Album mediocrity Bonus "filth" a shame ...

One of the way first. This album is NOT a Queensrÿche album. Nothing of what constituted this band in the past few years is, if anything, only rudimentary on the album discussed here. If one disregards the voice of frontman Geoff Tate, who has got violently with his bandmates after 30jährigem common work such in the Köppe that a reunion is likely to be permanently excluded in my estimation. And no, I will and will not go into this issue, anyone can read themselves.

With a relatively Notables replacement Mr. Tate was trying to bring the prog metal mothership on its own course - and failed spectacularly.

The only six-week production ("We wanted the CD before the already scheduled tour record in order to offer a product to the tour can," said Tate in an interview) can be as benevolent supporter simply "shot from the hip," as described. The "idea": A group of people write a couple of songs, and they are then picked up by various (guest) musicians in the shortest time.

After all cavort alongside Robert (guitar) and Rudy Sarzo (bass, ex-Ozzy, -DIO, -Whitesnake), drummer Simon Wright (ex-AC / DC and -DIO) and keyboardist Randy Gane capable people in the line-up. Among the big names that have been announced as a guest musician, should be known only KK Downing of Judas Priest a wider audience. Meanwhile, the Personalkarussel has in "Taterÿche" (as I like to call this "thing" for fun times) incidentally turned neatly.

Not always too many cooks spoil the broth, but here they also make it at least not tolerable. Geoff Tate would have done better, this concoction for sale under his name rather than to call it a Queensrÿche album.

Let's talk about Player Ratings:

The opening track "Cold" starts with heavy guitar riffs and distributed only once a positive mood. One notices Geoff vocals but quickly - as with all other tracks as well - that it is far more that includes wide range as was the case earlier. This is not surprising and, in principle, no criticism at a 54-year. Yet Tate tries sometimes in surprisingly high altitudes (probably irritated by the vocal performances of his clone Todd LaTorre) and often impinges no longer the sound as safe as twenty years ago. Who does not believe me, listen to the album once sooooo quiet, so you only can make the vocals. (Here you can hear even a layman, that it is often significantly bib. Especially with the bonus tracks that is the case, but more on that later.) Even in these first impressions falls on the strange sound. First I had the settings of my mixer in suspicion had, but then satisfied me with reference CDs of similar productions that strange musty and "narrow" sound "untenrum". Especially the bass drum does not have the necessary "Knack" for a metal album. The snare sounds like 25-liter drum Omo from the seventies. Unbelievable, but true!

The second track is, like the opener, also with a more moderate reef therefore MEGADETH. Compositionally also this song is not bad, but also not Queensrÿche. Vocally Tate tried here gelegtentlich like a Bowie impersonator, sounding out of breath already abundant. The consequences are frequential inaccuracy, as already mentioned that run through the entire production.

Song 3 is called "Give it to You", where for the first time mid-tempo comes to his ear. Instrumental song is unfortunately produced unspectacular. Here you can tell, the rapid songwriting: A good idea, unfortunately executed lax. The sound is still a little better than most other tracks.

Another low point then provides "Slave" from. Now already the third track in a row where the poor performance of a certain drummer named Evan Bautista pull the approach of a good production to lower mediocrity. I see while listening to a certain Scott Rockfield to tears with laughter.

With "In the Hands of God," the first song that reminds at least rudimentary to a Queensrÿche song sounds. Chromatic harmonies and solid arrangements, some of which are made very clever. Here the drums sound as though also from the wooden box (especially the bass drum muffelt übelst to himself, and the cymbals sound almost like "mute"), but do you recognize a real prog song! Respect! Sad but true, that this is a kind schopjn highlight.

"Running Backwards" lives up to its name also no honor. It's definitely a new direction, but it sounds like a totally different band. About this aspect of my criticism, I express myself at the end again. The drums sound very musty here. The only redeeming feature is the horny solo by KK Downing master, but in the Akustikbrei disappears just behind the vocals.

"Life Without You" has single-character and is definitely one of the better songs on the album, apart from the weaknesses of the total production. Also, the drumming of Thrash expert Paul Bostaph serving the previous, this and the next two tracks the skins, significantly more appealing than that of Bautista.

Unspectacular it comes with "Everything" on. Again, true only of the guitar sound. Tate leiert the lyrics down without any conviction. A perceived "bonus track" So opens the last third of the production. Well, cheers meal! So the drive is making less and less fun.

With "case" the compositional level is again lowered. Tate sings: "I see the look in your eyes, and there's no, no easy answers." Yes, it is the inclined reviewer also, when he hears of this conglomeration of platitudes. The Hammond-surface in the background evaluates the part to not appreciably.

Finally the last song "The Weight of the World". Monotonous acoustic plucking meets "extremely delayed vocals" .Klingt unfortunately not quite from the same mold, but is still quite acceptable if Tate would not lay hands here and blatant as in the pitch. Each Amateur band dared another take, so as not to make a fool of himself, and one can only assume that in the short time vocally was simply no longer there. Towards the end of the track in "Anybody Listening?" Tried, but does not reach its rudimentary compositional and production technical level.

The four admissions of older QR songs are unacceptable to embarrassing. There are tribute bands that play better. All the music was of a certain Martín Irigoyen from Argentina recorded (guitars, bass and drums). Maybe that's the reason why Tates vocal performances almost sound after refusing to work.

In "I Do not Believe in Love" is missing in the chorus then the first voice in the mix. Can not tell me that the intention was. The hot needle, with this opus was knitted, comes with these C-productions more clearly into play. From Tates miserable vocal performance to mention. These admissions he should be better, but again, it was obviously a few dollars more, which are earning with license rights yet. A veritable crime against the legend.

"Empire" is missing, the entire force of the original production. Listen to this recording hurts. From all four "Re-Recordings" the pure sounds of listlessness. Who wants to hear this sell real Kulthits seriously?

Also "Jet City Woman" is pure irrelevance and sounds like a live in-studio version with detuned guitars and a totally overmatched singer.

The album closes with a nadir in music history: The new recording of "Silent Lucidity", after all Queensrÿches figurehead. Faulty instrumentation, a very lousy vocal performance (the passage "There's a place I like to hide" sing Tate so wrong that I get almost a nosebleed when I think of it) and a musty (how often I have this word actually already written ?) backline. Degrading!

And so we are finally at the conclusion! For this I must first clarify one thing: "Frequency unknown" is not a bad album cave, even if the production-related weaknesses are partly incomprehensible. Jason Slater could at least "OM2" better, even if he only could act as a co-producer in the subsequent works. Incomprehensible, how to send such a product for mastering.

And of course, a band must evolve musically. The Queensrÿche have always done, but a common thread was always recognizable, the now completely lacks this "version" of the band. As mentioned above, the QR code label does not fit here. It is at best a Geoff Tate-album, which would hardly stand out even under better circumstances production of the gray matter - if not it would Queensrÿche.

I've always been a big fan and admirer of Geoff Tate, but with this album, the stubborn insistence on the authorship of the name "Queensrÿche" and especially with the physical pain zufügenden admissions of old hits, he has done a great disservice and and front fans scene of ridicule given.

And just for the sake of my benevolence I miss the work as a whole two star. The admissions have, however not even deserve one. Dear Geoff, do please quickly something completely different! As a Queensrÿche album can sound and should indicate the colleagues with her just published work, which simply "Queensrÿche" was titled.

Thank you very much for your attention!