The Queensryche Discussion

[Jabroni]

Since we have a Judas Priest and Rob Halford discussion going on, I figured I'd create one for one of my favorite bands:

 

Queensryche

 

Geoff Tate is one of my favorite vocalists of all time and the vocalist who propelled me into singing.

 

His range is just phenomenal:

 

 

He was unreal during his 80's live performances:

 

 

Although he was fired from Queensryche in 2012, I like the new vocalist, Todd LaTorre, as well:

 

 

How many of you were influenced by Geoff Tate?

[ronws]

I have also liked QR. We had a tribute thread a few years ago and I sang "I Don't Believe in Love" and "Silent Lucidity."

 

I like Geoff's range and tone, not just one or the other.

[KillerKu]

I'm pretty mainstream in that I like Operation Mindcrime best, a bit of Empire, bit of Rage for Order. The Warning was too screechy for my tastes and I didn't take a shine to the songwriting.

 

After that, they lost me. I've seen them live at one point with Dream Theater and Fate's Warning. Tate had a good performance that night which I appreciated, (all three bands did well, actually). From his live stuff now, sounds like he is having a hard time. I personally think it might be best if he either accepted the voice change and changed his song selection to something less demanding or saw a top vocal coach to help him re center his voice. It's a demanding style to maintain, I don't blame him for losing his footing. I don't know if it's put on for show, but in interviews and such, he often has a bit of an ego (don't we all), which he might need to put aside if he wants help with his voice. 

 

Queensryche is definitely a 'sometimes' band for me. Tate is far from my favorite singer. I like what he does, but take him in doses, though I appreciate what he's brought to the table. If you consider the mountains of music I never listen to they have done pretty well by my ears.

 

They haven't personally been a huge musical or singing influence on me, although I used to sing Silent Lucidity back in the day and found imitating him helped me find a 'singier' posture compared to some other singers, probably through osmosis.

[ronws]

I think Tate has shifted his singing these days to meet the newer sounds, even if that also includes lowering his range, a little.

 

A year or so ago, someone linked in a vid of him at a radio station and sounding pretty rough. What the person crapping all over Tate didn't bother to mention was that the radio show was a little before 6 am in the morning and he had performed a concert the evening before, which ran after midnight. If you take into account that he had been up since about mid-morning the day before, did a show and then couldn't catch much rest after the show in order to get cleaned up and get a ride to the radio station, and then, sing again.

 

I found another vid of him doing a radio show where he had a full night's rest and about a day between concert and radio show. Magically, he sounded much better.

 

I think it's because he had a chance to rest. But no, that vid didn't get near the attention or even any comments. So, find him at his roughest after a long and tough night and let's call that the state of his being, these days.

 

Though, I have heard of others not liking what they hear of him these days, so at least that is fair.

 

Then, again, I agree with you Killer, on the album choices. But others consider me a bit pop because I was not all that into the Queen of the Ryche and The Warning phases, though they were good, too. The difference is that Queen of the Ryche was a lot of high stuff and Operation Mindcrime was where the vocal melodies started coming down into human range, similar to what Judas Priest did with British Steel.

 

I think Tate is a great singer but the band never sounded the same when Chris DeGarmo left.

[KillerKu]

I think I saw that radio one, but not here, as I wasn't around at the time. It was really intimately miked, so it was extra rough to hear.

 

I saw maybe 4 separate concerts where he was sounding strained and bombing some of the high notes, but it might have just been those clips.

 

Most people have bad nights if they are touring constantly. I agree it is hasty to make an assumption fully on where his voice is definitely now.

 

I do believe he has had stylistic changes for whatever reason too. He likes a lot of the same singers I do (Bowie, soul, jazz) more so than metal singers. He might want to sing more like them, but those influences are a lot less efficient singers. It's a different style.

[ronws]

Quite true, Killer. I saw a clip of Kiske going into a chorus flat. It happens. Kip Winger points out that everyone makes mistakes. In a live performance, they float off into oblivion. Recorded, they are there for all time.

[slstone]

I love all of the early QR stuff up until Empire. That's when they were at their best.

[Jabroni]

I love all of the early QR stuff up until Empire. That's when they were at their best.

Including Empire? I have their albums up through Promised Land, as well as the new self titled Queensryche album.

After Mindcrime, they seemed to change their sound a bit, and got a little more commercial. I enjoy it, but it definitely is quite different from their other albums.

[Robert Lunte]

The Queesryche Discussion! Oh, me likey!

[slstone]

Including Empire? I have their albums up through Promised Land, as well as the new self titled Queensryche album.

After Mindcrime, they seemed to change their sound a bit, and got a little more commercial. I enjoy it, but it definitely is quite different from their other albums.

Yes, Empire did have some tasty bits, though not nearly as progressive and ground breaking as their earlier releases. Geoff's skill on songs like Queen of the Reich or Take Hold of the Flame would have everyone rushing to open their books on technique. I also agree with others on the guitar paring of DeGarmo and Wilton. And like many others, my fave album always was and will be Operation: Mindcrime.

[Robert Lunte]

Yes, Empire did have some tasty bits, though not nearly as progressive and ground breaking as their earlier releases. Geoff's skill on songs like Queen of the Reich or Take Hold of the Flame would have everyone rushing to open their books on technique. I also agree with others on the guitar paring of DeGarmo and Wilton. And like many others, my fave album always was and will be Operation: Mindcrime.

 

Ok, I can honestly say, probably without the early Queensryche albums of the EP & "The Warning"... I might not be doing what Im doing today at TVS. In regards to QR albums... Mindcrime was great... probably my 3rd favorite or 2nd... but in my view... there is something magical and really "NEW" about the EP (Queen of the Reich, The Lady Wore Black, etc... )... and "The Warning" was kind of a continuation of that vibe. I have stated before on other forum posts... in my opinion, the vocal performance on "The Warning" remains one of the greatest rock vocal recording performances of all time. It has to be in the top 5 for me.

 

My God... the vowels are so rounded and "heroic" sounding... It the perfect "theater"/Proggy vocal sound.. if thats what gets you off... and I love that sound. This is just great... love the "heroism" and "theater" behind this.

 

Here is the entire concert they did in Tokyo in 1985... I think the vocals are brilliant in this. Geoff Tate truly at this best!

 

'>

 

The song "Warning" is not in that compilation for some reason and neither is "Roads to Madness"... too bad.  Here is the album cut for "Roads to Madness"... love the crooning here and the drama... LOVE THIS!  Vocal technique geeks... if you want a classic vocal album, BUY THIS ALBUM!.. and if you can get your hands on the original four song EP, called "Queensryche"... get that too... 

 

[Robert Lunte]

Since we have a Judas Priest and Rob Halford discussion going on, I figured I'd create one for one of my favorite bands:

 

Queensryche

 

Geoff Tate is one of my favorite vocalists of all time and the vocalist who propelled me into singing.

 

His range is just phenomenal:

 

 

He was unreal during his 80's live performances:

 

 

Although he was fired from Queensryche in 2012, I like the new vocalist, Todd LaTorre, as well:

 

 

How many of you were influenced by Geoff Tate?

 

I was big time... the early stuff... 

[Jabroni]

I was big time... the early stuff... 

 

Listening to "Queen of the Reich" and hearing "Your soul slipped away, It belongs to the Queen of the REIIIIIIIIIICH" was unreal. I couldn't believe a male vocalist could sing so high. That was the song that really opened my eyes to that style of vocals; honestly, when I first heard Queensryche, I liked everything but the vocals. They were too high-pitched for my liking. I didn't want to be too quick to judge though, so I kept listening to more Queensryche and eventually ended up loving them, to the point where Geoff Tate is probably my favorite vocalist.

 

Also, the Queensryche EP was remastered in 2003 and now has all of the 1984 Tokyo live audio. 

[Robert Lunte]

Great Tip... yes... that sounds like a good QR investment, especially if it has that Tokyo Performance... Id love to have that. With Geoff Tate, I encourage people to get past the "high singing". Yes, that is obvious and its wondrous to listen to and enjoy, but lots of people sing these same high notes. With Geoff Tate, it is the formant color that always made him stand out. It is a heady position, but it has a "round" and 'warmer" sound color to it... It is a soft chestiness that sounds very heroic and theater. Its Geoff Tate's Sound Color that is most special to me.  But these are from the earlier recordings. By the time he got to Mindcrime, it was a lot more "bottom-up" belty, but still, equally cool... But never again did he capture this "boomy", more "covered", "curbed" resonance.. I love the sound, very hard to do. 

 

I had a similar experience when I was about 15 years old.  

 

EPIC!  This changed everything in rock vocals forever with one scream!

 

 

Noteworthy time stamps:

 

1:15 "night"!

 

1:23 " way!"

 

1:36 " face!"

 

1:46 - little whitchyness for effect

 

2:00 - E5

 

2:12 - 2:30 - Love the "Theatery" vibe here

 

This Onset Scream is not shrieky, it has some warmth to the sound color. Great dampened larynx.

 

3:29 "over..."

 

3:42 - "no one will answer, the lights are fading away"... sounds just great!

 

 

 

 

My "Queen of the Riech" experience is shared at the very beginning of my book, "The Four Pillars of Singing'. Here it is, Ill share it with you guys:

 

 

Take Hold of the Flame

 

In a small, quiet town in Southern Idaho, a bored and restless young man lies half awake.  It’s 3 a.m., and the white flip clock radio in the bedroom corner is barely audible. 

 

The early hour means AM signals travel the ionosphere by sky wave, enabling radio stations to be heard much farther from their point of origin than during daylight.   On this particular morning in 1983, as part of a broadcast from the big city radio station 500 miles away, a new EP hitches a ride on this highway in the ionosphere, and, as if by chance, connects with this particular clock.  

 

The opening siren from the song “Queen of The Reich” fills the room. 

The youth is now fully awake, transfixed by the seemingly omnipresent voice in the darkness¹.  “What the HELL is that?!”, he exclaims, struggling to comprehend how anything could sound so marvelous, and yet so bewildering, at the same time. The voice is commanding, with masculine power and heavy metal energy, but also polished, with operatic dash. It is singing like he has never heard before. 

 

This chance moment determines a destiny.  The youth commits to learning how to create this sound himself.  He takes hold of the flame, embarking on a personal journey of discovery that eventually leads to a broader life purpose - to teach others to sing this way.  And he ultimately publishes this book……..

 

1) The voice belongs to Geoff Tate of Queensryche, from their 1983 self-titled EP

 

 

 

[ronws]

Dude still got it. In 2012, he was 53 and still making it happen, even as the Geoff Tate Band.

 

 

And another favorite of mine with another theatrical and dramatic singer.

 

[KillerKu]

it's beautiful to read your passion, Rob. I love how different sounds inspire so many different things. That sounds like such a life changing experience that lead you all the way to your current place in life. By extension, it lead us all here.  

 

I can't help but compare a bit to how Jaime Vendera described a similar experience with Nitro. What he heard was completely unobtainable and sent him on a quest.

 

The difference? He breaks glasses and you also became an artist and a singer in addition to being a voice teacher.  There might be a joke in there somewhere about Nitro vs Queensryche as artists and musicians, but....... Yeah. I'll be nice.

 

Inspiration is beautiful. I'm really happy for you. I'm happy for Jaime too, but.... In a different way. Guy breaks glasses, he makes crazy noises, and he does it well. If the sounds that inspire you are really unobtainable, I can see how it would lead someone all the way to the top of the vocal technique mountain.

 

Me I like Queensryche, but I've never felt the artistic urge to go in that direction. It's almost the opposite, like Joe Strummer makes me want to walk off wherever I am on the technique mountain and stand at the foothills, and push chest. It's all beautiful to me, people following their passions, but you're totally right it's guys like Tate that make what you do possible. Thanks for sharing your passion. What inspires you is inspiring to me.