Tuesday, March 5: Queensrÿche, "Breakdown" [ENCORE]
The Today’s Metal Tune tumblr posted its first song March 5, 2014. Amazingly, 10 YEARS LATER we are still here and going strong. A huge THANK YOU to everyone that has followed, liked, reblogged and commented over the past 10 years, this tumblr has been a passion project that took on a life of its own and far exceeded humble expectations, and that is all because so many have listened and gotten in on the fun. To celebrate the past decade, we are revisiting some favorites from the early years. Stay Metal everyone, there’s much more still to come…
Depending on whom you ask, Queensrÿche started sucking either after 1984, 1988, 1991 or 1995. But despite the numerous controversies (and numerous questionable albums) that the band perpetuated since the departure of founding guitarist and primary songwriter Chris DeGarmo in 1998, there is one post-Empire (or post-Promised Land- again, it depends on your point of view) record that deserves revisiting: 1999’s Q2K sank like a stone upon initial release, but in is actually somewhat underrated. Yes, it was another departure from their classic prog-metal sound, and it was most definitely created in reaction to both the musical climate of the day as well as DeGarmo’s leaving. But it was also one of the only times (and definitely the last time until the Todd La Torre era) Queensrÿche just rocked out, without explanation or excuses. And “Breakdown” is the most metallic of the bunch: the guitars storm, swirl and crunch, Geoff Tate wails with conviction (also one of the last times he would stretch his range), and for those who complain about the songs being too direct, Scott Rockenfield’s drumming is nothing if not complex. “Breakdown” and Q2K represent the last time there wasn’t an air of defensiveness about Queensrÿche, and as such both should be appreciated on their own terms.