No OM, still very good

Empire had from the very beginning in a difficult position, it was the direct successor of the Hammer album Operation: Mindcrime. Accordingly high were my expectations for this album. The first impression fulfilled not at all this. The whole seemed somehow too shallow, powerless before. Only Another Rainy Night Without You resembled to some extent the predecessor. When the album is therefore bad? Not at all, once I recognized the qualities of this album until I let go of my expectations completely behind me. Empire is a knotless rock album become a unified whole. Not a single track arouses even begin filler impression. The choruses and melodies are in general become more discreet, no longer act as thick as applied to Operation: Mindcrime and are also less catchy. Also find more often quieter, relaxing tones. For example, the wonderful ballad Silent Lucidity or gently grooving-punched Brown. (Hand On Heart Another Rainy Night Without You) For making a nuisance, but I gefällts However, the 80 strike makes here and there wiedermal noticeable. Geoff Tate expresses the whole of his incomparable singing still on the seal.
Empire is not a century album à la Operation: Mindcrime become but an above average rock album that once again justifies the special status of Queensrÿche in Heavy- / hard rock area.