When I first heard this album (EP), it blew me away – literally. I hadn’t even heard of the band and I bought the tape after a show in Seattle off a guy standing out in front of the Paramount. For all I know, it could have been one of the band members. No one had really heard of them when I got a hold of the tape.
And then the video came out. And then the battle of the bands with Rail and some others that I can’t remember. And it was ‘What the heck happened!!!’
The little four song EP started off with ‘Queen of the Reich’
and ended up with ‘The Lady Wore Black’. Two songs that have been burned into my memory. Yeah, the video was uuuuuuber cheesy – but that voice, and that drive. Just such a cool sound.
I am a big fan of the older Queensryche. Later on, when Tate started kind of going, well, ‘Tate’ on people… I just got out of synch with them. I dug the conspiracy angle they had for a while – but life got busy and I just didn’t identify with it any more.
Last show I saw of them was a double header here in Portland. They played their normal Empire set, which they were out touring, supporting that release. And then they came back and played Operation Mindcrime, from beginning to end – and I nearly lost it.
When Tate ran across the stage, taking the same steps as Nikki did when he tore the IV from his arm… I didn’t quite get it. But then Geoff started running up steps towards the back of the stage and dove off right under the big projection screen, at the very moment Nikki jumped through the window – I was like ‘THIS IS A SHOW’. Every move was choreographed with the lights and video that was being projected on a huge screen… Best show I had seen up to that point for sure.
But then, somewhere either after Promised Land, or Q2K, I just lost interest. Not too sure why. I was in a different space and their music didn’t speak to me.
But if ‘Queen of the Reich’ or ‘The Lady Wore Black’ comes on ANYWHERE, I stop to listen. There was some good memories made while that music was playing in the background back in the day. Good tunes.
Find those songs (just don’t watch the video) and crank them up!!!
Play with passion, sing with heart
