“Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensryche” on EMI/Capitol Records

By Susie Salva?

To some people heavy metal is a dirty word but not when it comes to Seattle?s finest Queensryche they revel in it. For twenty-five years the band has been producing some of the most cerebral, socio-political, and faltering relationship issues as is exemplified with their new release ?Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensryche? on EMI/Capitol Records ? a definitive collection of their greatest hits and unreleased material both live and in studio.

Queensryche is comprised of Geoff Tate (vocals, keyboards), Chris DeGarmo (electric and acoustic guitars, lap steel, synth guitars and background vocals except on ?Until There Was You,? and ?All The Promises?), Michael Wilton (electric and acoustic guitars and background vocals), Eddie Jackson (bass guitars, and background vocals), Scott Rockenfield (drums and percussion, background vocals), Kelly Gray (guitar on ?Until There Was You?), Mike Stone (guitar on ?All The Promises?).

Queensryches? unique and recognizable sound includes the vibrato vocals of Tate, the intricate and searing guitar work of DeGarmo, and the hard hitting drumbeat of Rockenfield there is no band that sounds quite like them with their distinctive sounding music.

The 2-CD collectors edition package includes their career spanning hits collection featuring 17 of Queensryches? best singles and album tracks including seven Top 10 Mainstream Rock hits packaged in a jewelcase with a sixteen page booklet featuring custom artwork. It also adds a second disc of 15 rare and previously unreleased demos, outtakes, remixes, live recordings, television performance audio, recordings for soundtracks, a new never heard song, ?Justified? making its release on this collection.

Among ?Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensryche? the 17 hits include favorites and #1 smash hit, ?Silent Lucidity,? ?Jet City Woman,? ?Eyes of a Stranger,? and ?Another Rainy Night (Without You)?. On the 15 track Collectors Editions it includes disc rarities including three demo recordings by Myth (lead vocalist Geoff Tate?s band prior to Queensryche), three demos from the ?Warning? CD and three bonus tracks for the re-issued ?Empire? album. Bonus tracks from the re-issued ?Promised Land,? and ?Q2K? albums and an intoxicating live version of ?Silent Lucidity? a previously unreleased version of ?Della Brown? recorded for ?MTV Unplugged? and the new track, ?Justified? recorded with original Queensryche guitarist Chris DeGarmo.

?In an era that valued style over substance Queensryche emerged as a contrary force to the happy-go-lucky sounds in the late ?80s and early ?90s,? explains Paul Gargano in his ?Sign on the Times,? liner notes essay. ?In hindsight one might even go as far as to say that the band succeeded despite themselves. Whether knowingly or not, they zigged when the industry zagged, progressed while the scene regressed and offered provocation while others opted for escapism.?

Although they were initially grouped in with the legions of pop-metal bands that dominated the American heavy metal scene of the ?80s Queensryche were and now are considered one of the most distinctive bands of the era. Their progressive form of heavy metal drew heavily from the ?70s art rock scene most notably Pink Floyd (i.e. ?Silent Lucidity?) and the rock band Queen.

Even though the grunge music scene threatened to obliterate the heavy metal scene, Queensryche held their ground and stayed current and credible with their legion and cult following of their loyal fans well into the ensuing decades. The band never compromised their sound and their direction.

Beginning September 5 in Binghamton, New York, Queensryche and Alice Cooper will join Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice on the ?Heaven and Hell Tour? for a U.S. trek that is expected to continue through early November.