Kings & Thieves

There has been no shortage of drama in this year's much publicized implosion of Queensryche and the he-said, she-said accounts of why, but after the smoke cleared, the main explanation seems to be irreconcilable musical differences. The other members are attempting to put the blame for Queensryche's change in sound and subsequent deteriorating sales squarely on the former singer's shoulders. It's a claim that Tate fiercely denies, insisting that he was only one fifth of the band, with only one vote, and unable to make decisions without the other members consent. It's an argument that might hold up ... If he didn't say it, right before releasing ... this. I understand that this is a solo album and wasn't necessarily supposed to sound like Queensryche, but it does sound suspiciously like all of their latest junk, and it lacks any similarity to any of their earlier work. The parallel between this and everything that has gone wrong with Queensryche is pretty easy to hear, so he is going to have a hard time convincing people it was not his influence when his solo album has the same sound. For those unfamiliar with it, this sound is ... Well, it's crap. Like most of Queensryche's material from the last twenty years, it's sloppy, disjointed and noisy with more talking than singing and vocals that frequently sound out of tune. It's not ALL totally awful -- every once in a while, you can hear a piece that sounds a little bit like Empire, but then it breaks down into some other warped melody and it's gone. I bet if Tate knew he was going to be fired and forced to publicly defend his commitment to the classic Queensryche sound he would have made an effort to include some more mainstream metal elements in this music to convince people that his heart was still in it, but as it is, I would guess this is a pretty clear picture of his style. I think he has moved on. And that would be fine -- everyone has a right to evolve and change, but unfortunately, in this type of divorce, to retain some financial custody over the fans, he will pretend that he is still the guy they used to like ... That he still likes to sing those songs ... That there is still a chance he might write one like that again. And he might, but I don't think it will be because he wants to. -- Scott