•
Rating: Queensryche are one of the most influential bands in Heavy Metal, often remembered only for their masterpiece "Operation Mindcrime" from 1988. Unlike other metal bands, the four guys from Seattle have evolved their sound over the years, yet remained very much attached to progressive metal, which they have significantly contributed to developing.
Even before guitarist and main composer of much of the band's material, Chris DeGarmo, left the other members of the group in 1997, Queensryche had already executed a notable shift in their sound towards a Heavy Metal-Hard Rock with Grunge components ("Hear In The Now Frontier" is proof of that). "Tribe" (2003) is perhaps the best album "produced" by Queensryche after "Promised Land" (1994), which was somewhat the watershed for the band's sound. This is perhaps partly due to the help that DeGarmo provided in composing many songs of the album and in their initial interpretation during sessions; indeed, he never completely separated from the band and often contributed interesting ideas, which were always accepted by Tate & Co. The whole atmosphere of the album, as suggested by its cover and name, is decidedly tribal and at times oriental (see "Desert Dance" most of all). Scott Rockenfield contributes fundamentally to this task behind the drums, but also Geoff Tate with his vocals, deeply changed from the past yet still very beautiful; somewhat the trademark of Queensryche.
The "accompanying" guitar is well played by Mike Stone, and the solos performed by Michael Wilton are, as always, breathtaking. A negative note is perhaps Eddie Jackson's bass, less present than in the past (see "Operation Mindcrime" or "Empire"); however, we can appreciate his excellent technique right from the first track, "Open", where he performs an excellent solo (followed by a formidable scream from the electric guitar). We can notice, in tracks like "Rhythm of Hope", the excellent accompaniment with the acoustic guitar that helps dispel the poor equation, created by ignorance, metal = noise and screams. Indeed, there's little noise and screaming in this album; rather, there are excellent electric guitar riffs, and a wonderful voice, that of Tate, which is always at the forefront. The atmosphere of "Tribe", as already mentioned, is often very dark and tribal. The title track is perhaps the most representative piece of the album from this point of view. "Losing Myself" and "Falling Behind" are minor episodes of the album, as unfortunately, is the last track "Doin' Fine", which is quite surprising, given that Queensryche has always accustomed us to excellent closures (see "Eyes of a Stranger" or "Anybody Listening").
"Blood" and "The Art of Life" are excellent pieces; the title of the latter song, varied by one letter, would give the name to the live "The Art of Live" released a year after the release of "Tribe", where Queensryche performs almost all of the pieces from the album plus many other old hits, and even two covers ("Comfortably Numb" by Floyd and "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who) together with Dream Theater. I also recommend all fans of both bands to watch/listen to this live. In conclusion, I would say that "Tribe" is not a masterpiece, but it is an album capable of showing how the Queensryche of 2000 are as valid as the Queensryche of the '80s, the important thing is to judge them for the new genre they play, which is no longer the beloved old progressive metal of "Operation Mindcrime" or "Rage For Order". "Operation Mindcrime 2" (2006) was a release compelled by the great anticipation of the fans (who were waiting to find out what happened to Nikki and Dr. X), and despite that, it is a good album.
Let’s hope that the band's evolution will bring to light new masterpieces like Mindcrime.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Open (04:32)
You're an angel with your wings broken,
wearing sandals that I tripped in.
You're a holiday already taken,
a cocktail that's stirred never shaken.
Your heads in overload.
You've reached your threshold
and you're about to explode.
Open your eyes. Just say what you want to say?
Open your eyes, you see yours isn't the only way .
Open your eyes. To you everyone is blind.
Open your eyes and your mind.
You're like a hand gun that's fully loaded
making idle threats of violence.
Your heads in overload.
You've reached your threshold
and you're about to explode.
Open your eyes. You take what you want for free,
Open your eyes. and you see what you want to see.
Open your eyes. To you everyone is blind.
Open your eyes and your mind.
Open your eyes. Just say what you want to say?
Open your eyes, you see yours isn't the only way .
Open your eyes. Do you really think I'm blind?
Open your eyes and your mind.
Open your mind.
Open your eyes. and you see what you want to see.
Open your eyes. To you everyone is blind.
Open your eyes and your mind.
Open your eyes. Just say what you want to say?
Open your eyes, you see yours isn't the only way .
Open your eyes. Do you really think I'm blind?
Open your eyes and your mind.
Open your mind.
02 Losing Myself (04:12)
There's a thunder in my head,
a roar I can't escape.
I can't ignore this certain fate
I'm experiencing something.
I can't explain.
There's a frame of reference fragile at best.
An itching fear that's stronger than the rest.
Follow the black ribbon into the sun.
Push it further baby, careful with this burnout now.
I'm losing myself in you
and trying to get back to me.
But I'm so far away, I'm losing myself.
The sand in my mouth,
the wind and heat I feel numb.
Ten days on the road and it feels
like where I've been ain't so bad.
Gotta get back home to you.
Gotta get back home to you.
Gotta get back home.
Throttle back slowly there's no time like now.
Red line it baby I'm pushing to the edge now.
I'm losing myself in you
and trying to get back to me.
But I'm so far away, I'm losing myself.
I'm beating down this desert highway
one hundred miles an hour times two.
But I'm so far away, I'm a million miles away.
I'm losing myself in you
and trying to get back to me.
But I'm so far away, I'm losing myself.
Get me off this desert highway.
Gotta get back to you but I'm so far away.
I'm a million miles away.
03 Desert Dance (03:57)
With a simple wave,
her hand creates my universe.
She spins and dances around the fire.
Eyes search the open road,
caught up in the sound of
transmissions burning down the wire.
We reach out for the sky
and were never coming down.
We reach out for the sky
and were never coming down.
Live life in extreme
better then any magazine could ever hope to describe.
Ripped, we sweat this desert dance, baby do your best.
We're on our way to higher consciousness.
We reach out for the sky
and we're never coming down.
Keep reaching, keep reaching.
We're never coming down.
High on a million breaths of her,
I surrender to the magic all around me.
We reach out for the sky
and we're never coming down.
05 The Great Divide (04:01)
I'd reconciled my anger got outside of danger.
I was waiting for some signal, a sign from angels.
When the tide turns against you
it's a strange sensation, a revelation of imagination.
I could change my course and face the flow,
reap the seeds that I had sewn or follow that old river south.
Here's what I found out.
I was standing on the Great Divide looking out across America.
Trying to find my truth, define it for myself.
I died the day when I saw this place.
I saw what I could lose.
A very simple mechanism separates the fool from wisdom.
The lines between us are not real.
Conditioning is what makes us feel ignorant.
And apathy will feed our hate.
So we can never give in.
There I was standing at the Great Divide, looking for the truth in America.
For all that time I searched, when I closed my eyes,
I found the thing I was looking for.
I had it all the time.
So are we standing at the Great Divide?
Is there hope for America?
Take the flag we wave, the freedoms that we sing.
Without respect for one other,
it doesn't mean a thing.
06 Rhythm of Hope (03:31)
Lying here awake again.
Minutes before dawn I hear your breathing,
your heart beat like a song.
Lately I've been feeling a little less then good but
seeing things for the first time like I never could.
I've had my head down against the door,
trying to get to something I couldn't find before.
That special something, that feeds my soul,
is a rhythm to live by, it's a rhythm of hope.
Something drives us onwards.
Something gives us strength.
What makes our judgment falter is the questions we think.
Who am I to fly so high?
What gives me the right to dream of what could be,
keep reaching for the light?
I've been standing in front of that door,
basing my happiness on what' I knew before.
Searching for something that moves my soul.
A rhythm to hold to, a rhythm to live to.
Have you been down like this before?
I guarantee there's something waiting for you just open that door.
A rhythm to live by, that moves your soul.
A rhythm that holds you.
A rhythm to live to.
And if there's one thing we all need now,
it's a rhythm to live by, a rhythm of hope.
Lying here awake again.
07 Tribe (04:39)
Taken to a place underground,
a cavern, ten thousand steps down.
The only light was fire fly glow,
reflecting in the blue crystal show.
Feeling in the darkness surrounding me,
roots of giant Sequoia trees
anchor the canopy of life that's above.
The answer to the mystery of life is _
Traveled through the jungles of the Yucatan
and drank the potion from the magic man.
Held the starlight inches from my face,
pushed the door open, # 7.
I walked the path way to heaven.
Saw the same face of God.
Seems every where I go
I see the same face, I feel the same flow.
With every one I meet and every hand I shake,
I'm every man, trying my best to get to know
because everything's at stake.
We're the same tribe.
Passing through Morocco for the faithful is a trip.
Hallucinating visions drives my desert ship.
For a thousand miles we could not fail,
can't enjoy if you can't inhale.
Clearly a lifetimes need of some experience and
for the record, peace.
Seems every where I go
I see the same face, I feel the same flow.
With every one I meet and every hand I shake,
I see myself in every man, trying my best to get to know
because everything's at stake.
We're the same tribe.
08 Blood (04:13)
Thank-you for the lies, the lies you sold us.
Thank-you for this vision of violence.
Thank-you for this song you gave me to sing.
Thank-you for the capping day
of a culture that lay dying.
Yes it's us dying.
Maybe it won't be long,
now that it's all gone on.
It's all gone wrong and
there's blood on our hands.
We saw them lying there
with their arms around each other,
staring through their fear and
the miles between our heads.
You could have told the truth.
It was your decision to
sacrifice integrity and compassion for greed.
Now it's all gone wrong and
there's blood on our hands.
10 Doin' Fine (03:52)
Have you noticed The way people seem today?
Look in their eyes, you can feel their uncertainty.
Working hard for what they fear others would think.
Empty hearts are afraid to break away:don't be afraid.
We could all use a little sunshine
Take the day off :outside.
Hey look around, everything's better now
And here we are and we're doin' fine.
If we look inside, breath deep, and count to ten.
We'll find what we need to see us through
All the way to the end.
We'll know all the answers
Once we stop this judgment game
And realize deep down we're all the same.
We could all use a little sunshine
Take the day off and smile.
Hey look around everything's better now,
And here we are and getting along fine.
Yeah, we're doin' just fine.
We could all use some sunshine
Take the day off and smile.
Hey look around, everything's better
And here we are getting along just fine.
Next time we could try a little harder
And quickly put out the fire,
By working out our differences and
Finding truth we can all believe in.
We're looking at life from a different side.
We're looking at like from a different side.
And I know that we'll all be fine.
And I know that we'll all be fine.
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By ryche72
Ten years later, precisely when the future of Queensryche is uncertain, I grasp the essence of an album not comparable to Tate and company’s best productions but nonetheless endowed with its own musical dignity and fully worthy of being redeemed from the reputation of black sheep in their production.
Anyone who loves Queensryche cannot forgo an attentive and repeated listening of their production.
