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47 of 49 humans found the following review helpful.
Anthem for Soldiers That Maintains Ryche’s Hard Rock Integrity
By Samsara
Queensrÿche has had rather a roller coaster ride over the past decade. From 1999-2009, the band featured three dissimilar sets of songwriters before resolving in with producer/songwriter Jason Slater in 2006 for Operation: Mindcrime II. With Slater back for round two with lead singer Geoff Tate and company, Queensrÿche has distinctly found it is originative legs on American Soldier, a conception record detailing the experiences of United States servicemen and women.
Starting with the “on your feet!” call of a boot camp drill instructor in “Sliver,” American Soldier takes the listener on a distinguishable journeying of hard rock bombardment. Featuring a plethora of heavy riffing allround the album, peculiarly on the rockers “Man Down!” and “Unafraid,” American Soldier embraces Queensrÿche’s heavier roots, without forgetting the epic side of the band.
“At 30,000 Ft.,” a track written from the point of view of a bomber pilot will remind fans of the grand “Anybody Listening?” off of 1990′s Empire, whereas the moody “A Dead Man’s Words” is remindful of the song “Promised Land.” In fact, in a nutshell, American Soldier feels like a hybrid amidst the darkness of 1994′s Promised Land with a good injection of modern musical angst.
American Soldier was written primarily by producer Slater (with Tate responsible for lyrics), though former Queensrÿche axeman and producer Kelly Gray (Q2k, Live Evolution) contributed numerous tracks (“Hundred Mile Stare” and the aforementioned “Man Down!”). Additionally, Gray’s other band, Slave to the System, which features Queensrÿche drummer Scott Rockenfield and Brother Cane frontman/guitarist Damon Johnson, also contributed two songs – the battle haze-influenced “Middle of Hell” (featuring Tate on saxophone dueling with Wilton on guitar) and the touching father-daughter ballad (sung by Tate and his daughter, Emily), “Home Again.”
Tate (saxophone), Wilton (guitars), Rockenfield (drums) and bassist Eddie Jackson deliver dynamic musical performances, arguably their firmest in 15 years. From Rockenfield’s military cadence beat behind Wilton’s solo in the emotionally-charged “The Killer,” to Jackson’s thundering groove allround American Soldier, the band play more cohesively than they have in years, quintessentially Queensrÿche, yet modern and applicable in spite of being around for 28 years.
Most fans of Queensrÿche would in all probability agree Tate is at his best when he is inspired and writes to a theme, and that holds true with American Soldier. Crafted from the stories of soldiers (including Tate’s own father), the best of Geoff Tate is on display, telling aroused stories from a number of dissimilar perspectives and delivering them with conviction.
The distinctive factor, however, is that Tate takes care not to inject much of his own opinion, giving the listener unfeigned first-hand feel of the emotions soldiers experience in conflict. Throw in respective consultation clips from soldiers Tate spoke with entwining with the songs, and the aroused affect of American Soldier is undeniable.
So what’s the downside? While the record features outstanding instrumentation, including classic guitar solos by Wilton, the trademark vocals of Tate are always the basi thing that people notice. Tate’s deliverance on American Soldier is up and down. At times, Tate sounds thin and straining (sections of “Sliver,” “Hundred Mile Stare,” and very noticeably on the lead single, “If I Were King”). Then on other songs, Tate sounds strong and melodic like most fans remember, specially on the chorus of “Unafraid,” and again on “At 30,000 Ft.” and “A Dead Man’s Words.”
Further, while the soldier consultation clips spliced through the record provide a necessary realism they likewise have a tendency to derail things. For example, “Unafraid” features consultation clips serving as the actual verses to the song. Yes, you read that right. Tate wrote no lyrics, except for the chorus. It works artistically in the concept, but from a standalone song perspective, the chorus of the song screams “anthem” and “radio hit,” but the eclectic decision to not have lyrics in the verses likely stifles that prospect of taking the song to another level.
Additionally, American Soldier have a tendancy to lose a good deal of steam the last three tracks, with three acoustically-tinged ballads in a row. The closer, “The Voice” reminds one of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” at points, and is a step up from the former two cuts (“Remember Me” and “Home Again”). But the darker, intense, vibe of the album is lifted for a more serene stroll to the finish line, which disrupts the flow.
Despite those minor criticisms, the writers and performers of Queensrÿche’s American Soldier will have to take a bow. For those that abandoned the band after guitarist and songwriter Chris DeGarmo split in the late 1990s, the classic vibe of Queensrÿche is back, exceptionally for those fans that enjoyed the band’s moodier material.
The members of Queensrÿche may be on record as not liking the term “thinking man’s metal,” when describing their music, but the complimentary term fits American Soldier perfectly. The record provides an authentic musical backdrop to the lives of soldiers in the United States and around the world, yet with resolute determination maintains the band’s place as a strength to be reckoned with in the hierarchy of hard rock bands today.
Key tracks:
“At 30,000 Ft.”
“A Dead Man’s Words”
“Man Down!”
“The Killer”
32 of 35 humans found the following review helpful.
American Soldier
By C. Page
I’ve liked Queensryche for a very long time. I’m a veteran of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan with the USAF, and I ought to say this album is outstanding. The way the album flows is incisively how I feel. I’ve been waiting for a long time for an album such as this to come out, and I’m so glad that it was Queensryche that took on a project such as this and finished it. I’ve never told anybody the misery, and sadness I experienced over there. After listening to this album it makes me want to in the end open up, and tell my story to the humans I know. I’ve never wanted to open up in regards to any of it, but now I have the selfconfidence to do so. Thank you Queensryche for doing this for me, and Soldiers/Veterans everywhere. It’s regarding time an individual did something like this for us. Thank you.
18 of 18 humans found the following review helpful.
Disappointing at first, but subsequent listens recompense off
By Psych O
Queensryche’s latest album, American Soldier, is destined to be (yet another) debatable album that will fail to satisfy a sure number of fans (especially those unable to be grateful for albums freed post-Promised Land). American Soldier does not include any songs that will become “hits” or concert favorites. It is a conception album that is meant to be listened to in it is entirety. As a whole, it is rather good. The person performances by the musicians, specially Geoff Tate’s vocals, are great. Also, the songs flow together very well, resulting in an enjoyably unified album. If you’re expecting Empire or Operation Mindcrime then you’ll be disappointed. But, if, like me, you are open minded and capable to get enjoyment from post-Promised Land albums, this one will grow to your liking.
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