Queensrÿche's 'The Verdict' - Album Review

It is always an event when one of your favourite bands releases a new album. Queensrÿche have been a real favourite band of mine for around the last ten years or so, and I have been enjoying their second wind since the band's current line-up got together in 2012. After years of creative obscurity and pushed down musical paths that they did not care to tread, the band's core has been revitalised of late and their recent releases show this. Despite this, it has been four years since the last Queensrÿche album. 2015 saw the release of the excellent Condition Hüman (which I reviewed here), an album which built on the strong foundations laid by 2013's self-titled album (which I also reviewed here) and saw the band releasing their best album for around twenty years at least. It was my Album of the Year that year too, and it is an album that I continue to listen to regularly. I am surprised that it has taken the band as long as it has done to record a follow-up, but then again it is clear that things have not been great in the Queensrÿche camp of late. The band started to talk about their next album towards the end of 2017, so I looked forward to it's release throughout 2018 - but it never came. Behind this wait for a new album however was the on-going absence of founding drummer Scott Rockenfield - arguably the band's spokesman and public face during the messy split with former frontman Geoff Tate. Rockenfield took some time off from the band in 2017 to help take care of his new born baby, but has never returned. He has been absent from the band for nearly two years now, and neither side seem to want to categorically state what will happen with the Queensrÿche drum stool going forward. Former Kamelot drummer Casey Grillo has been playing live with the band since Rockenfield's departure, but the radio silence from all concerned is strange. My gut feeling is that Rockenfield has left the band, but Queensrÿche are trying to save face after the Tate fiasco and not draw attention to another split - especially after working so hard to regain their position in the metal world. For me, this unnecessary dragging out of the situation actually began to fog my excitement for the fabled new sixteenth Queensrÿche album - which was finally released last month and is titled The Verdict. The band finally broke their silence over the album's drums a few months before its release, and stated that The Verdict was recorded as a four-piece with frontman Todd La Torre also playing the drums. La Torre has always spoken about his love for the drums, and this album showcases he is a more-than-capable player. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is not at all obvious that Rockenfield is missing - such is job that La Torre has done here. Sound wise, The Verdict picks up from where Condition Hüman left off, but adds a certain murkiness to the overall feel. There are certainly parts borrowed from the band's mid-1990s releases such as 1994's Promised Land and 1997's Hear in the Now Frontier here, but mixed into the melodic progressive metal that forms Queensrÿche's core sound. The album sounds great too, with the production (as well as, this time, Rockenfield's keyboards and soundscapes) once again courtesy of Chris 'Zeuss' Harris, with a heavy sound that has just the right amount of synths to create a dense feeling.

The album opens with one of the lead singles, Blood of the Levant, which is an in-your-face piece of technical, melodic metal that has as similar vibe to Guardian from the band's last album. A dark, melodic riff and La Torre's double bass drumming form the basis of the intro, before a simpler verse - complete with La Torre's barked vocals - takes over. There is no atmospheric or symphonic intro to be found here, with the album kicking off in a heavy fashion. This works well, as it allows the band's core sound to be upfront from the off, with the duelling guitars of Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren bringing the noise. The song is packed full of melody throughout, and by the time the chorus rolls around the song has already taken hold. La Torre shows his vocal prowess during the choruses, with some harsh vocals mixed into the background for added power and a lengthy high-pitched scream at its conclusion which recalls the band's early work. There are little progressive touches here and there, but mostly this is a straight ahead track packed full of melody and attitude. Speaking of attitude, the following number Man the Machine has it in spades. This is another heavy track, and it steams along at a fast pace with lots of tight, interlocking guitar rhythms and a booming drum performance. Queensrÿche have always been a metal band, but this current line-up of the band really seems to want to emphasise that part of their sound. Some of the band's heaviest moments in the band's history can be found on this album and the last one - and Man the Machine might contain the heaviest, most urgent riffing in the band's extensive catalogue. It is is still packed full of melody however, with La Torre again proving his ability to craft a strong vocal hook. The slower choruses have more of an epic feeling, where as fast-paced middle-eight section sees the frontman snarling with real venom. These first two songs are a perfect one-two punch to open the album with, before things start to move into more progressive waters. Written by bassist Eddie Jackson, Light-Years feels denser; with a rolling riff, effects-heavy guitar leads, and a bass-heavy sound. Jackson has always been the band's secret weapon from a songwriting perspective in my opinion, and this is the first of two solo compositions of his on the album. The verses here are quite dark, with an off-kilter rhythm that encourages La Torre to sing in his lower register and in patterns that he might not often consider. This adds to the overall progressive nature of the piece, but the explosive chorus moves things back into the light with some of the biggest and catchiest melodies on the album. The song feels a bit like the cousin of Eye9 from the previous album, and is just as good. The icing on the cake is a dual-guitar solo in the middle of the piece, with Wilton and Lundgren teaming up for a mournful run of notes that perfectly compliments the song's dark overtones.

Inside Out opens with a murky, chiming guitar line which is soon joined by a strange percussion loop and dense synths. The influence of the band's mid-1990s sound can definitely be seen here, with the alternative rock of Promised Land certainly informing parts of the song. The chorus borrows more from the band's classic sound, so stands out somewhat with it's more in-your-face melodies and faster pace, but the rest of the song grinds along in a way that could only have been written by a band from Seattle. I really like the clash of styles here, and when the light of the chorus explodes from the grungy murk the song really moves up to the next level. It helps to make the rest of the song feel darker too, meaning that each mood is done justice by the other. I feel that the band tried so hard to move away from this sound, which had become entrenched and watered down throughout the 2000s, so I am glad they have built up the confidence again to include something somewhat grungy-sounding in their modern metal version of the band. Propaganda Fashion is another heavier piece, and the second Jackson solo effort. The murkiness of his previous song is gone here, instead to be replaced by a driving, heavy riff and a guitar-focused sound that includes some twin-guitar leads which again harks back to the band's early days. I have not spoken too much about La Torre's drumming yet, but this song seems like the perfect song to highlight it. If he continues to perform the drums in the studio for Queensrÿche, I very much doubt there will be many that will be disappointed. In this piece he moves effortlessly from almost-thrashy beats during the heavy verses, to laying down tight grooves during the more mid-paced sections. This is a song with a lot of moving parts, and La Torre has the perfect beat for each one. Dark Reverie is something of a ballad, and it is the first solo effort from Lundgren. The verses are built around a melancholic clean guitar pattern, although Jackson adds plenty of counter-melodies with a busy bassline. This is the perfect backing for La Torre's more restrained croon, although he cranks it up a few notches when the song explodes into the cinematic chorus. The use of keyboards to bulk out the chorus gives it some real power, and in fact there are synths employed throughout the song to help create that classic Queensrÿche sound. Wilton handles the vast majority of the band's guitar solos these days, but being Lundgren's song he gets a chance to shine here with a lengthy solo that includes an excellent shredded section towards the end as the song moves into a final reprise of the chorus. Bent is a strong mid-paced piece that is built around a screeching dual-guitar lead and rhythms that are not typical. The verses have a very strange sound here, with some sparse drumming and a dynamic vocal performance. There are a few harsh vocals thrown in here too, but they are kept to a minimum, but the fit in well with the unsettling sounds created by the synth backdrop and the murky guitars. This is a song that has grown on me over repeated listens, and it is another great example of Queensrÿche's mid-1990s sound being fused with their new metal-focused mindset. There is also a great harmony guitar solo too, with Wilton and Lundgren sharing the spotlight for a moment.

Inner Unrest is another murky mid-paced piece, and is probably the song here that is closest in spirit to the Promised Land album. Other songs have fused that sound with the band's modern sound, but this one feels pure mid-1990s. It works well however, with the choruses feeling a bit more organic than anything else here with a simple keyboard backing and driving drum beat. Promised Land is a bit of a 'downer' of an album, and this song fits into that mould. The riffs here feel a bit more laid back and slower, with La Torre's voice often standing alone without the big harmonies that boost choruses throughout the album. It is a successful re-tread of the band's mid-1990s sound, and it fits well on the album despite not feeling as 'metal' as pretty much every other song. Launder the Conscience has an almost Iron Maiden-esque main riff, from their late-1980s sound, which has a slightly progressive feel to it, before the song moves into a pacier, heavier verses with some of La Torre's best vocals on the album. He drags out a lot of notes which allows him to display his control over his voice, and there are a couple of high-pitched, piercing screams that he unleashes to great effect when an extra edge is needed. This is one of the more overtly-progressive pieces on the album, as the song moves through lots of different moods. The choruses slows things down somewhat for a more groove-based approach, while other sections of the song see the instruments drop out almost entirely to allow cold-sounding synths and muffled spoken word sections to add a haunting feel. The final portion of the song kicks off with a tinkling piano melody, before a couple of chunky guitar riffs help bring the song to an end. It is an interesting coda to an already-diverse song, and I like how the band have played with the song's structure here to add to the overall progressive nature of the album. The album's final track, Portrait, is a slower piece that is based around a big bassline from Jackson. La Torre and Jackson put the song together, so it unsurprising that they are the main focuses here. The guitars mostly add colour, allowing the bassline to drive things melodically and this also gives La Torre's voice plenty of room to breathe. There are moments here that echo the title track to Promised Land, but on the whole this song feels unlike anything the band have really done before. It is one of the sparsest songs the band have written, but it packs an emotion punch thanks to La Torre's excellent vocal performance and the barren feeling the soundscape provides. There is a real haunting quality to the song, which is only helped later on with a mournful guitar solo that lifts melodies from the lyrics and builds on La Torre's good work. Most metal albums end with a bang, but this soon allows the album to drift to a gentle, but thought-provoking close - which is certainly not what I was expecting the first time I listened to it! Overall, The Verdict is another really strong album from Queensrÿche. It is the third excellent album the band have put out in a row, and this one contains some of their most progressive songwriting for years. It has been a joy to hear the new Queensrÿche over recent years, and The Verdict is an album I will playing a lot over the next few months.

The album was released on 1st March 2019 via Century Media Records. Below is the band's official video for Blood of the Levant.