Archived Reviews: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Reviews Index
"A Tribute to QUEEN" 6
Adrenaline Records 2000
QUEEN! England´s Pride & Joy! Now... that was a great band that always tried to push forward the boundaries of rock. They never compromised or recorded the "same" album over and over again (like AC/DC) and what a great vocalist they had in FREDDIE MERCURY. THE ATTACK OF THE DRAGONS is a tribute album released on Adrenaline Records in Italy and it contains some of QUEEN´s most famous songs covered by some not-so-famous bands with strange names.
Not all bands on this CD are signed to the label, but SEASONS OF THE WOLF are and they acctually play a pretty cool version of the old Mega-Hit "WE WILL ROCK YOU". This is not a just drums & vocal version of the songs, like the original. No, they play a great uptempo version with Guitars/Bass/Drums and a mean HAMMOND blasting at full volume. I really like that they tried to make an own version of the song. EVIL WINGS do "KILLER QUEEN" in a nice way and Spanish band AVALANCH makes a good version of "SAVE ME". I must say that I also like AZTEC JADE´s version of "THE SHOW MUST GO ON" even if it sounds just like the original. But OZUG sings good.
Best of them all are HOTROD OTIS with "ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST" they do a great funk-metal version of the song with a really cool groove! The others are all from so-so to pretty bad but I´m sure that all Die-Hard QUEEN fans will still enjoy this CD, cuz after all I guess it´s a must have if you´re a QUEEN collector. You can buy it direct from the label at: www.adrenaline.it
Indie ?
02-01-19
Oh Dear! Look what the cat dragged in! Leather boys with electric toys! If you're going to wear that outfit, you better at least be able to play the music. Sadly 'Queen Obscene' from Stockholm/Sweden do not 'really' reach the quality of their 80's Glam heroes.
Still, fame can happen in many ways. The band was actually involved in a famous advertising stunt on the tube a couple of years ago in Sweden. I can't remember what the commercial was all about. They were riding in the back of a limo' though! Advertising for diapers maybe? One thing's for sure... their music had nothing to do with it.
Songs like 'Jack Is Back', 'Life's Like A Fairy Tale' or 'Put The Ass In The Air' sound more like a lousy garage band, from the late 60's!!!??? than the scary Glam/Sleaze rockers they pretend to be. The latter has some really 'cool' lyrics to go with the shake. A drummer that can hardly keep the rhythm, a singer that can barely take a note and overall lousy song material. Makes this a no-no! Hate mail this way thanks! http://listen.to/queenobscene
"A Tribute to QUEENSRYCHE" 7
Adrenaline Records 2000
01-03-16
A tribute to The True Masters of Progressive Power Metal can never be wrong? Or can it? Well "WARNING: Minds of Raging Empires - A Tribute to QUEENSRYCHE" features 14 different bands playing their personal Tribute to the best hardrock band to ever come out of Seattle. The title as you might have noticed informs us that they all have covered songs from the first four albums, a title that is not complete true as the opening and the closing track are both from the fifth album "Promised Land"
The real Queensryche are for me the first four classic albums (The Warning, Rage for Order, Operation Mindcrime, Empire) as they begun to include some more modern influences with "Promised Land". But it's still a pretty good album and the Brazilian band KARMA do a very cool cover of "I am I" and I can't really complain on SWAN CHRISTY's (from Greece actually) version of the piano ballad "Someone else" even if none of the above's vocalists are as good as GEOFF TATE. Then again Tate may be the best metal singer in the biz, together with Rob Halford (ex-Judas Priest).
I really enjoy FORTE's version of "Prophecy" and MOON OF STEEL gets the prize for the most original cover! It's mainly because of the fact that they have a female singer (Sarah) and "Anybody listening" sounds really good with some female touches. New Jersey based ETHERIA gets the "deadringer" price as their vocalist sounds sometimes a lot like Tate, specially in the beginning of the classic song "Eyes of a Stranger". Sweden's MIND'S EYE does a solid version of "I Will Remember" and NIGHMARES END impressed with "The Lady Wore Black" I must say that I enjoy this CD alot and it's for sure one of the better tribute albums I've heard with "semi-famous" bands. I could have done without Factor Five as their "Nightranger" has a pretty poor sound quality, it actually sounds more like a demo and somebody should have edit the backing vocals on Circle IX version of "I Don't Believe In Love" as they're pretty strange? In fact a couple of other bands like Power of Omens could have done even better with a better production, but still... Recommended !!!
www.adrenaline.it
Sanctuary/BMG 2003
Review by 
18 augusztus 2003
What was/is wrong with the previous (Hear In The Now Frontier and Q2k) two albums of Seattlerockers Queensryche?? Nothing, if you ask me, just think of great songs like: “Falling Down”, “Sacred Ground”, “Liquid Sky”, “Breakdown” or “The Right Side Of My Mind”(killer!!) from Q2k or “Sign Of The Times”, “Cuckoo’s Nest”, “Some People Fly”(superb), “Hero”, “Hit The Black” and last but not least the magnificent song “SpOOl”. Some people already complained about the dark, mysterious killeralbum “Promised Land”, all they want is “Operation Mindcrime part 2”, well that is not going to happen… Queensryche is a band, just like Rush, who want to make an almost completely different album every time they release one. So "Tribe” is again another album then you are used to from Tate and Co.
Moreover Chris DeGarmo is “back”, but only as a songwriter and occasional guitarplayer; he is not a “regular” Queensryche member. His influence on this album, regarding the compositions, makes “Tribe” a mix between “Promised Land”, “Rage For Order”, “Q2k” and “Hear In The Now Frontier”. Just check out the outstanding first song “Open”, and you know what I mean; lots of crazy rhythms, reasonably heavy and very mysterious. One of the heaviest songs of the last years is definitely “Desert Dance”; a real kick-in-the-ass song, while “Falling Behind” is a beautiful ballad, almost dreamy with superb vocals from Geoff. “The Great Divide” shows some cross-over and nu-metal influences, a song that grows on you every time you hear it again. "Rhythm Of Hope” is again a song that could have been on the Promised Land; a wonderful ballad with again majestic vocals. The weirdest song however is the titletrack, which has slight industrial influences and is distinguished by its dark and alternative atmosphere. The last two tracks “The Art Of Life” and “Doin' Fine” have catchy choruses and are probably the most “commercial” song on the album.
Unfortunately there is also one real “miss” on “Tribe”, namely “Blood”, a meaningless song; unworthy for this magnificent album; an album that grows on you every time you hear it. So my advice is to listen to this album as often as you listened to “Operation Mindcrime”, and then you will find out that “Tribe” is a wonderful album, with the highlights: “Open”, “Desert Dance”, “Tribe” and “Rhythm Of Hope”. Buy this album now!!
www.sancuaryrecordsgroup.co.uk
Mayan/Sanctuary 2004
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
8 June 2004
The thinking man's metal in the past... but hardly anymore? Well, I'd think twice before buying this new and completely pointless live CD. It lacks of everything from energy, a good production, to the excellent material of the heydays. I'm not totally against the "new" Queensryche, I don't believe they should try and record another "Operation Mindcrime" either. However, it surely helps if you could remember any of the songs from the last 2-3 albums.
After listening and going through the first ten tracks on "Art Of Life", which includes: "Tribe", Sign Of The Times", "Open", "Losing Myself", "Desert Dance", "Great Divide", "Rhythm Of Hope", "My Global Mind", "Road To Madness", and finally "Della Brown", all I can manage to contribue with, is a big huh? and a bunch of question marks??? What the heck happened to the best progressive metal band in the world. "Tribe" was a average album and if the title track was uninspiring metal, this live version especially will have you screaming for the door. And that goes for most of these tracks I'm afraid, just listen to the awful "Open", where Geoff Tate [the best metal voice ever, next to Halford], howls like a mad dingo in heat. Add that I don't ever wanna hear tracks like "Losing Myself" again either.
I used to spin my "Empire" and "Operation Mindcrime" CD's until the tracks simply wore off the discs. This one you can file under 'thing's that should not be'. I suppose the DVD could bring down the rating even more, since you'll be able to watch them fall on their asses too. Yeah I know, harsh and evil-ish review, but tough love is all that helps sometimes. And I REALLY used to love [and still do], their older songs and albums.
www.queensryche.com
Steamhammer/SPV 2002
02-01-02
Hoodoo wanna voodoo? Do ya' ? Then forget about the 'Trance Dance' and other disturbing elements. Join the caravan of love and 'The Quill' will take you on one helluva scary trip to stoner city. Like a roller coaster ride will this album almost let you touch the sky. Only to brutally bring you back to earth again... once the music is over.
Indeed, the latest effort by Sweden's answer to Monster Magnet, has to be the best so far. The pure energy of this album really pores out through the loud speakers. Not bad for a band that started out as a 'wimpy' hardrock band with big hair in the mid-80's. And has since, pretty much been trying to wash away their awful past [yeah right!]
You can still retrace some of the past in the music though. Even if the main influences are 70's rock a-la Black Sabbath, Captain Beyond and such nowadays. To compare them with Monster Magnet is not the whole truth though. As the music is more melodic and 'Magnus Ekvall' is a way better vocalist than Wyndorf will ever be. Some like to compare him with the late Ray Gillen (Badlands, Black Sabbath), and I'm almost prepared to agree! Opening and title track 'Voodoo Caravan' sets the pace for the whole album. You really feel the smell of burning amps and smoking guitars. The album may not be 'catchy' all the time. Then again, this kind of music has always been about 'groove' and 'soul'. Rather than three minutes of Britney Spears choruses! Turn up, turn it, turn out ...or whatta' heck did they say in the 60's anyway???
SPV/Steamhammer 2004
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
22 May 2004
Ehem... Rod Stewart must have been pissed off about these geezers in the past??? Bloody 'ell, Spike stole (borrowed?) everything he ever knew, and then some, from the Scottish haircut 100. British pub rock has never sounded more Rod-ish than The Quireboys, and now they're back with even more of the same medicine.
I've been playing this non-stop for a couple of weeks by now... and it's not even all that catchy or hit friendly. It's all "Too Familiar" and the band's "Well Oiled" machinery, picks up where they left us some ten years ago. It's 3-4 chords, some honky-tonk piano, and a mean harmonica in the background. Business as usuall in other words and the three original members: Spike (vocals), Guy Griffin (guitar), and Nigel "Yes-I'm-A-Relative-To-Phil" Mogg (bass), are now being followed by the new hangarounds, Paul Guerin (guitar), Keith Weir (keys), and drummer Pip. However, no matter if it's rain or shine, you can always depend on these guys to come up with some solid material. It's hardly original or groundbreaking stuff, but it surely kicks better than most acts out there. There's unfortunately only nine tracks included here and it's all over too soon and/or quickly. Add that opener "Good To See You", is too noisy to be good somehow and you're down to eight. "Sweet As The Rain" are one of those great ballads with fat hammonds, soaring guitar solo, and lovely barbwire vocals by Spike. The refrain with its catch phrase "Sweet As The Rain - Cold As The Highway", sticks like glue onto your forehead (!?). "Lorraine Lorraine" is pub rock at its finest, while tracks like "You've Got A Nerve", "Too Familiar", "What's Your Name", could all have been The Faces' material in the 70's.
I do enjoy the following info sheet, where they describe Quireboys music as "hand-made rock music, spiced with edgy riffs, driving rhythms and their frontman's unique voice, all in the true Rolling Stones and Guns N' Roses tradition". WTF? I guess the business people and three piece suits hasn't been listening to The FACES and ROD STEWART at all, huh??? Spike truly is the younger brother to Rod (music-wise) and the voice isn't all that unique, you know. The only thing they have in common with Guns N' Roses is the image... which include those goddamn ugly bandanas. Here's to Rod, ehem, Spike, and the lads... welcome back.