Promised Land [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster]

Performer: Queensrÿche
Engineer: James Barton; Queensryche; Tom Hall; Tom T. Hall
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Queensryche: Geoff Tate (vocals); Michael Wilton, Chris DeGarmo, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield. Producers: Queensryche, James "Jimbo" Barton, Michael Kamen. Compilation producer: David K. Tedds. Recorded in 1994. Originally released on EMI (30711). Includes liner notes by Paul Suter. This part of EMI Records "Queensryche Remastered" series. Audio Mixers: James Barton ; Queensr�che. Liner Note Author: Paul Suter. Recording information: Big Log Studios (1992-1994); Home (1992-1994); Music Grinder (1992-1994); The Astoria Theatre, London, England (1992-1994); The Dungeon (1992-1994); Triad (1992-1994). Editor: Don C. Tyler. Illustrator: Hugh Syne. Queensryche's music is out on the border of what used to be known as progressive. Although they cut their teeth as a touring band opening for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC and Def Leppard, they're not really a straight-ahead metal band, but rather inhabit a similar space as a band like Rush. Powerful, guitar and drum driven music, fleshed out with immense synthesizer flourishes, tricky rhythm changes, and varied dynamic shifts. PROMISED LAND sets a don't-look-don't-touch tone with the shamanistic minor cycles of "I Am I" while the Near Eastern Peter Gunnisms of "Damaged" and the acoustic drones of "Out Of Mind" anchor anthems about society's disconnected castaways and abused adolescents. The lack of information about instrumentation and what-not only serves to underscore the group nature of this ensemble...even as the booklet photo of a man with a nail driven through his forehead drives home a sense about just who might follow Queensryche to the PROMISED LAND. "Bridge" extends the metaphor of alienation to include a father and a son, and the title tune sums up a sense of dashed expectations, as big, angry, ambient waves of electric guitar ring away suggestively over a grinding Pink Floyd pulse and synthesized percussion sounds. PROMISED LAND marks Queensryche's growing maturity, with a rich sonic canvas--a broader collage of sounds, images and musical styles than most of the one-trick metal bands currently fertilizing the fields of pop. The deluxe remastered reissue of Queensr�che's controversial Promised Land was rife for reconsideration in 2003. Available on its own or as part of the Revolution Calling box set, Promised Land is the sound of a band who has seen the writing on the wall -- Nirvana and pals pouring through the temple gates like barbarians on one side, and Ministry and the Revolting Cocks on the other flank burning and looting everything in sight. But Chris DeGarmo and Geoff Tate as well as their bandmates had more than a few tricks up their sleeves here. The harshness of Promised Land is not to be looked upon as either a concession or as a blatant disregard for the fans of Empire or Operation: Mindcrime. Instead with its hard, overblown guitars and lithe keyboard arrangements giving way to screaming solos and knotty instrumental interludes -- check "I Am I," the title track, "One More Time," or "My Global Mind" -- one can hear the sound of a band in full grasp of their considerable power as a compositional and performance force. Only the marketplace and Queensr�che evolved, becoming one of the most restless and politically as well as socially responsible units of the 1990s. But the real question is "does it rock?" It's a silly question. There is no fodder on Promised Land, only driving, melodic progressive metal shrouded in nothing but its own multidimensionality. There was no reason for a hiatus after this one; in fact, another album should have follower in quick succession, not years later. This was momentum taken to its extreme edge and paying off creatively with a memorably batch of songs and a sonic masterpiece. ~ Thom Jurek

Q (12/94, p.142) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...a slice of progressive rock which seems to transcend time. It's almost shocking to hear the theatricality of it all post-grunge but somehow it gels together extremely well..."

Formed in the early 1980s, Queensryche started their career sounding much like a junior version of Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. However, by the mid-'80s, the Seattle-based metal band had begun to form its own musical identity, culminating in 1988's OPERATION: MINDCRIME, a sprawling cinematic concept album that received widespread acclaim and led to international success. The group's follow-up, EMPIRE, featured catchy melodies and more straightforward songwriting, showcasing the vocals of frontman Geoff Tate and leading to an even wider audience, thanks in no little part to the unlikely top 10 hit lullaby "Silent Lucidity." In the late 1990s, Queensryche experienced a bit of a slump, largely due the departure of founding guitarist Chris DeGarmo, but in 2003, DeGarmo returned to record TRIBE.

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