Q2k [Import]

 

 

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Disclaimer: I am in a very small minority of fans who love the Q2k album. Most don't. Many consider it a continuation of the "grungy" sounds of Hear In The Now Frontier, but weaker. That's not my point of view, so be forewarned. Read on.

Chris DeGarmo's departure after Hear In The Now Frontier shattered the group, but they decided to soldier on with old friend Kelly Gray (ex-Geoff Tate's old band Myth, producer of Dokken, Candlebox, Bob Rivers etc.). Gray, a strong writer, had a completely different style from the melodic DeGarmo. Gray's sound is more based in heavy riffing, groove, and lots of wah-wah solos. It's a different Queensryche and change was exactly what this band needed after the terrible Hear In The Now.

Sure, the album title sucks. I wonder if they regret it now? The music inside certainly doesn't suck. Heavy, grooving, riffy, powerful, well recorded...I love this album. The only flaw, and the only reason this doesn't get five stars from me, is that there is a certain sameness to the songs. Almost all have a similar groove. Yet all are catchy and enjoyable. Truly this is Queenryche at their most "rock" and rock it does!

This remastered edition, like all previous Queensryche remasters, contains liner notes by Geoff Tate and bonus tracks. The liner notes reveal the strife that the band had experienced at the time, largely due to the change in guitar players. Clearly this was not a happy time for the band but the music is only stronger for it. The bonus tracks are cool, my favourite of them being the ballad "Until There Was You". I was always quite pleased to finally get the live version of "Sacred Ground", originally only on the Japanese version.

Fave songs:
"Falling Down"
"Sacred Ground"
"Liquid Sky"
"Breakdown"
"Burning Man"
"Wot Kinda Man"
"The Right Side Of My Mind" (the most proggy and the most old-school 'Ryche)

Bad lyrical moment: "Like electrical shock-waves in the sky." Yikes!

Anyway I'm quite fond of Q2k, and I can honestly say that I haven't liked any of the albums since then quite as much, not even Mindcrime II. I do hope that one day Queensryche can settle down with a new guitar player that will stick around, and finally fill DeGarmo's shoes.

4 stars, an overlooked classic.

I can't understand how true Queensryche fans can give this cd a bad rating. Any fan should know that this band is about change and should stop comparing this cd to Warning etc. This is a fantastic output by a fantastic band that makes every release special. There is nothing this band can do to be worse than any junk that is coming out in recent times. I hope this band continues to experiment and try different things, because they are absolutely fantastic and should be crowned as progressive kings. If you are a Queensryche fan and love their music, go ahead and buy this cd, because there will be something in it for you. I for one love it, but I am a TRUE Queensryche fan.

I've listened to this disc and yes it has divided many. Those who yearn for the Ryche of yesteryear and the fans who are a bit more open minded by the changes they've gone through musically over the years. As for me, I enjoy this disc though there are faults with it as well. The one thing I do not like about this disc is the lack of solos. I do miss the solos like on past albums. Perhaps due to the fact they've been influenced by other bands from Seattle like other reviews and fans have suggested. Also if I had a song a weak track or tracks it would be "Wot Kinda Man" and "Burning Man" and don't what they were thinking when writing those two songs. If I had to choose the track(s) that stand out it would be "When the rain comes","One Life","Liquid Sky" and "Right side of my mind". It took me a while to get into this disc, but now I enjoy it. All I have to say is take a chance with this disc, it just might surprise you.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Q2K - D@mn Good CD
Not sure why many people don't like this CD. Maybe it's because they're looking for Operation Mindcrime II, or Empire 2K. Read more

Published on May 20 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Underrated
After the seriously out-of-the-box effort of Hear in the Now Frontier I was ready for a change of pace--and knowing how QR reinvents their sound without reinventing themselves (or... Read more

Published on May 8 2004 by Todd

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this, but it IS different
"Music fan" is right. I'm not an expert on QR, but I can tell this is a different style due to a different guitarist. Read more

Published on May 1 2004 by eric_the_redder

1.0 out of 5 stars Awful. See Tribe
What does Queensryche sound like with a new mediocre guitarist? I remember listening to this album repeatedly to see if I liked it, then listened again months later. Read more

Published on Dec 7 2003 by Clint Jones

5.0 out of 5 stars QUEENSRYCHE Q2K
First of all I give this cd 5 STARS........I love this cd, I have all their cd's, whenever I hit the rode to work, to town, the store or just sitting around jammin, this is one cd... Read more

Published on Dec 5 2003 by ROC THE DOC

1.0 out of 5 stars Ass Garbage
This CD is straight garbage. It is obvious that DeGarmo IS Queensryche. How is it that this is their worst album, and it's the only one that he is not on. Read more

Published on Nov 4 2003 by J.C. Terrazas

5.0 out of 5 stars More rhythmic than most heavy metal with an excellent groove
Ryche fans who only like old style ryche and metal that's heavy on guitar solos won't like this album. Read more

Published on Aug 28 2003

3.0 out of 5 stars Still Strong
Anyone who wondered:"What would Queensryche sound like without original guitarist and main songwriter Chris DeGarmo?" gets their answer. Read more

Published on Aug 7 2003 by coalblacksky@hotmail.com

4.0 out of 5 stars Q2K Shines...
Most of the times, most of the fans live under the "comparison syndrome". When ever a new album comes out from a band they love, it is inevitably compared to the last and all the... Read more

Published on July 30 2003 by Ravi S. Madapati

5.0 out of 5 stars Lose some hair
I prefer this sound to the 80's hair metal production of their ealrier albums.

Published on July 14 2003

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