Empire reviewed

 

Picking a favorite album for me is all but impossible.  Having to sift through a mess of noise and words to determine what's the best mess is a daunting task.  But if I had to pick one it would probably have to be Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime.  With it's sweeping story, pounding riffs and being masterfully sung by singer Geoff Tate there is much to love about that album and I keep hearing new things and see new sides every time I listen to it.  And then they released the follow-up Empire in which it contains Queensryche's only Top 40 hit "Silent Lucidity" which is a very good album but then again, it's still under Mindcrime's considerable shadow.

But it's not like Queensryche doesn't try.  The band most certainly gives it their all with some great riffs and some amazing sounds.  They even stretch how long their songs are with none of them being shorter than 4 minutes and it never becomes boring.  Even when they do some sampling like the "black man" bit in the title track or the beginning of "Best I Can" it's only done when it'll make the most impact and it makes the album a bit better.  

Of course, I would probably be beaten into a pulp if I didn't mention "Silent Lucidity".  There's a reason for this, it's my favorite song from Queensryche.  Now I know what you're thinking: That album wasn't in Operation Mindcrime how can that be your favorite song?  Simple, Mindcrime mostly worked as an album rather than a collection of awesome songs.  "Silent Lucidity" stands alone with it's sweeping orchestration, great albeit weird-dreamlike lyrics and an emotional vocal performance from Geoff Tate.  It may be a ballad and it may be uncool to like the song everyone else does but there's a reason for it being so popular...IT IS THAT DAMN GOOD!

There's a couple blights on the album that does bring it down.  Like I said before, Operation Mindcrime still looms strongly on Queensryche and a couple songs do sound like a couple of Mindcrime's songs.  "Jet City Woman" pretty much charts the same course that "Eyes of a Stranger" charted and the beginning of "Anybody Listening?" has the same riff as "Electric Requiem".  Also, why I do say the songs don't get boring despite their length there is some dead air and I do get impatient waiting for the next song to start.

Despite Empire's faults it's still a very good album.  The riffs are still pounding and heavy, the drumwork is impressive and the production is lush and sweeping.  With an album that contains such tracks like the title track, "Best I Can" and "Silent Lucidity" you can't go wrong with this.  Just try not to compare it to Operation Mindcrime.

8/10