QUEENSRYCHE "The Verdict"




QUEENSRYCHE “The Verdict”

It has been 31 years since “Operation: Mindcrime” changed the game for Queensryche and set a new standard for melodic metal excellence. The band has struggled to match that highpoint for the remainder of their career. Well, they are probably never going to get any closer to that classic than “The Verdict”. This is a magnificent piece of work.

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since “Mindcrime”. Geoff Tate and Chris DeGarmo are both gone and many would have said they were irreplaceable. You wouldn’t know it from “The Verdict”. New singer Todd de la Torre has amazed many since his debut, but this is his high
point. This album is a dream for any lover of clean and operatic metal vocals. And the same can be said for the guitar work. This album is one of the heaviest QUEENSRYCHE works ever and Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren have never sounded better.

The band has always been in search of what they really are. With “The Verdict”, their quest is over: this is a melodic heavy metal band. Not a prog rock band. Not a grunge band. Not an electronic rock band. Those bases have all been explored. The sound of “The Verdict” is QUEENSRYCHE in its purest form: concise, heavy tunes with great guitar melodies, outstanding vocals and just enough experimentation to spice things up. The record starts right away with a killer metal song “Blood of the Levant” and moves from strength to strength. “Man The Machine” and “Light Years” are even heavier and more intense, with de la Torre exploring his vocal range and stretching himself. “Light Years” has a cool, almost Middle Eastern feel to it, as does “Inside Out”, which gets my nod as best song on an album full of mind-blowing music. This last one is just epic!

The second part of the album is a bit more progressive and has slight experimental touches. “Bent” is metallic but somewhat industrial, with processed vocals and sounds. “Dark Reverie” is a superb HEAVY ballad...not a redux of “Silent Lucidity”, but a prime example of what a METAL ballad should be. Album ending “Portrait” finally eases up a bit and has a neat poppy chorus with layered vocals and a strong 70’s influence.

The album flows so well from song to song and the quality never lets up. I would place “Operation: Mindcrime” slightly ahead of “The Verdict” because of the strength of the story and lyrics, but as far as the musical end of it, “The Verdict” is every bit as good. Do not pass up this masterpiece!

CENTURY MEDIA

QUEENSRYCHE

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