I cut the crap and I’m gonna tell you directly what to aspect: if you’re looking for a quality and quite exciting hard rock album, “Dedicated To Chaos” might just fit your taste. Those who still waiting for what actually meant till ’88/’90 (the genius “Operation: Mindcrime” (1988), respectively “Empire” (1990), well, maybe it’s time to accept that “this” Queensrÿche is not “that” Queensrÿche anymore and probably they will never be again. On the other hand, while I was absolutely disappointed by their previous effort, the quite pale “American Soldier” released two years ago, “Dedicated To Chaos” is an absolutely fair material, a mixture of hard and heavy schemes with maximum taste and the unquestionable skill of writing and playing of these guys from Seattle. Because it’s almost impossible to avoid comparison, it’s somewhere between “Promised Land” (1994) and “Empire” (1990) with a taste of experimental sounds from “Tribe” (2003). And I must say: this is far the best Queensrÿche album for almost two decades.
While “American Soldier” was a concept album about war from the perspective of those on the front lines of American wars from World War II through the present, meantime Queensrÿche had their own war experience. In November 2010, Queensrÿche were in the country to play and entertain the soldiers and personnel in U.S. Military camp in Iraq and a bomb attack were occurred. None of the band members were suffering injuries, but it was probably a hell of an experience and definitively they got a brand new perspective about war.
I love the atmosphere of “Dedicated To Chaos”. It’s kind of smooth but tensioned, spacy but heavy enough and it have a good groove, some kind of exciting vibe. Queensrÿche finally re-find them self, find again a path of their own, this space between hard rock and heavy metal with smooth oriental perfume and extremely subtle progressive shades, fit them perfectly.
“Dedicated To Chaos” is quite colorful. “Get Started” might be a classic hard rock anthem. “Hot Spot Junkie” accelerate the tempo a little bit, it’s a nice merging of hard and heavy themes with airy and modern sound. “Broken” is a very airy, almost jazz-like slow, gloomy song, not exactly a ballad, but pretty close. I loved the trio of “Got it Bad”, “Around the World” and “Higher”, excellent groove, inspired themes and construction. “Hard Times” might be a ballad, still it’s also have a kind of jazzy spirit, it’s nice in the best possible sense, kind of mysterious and smooth. “Drive” is heavy without being noisy, have a killer groove and as the whole album, a mysterious, pulsing atmosphere. “I Believe” reminds me of Peter Gabriel while its riffs are pretty heavier. “Luvnu” close the material in the same tempo and pulse as it starts and make you play it again. And well, buy the record and discover for yourself the surprises of the bonus tracks! 🙂
Queensrÿche managed to surprise me, I admit, my fault, I gave up on them long time ago… 53:55 minutes, an excellent material from one of the most impressive heavy metal bands from the end of the 80s and with major influence on the progressive metal genre of the 90s. Queensrÿche are back with full power!
This is the eleventh studio album, due for release on June 28, 2011, and will be the band’s first album for Roadrunner Records’ Loud & Proud label. Head to Queensryche’s Facebook Page and download their brand new track “Around The World” for free!
Track listing:
“Get Started” (Jason Slater, Geoff Tate) – 3:32
“Hot Spot Junkie” (Eddie Jackson, Geoff Tate) – 3:57
“Got it Bad” (Jason Slater, Geoff Tate) – 3:45
“Around the World” (Scott Rockenfield, Geoff Tate) – 4:00
“Higher” (Randy Gane, Geoff Tate) – 3:45
“Retail Therapy” (Jason Slater, Geoff Tate) – 5:08
“At the Edge” (Scott Rockenfield, Geoff Tate) – 4:53
“Broken” (Randy Gane, Kelly Gray, Geoff Tate) – 6:03
“Hard Times” (Scott Rockenfield, Randy Gane, Geoff Tate) – 3:48
“Drive” (Jeff Carroll, Geoff Tate) – 4:13
“I Believe” (Randy Gane, Geoff Tate) – 4:18
“Luvnu” (Randy Gane, Kelly Gray, Geoff Tate) – 6:35
Bonus Tracks:
“Wot We Do” (Jason Slater, Randy Gane, Geoff Tate) – 3:46
“I Take You” (Jason Slater, Geoff Tate)- 3:49
“The Lie” (Eddie Jackson, Geoff Tate) – 4:18
“Big Noize” (Scott Rockenfield, Geoff Tate) – 6:35
P.S. I believe music can not be divided in “good” or “bad”, as I also believe that thinking about music in genres is a pretty stupid approach. There’s thinks we like or we don’t, sometimes one thing fits right in, in a particular moment, other times don’t. We also can dislike some things at one moment and later we can change our opinion. On the other hand, if somebody’s horizon is limited to one genre, one style of music, I think he’s pretty poor…
Fan mean to be fanatic and fanatics mostly don’t like changes, but we and the world are always changing, we like it and we admit it or not. AC/DC plays the same riff since ’73 and fans love them for this while others probably consider it boring… It’s not quite a secret that Mr. Tate never was a metal fan, so if Queensrÿche deviate from their original path, it’s not quite surprising. I loved and I still love their first four albums (“Queensrÿche” -1983, “The Warning” – 1984, “Rage for Order” – 1986 and – obviously – their masterpiece: “Operation: Mindcrime” – 1988), but since 1994 Queensrÿche constantly struggled with their own legacy and carrying the weight of “Operation: Mindcrime”. On “Dedicated To Chaos” – in my humble opinion – for the first time they decide it to leave all that behind and be them self as they are now days and it might be disappointing for core fans, but for them I’m sure it’s releasing. “Operation: Mindcrime II” (2006) proved already that it is impossible to write one more “Operation: Mindcrime” and it’s time to move on.
Well, still, “Dedicated To Chaos” will rise a lot of controversy, and there’s always guys pretty good only in throwing stones.
Read more @ Anybody Listening The closing track of “Empire” actually it’s a pretty good question: anybody listening?
Queensrÿche – Official Site
Queensrÿche @ MySpace
Queensrÿche @ Facebook
Loud & Proud Records
Regardless of genre or past expectations, this album is well beneath the potential of a band of Queensryche’s standing. Forced and cliched lyrics riddle this album. The songs with references to sex are sophomoric at best, sounding like 21st century attempts at glam rock The songs that deal with social issues contain dated references. This is the band that embraced technology on Rage For Order but run scared from it on Dedicated to Chaos. At best, the music on DTC sounds like b-sides from Hear In The Now Frontier or Q2K. Decent musical ideas are not fully formed, or in the case of “I Believe” don’t go anywhere. “Get It Started” is a prime example of the laziness of the band. Could there be a more cliched way to start an album? You have to wonder about the decision making ability of the band when they relegate one of the decent tracks, “The Lie,” to a bonus track.
There’s no such thing as “truth”. We only have our point of view and our subjective opinions. What’s left is being smart asses and running around our mouth.
Maybe you’re right or maybe you’re wrong, after all, believe me, it only matters to you. The only fact is there will be no more “Operation: Mindcrime†and we both know this. The rest is history.
I agree with Greg. I bought this album without even sampling it, and I wish that I would have. Worse 20 I ever spent.