We all have that relative or close friend we want to see succeeding and finding their place in life. For the longest time, Queensrÿche seemed to occupy this space in the average progressive music fan’s mindset: it’s a band many wanted to see rekindling their past glories and releasing an album with the redeeming quality that say, Scenes from a Memory had for Dream Theater. (more…)

From the opening strains of “The Levant”, all of the classic QR attributes are there – although I can’t help but think the second track “Man The Machine” (first single) would have been an even more powerful opener to the album. The song has hallmarks of the brilliantly fast paced “The Needle Lies” (Operation: Mindcrime), delivering an intensity that has been absent for more than just a few albums. (more…)

Queensryche is set to release ‘The Verdict’ on March 1 on Century Media. This will be the third release with Todd La Torre on vocals after dropping ‘Queensryche’ (2013) and ‘Condition Human’ (2015). Fans never like to see an original member, especially the singer, split from a band. The fallout can be unpredictable and replacing Geoff Tate’s unique vocal sound would have seemed difficult. The music gods shined down onto the band when La Torre was given the microphone. (more…)