals. A pretty cool track, I dig it. "Midnight Lullaby" is a short instrumental that sets up the next track. Less than a minute, it is nevertheless a cool little musical sketch, making use of creepy strings and horror-movie-like effects. "A World Without" reminds me of a cross between Alice In Chains and recent Megadeth. The song is a slow-burner, but what a high you get. I really like the build-up to the chorus, and what a great chorus it is. La Torre proves to be a very capable vocalist, hitting some incredible highs. I love the swampy guitars and bass, and the strings add a great element of drama, my favorite track on the album by far.
"Don't Look Back" is a socially-conscious song about the classic "New World Order/Dystopian" theme of the band's formative years. The most thrash-metal song on the album, it's pretty fast. La Torre hits some Bruce Dickinson-esque highs on the track,very impressive. A little short, most of the songs on the album are in fact very short. A good track, especially the vocals and guitars. "Fallout" is another break-up track. I love the "twin-leads" of guitarists Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren, a very nice touch. The bass and drums also kick ass, a very full and heavy sound. I could use a little more distortion on the guitars, but the band has usually taken the cleaner route in terms of production. The album closes with "Open Road". A pretty dreary song, it reflects the bands gothic overtones, which certainly originate from the band's Pacific-Northwest origins. Excellent drumming and great vocals, but a downer of a closing track, very depressing both lyrically and musically.
"Queensryche" is a good album, and one of the band's best in years. La Torre is the best possible replacement for Geoff Tate one could imagine, and his addition seems to have revitalized the band. While some of the songs are quite short, I am actually somewhat relieved, given the immense length of some of the band's earlier albums. I look forward to future releases of this version of the band, a very capable and better than expected album.
Rating-7.5/10
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