Queensryche - Promised Land (the overlooked album?)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Valen2260, Aug 15, 2019.

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  1. Halici Arif

    Halici Arif Forum Resident

    Sorry if this is off-topic, but is there a decent accounting anywhere of these internal issues? In my opinion, DeGarmo was to QR as Steve Clark was to Def Leppard. What came after sounded like a poor facsimile of what came before. Without DeGarmo, the songs just weren't as memorable or interesting even though all the elements seem to be there. I guess it just proves the old adage that the sum of the parts is not greater than the whole.

    To me, Promised Land is every bit as good as Empire and Rage, and just a cut below Warning (and the EP), which in turn is a cut below Mindcrime. I love them all though.
     
  2. Curveboy

    Curveboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    I can't agree as much as I loved DeGarmo...but he returned for Tribe and that wasn't very good.
     
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  3. MechanicalAnimal6

    MechanicalAnimal6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    i thought Tribe was quite a good album, but then again they only have 3 albums i only kind of like, while the rest i absolutely love.
    Seems like there is way too many people that only like up to about the Empire era then bailed on the band, which is sad because
    they still have made tons of great tunes. My opinion of course though ! :)
     
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  4. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US
    Perhaps a better way to put it is that I've moved on.

    I've disengaged so I don't know the answer to this but how much of, lets say, the 21st century stuff do they play? Is it just one or two songs from a new album or five or six?
     
  5. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US
    I was kind of baffled by that myself. It didn't seem like he was totally committed at that point for whatever reason. Seemed like the magic was gone. I thought a lot of the consistency left with him the first time.
     
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  6. Curveboy

    Curveboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    Looking at Setlist.com and it seems like currently they are playing 4 songs from the Todd era and 10 songs from the Geoff.
     
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  7. TheGreatSouthernBrainfart

    TheGreatSouthernBrainfart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    THIS! I love those early QR albums but starting with Rage, you could hear a conceptual and sonic growth in the band. OMC was such a huge album for them as a cult favorite and they played the **** out of that album on the Building Empires tour. I love Empire because it just sounds like mature, grown-up men. Tate and Degarmo tapped into some very personal feelings and emotions in a way that they had not done up to this point. As for Promised Land, for me, this is their Pink Floyd moment or their Dark Side of the Moon. Every emotion is touched on this album. From the dark and haunting to optimistic, I love everything about this album. The title track is hands down one of QR's finest moments. It has stood the test of time and honestly I find myself loving it more as I get older.
     
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  8. Madness

    Madness "Hate is much too great a burden to bear."

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    Tribe is my favorite post-Empire release, and I think their best since Empire.
     
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  9. Madness

    Madness "Hate is much too great a burden to bear."

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    I don't see an LP release for Tribe on discogs; did they never release it on vinyl?
     
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  10. Ghost of Ziggy

    Ghost of Ziggy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hell
    The only Tate led QR album I truly dislike was the last one (Dedicated to Chaos). I found something to enjoy on all the others, and think people are generally harsh about them. It’s always the cliche answer, “Everything is good up until Promised Land”.
     
  11. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    I'd sure agree if compared to say Mindcrime 2 which really only had "I'm American" grab me-and that after various listens and seeing the whole production with the original lineup. I feel like Geoff Tate got the same Broadway/Tony Award brain virus as Dennis DeYoung :)laugh:) and lost track of songs in favor of production. I'd love to see the Todd lineup but no luck so far.

    Back to Promised Land, I'll add that to my outlier likes. In order: a tie between Q2k and Tribe, then the rest, yeah call me insane. Queensryche is another band for me, like Metallica, where while I like and admire the early stuff it's actually some of the later stuff that I like best.
     
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  12. seastman

    seastman Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    It's been 10+ years since I first heard the title track from this album and I've still never heard another song that sounds remotely like it. Probably never will, it's in a league of its own.
     
  13. paradox55

    paradox55 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I concur. As I was grilling out the other night, Promised Land made a welcome appearance on my shuffle- mesmerizing.
     
  14. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    Agreed. Probably my favorite song by Queensryche. Seeing it live from the 3rd row back in '95 was something else. :cool:
     
  15. paradox55

    paradox55 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Yes indeed- I was there myself. Seeing them perform Promised Land in its entirety was certainly a treat.
     
  16. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    Nice!

    And I love the fact that it wasn't performed in order. Every song was played, but spaced out over the course of the entire set list. Brilliantly done.
     
  17. Robber Soul

    Robber Soul Forum Resident

    I had a pretty big love/hate relationship with Promised Land when it came out and for a lot of the years that followed.
    Around the time of its release, I was just getting into music production and audio engineering and had been recently introduced to Pink Floyd as well. While I liked the record a lot and
    appreciated what they were doing and where they were trying to go with it, coming off Empire and Mindcrime, it was also a disappointment. I remember sometimes wishing it had been
    recorded by a different band all together. I felt like I may have appreciated it more than I probably did.
     
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  18. guyfromscene24

    guyfromscene24 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    PL is hit and miss for me. Love the title track, Disconnected, and Someone Else. Half feels like filler, and the first two songs are pretty good but I don't like the grunge overtones. But I do like PL better than anything they did since.
     
  19. cdollaz

    cdollaz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, TX, USA
    The full band version of Someone Else would have closed the album in an epic fashion.
     
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  20. seastman

    seastman Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Anyone else notice similarities between this album and Dream Theater’s Awake? Both came out in October 1994 and have very similar production. Listen to the end of Lady Jane and tell me it doesn’t sound like Space-Dye Vest.
     
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  21. paradox55

    paradox55 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    In addition to the title track, Lady Jane, One More Time, Someone Else, Disconnected, Damaged, and I am I are all stellar Ryche.
     
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  22. Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD

    Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Queensryche used to be one of my top 10 favourite bands. But after O:M II, the Tate era quickly went downhill. Though, the La Torre era has been a slight improvement.

    Promised Land is my 3rd favourite QR album (RFO and O:M, are #1 & #2). No truly creative artists ever want to stay in the same place. So the stylistic change was a necessary shift from the inverted power chords & unison lines of '80s/early '90s QR, that Wilton & DeGarmo were ensconced in, while retaining their overall sonic & thematic innovativeness. It wasn't a grunge album, but the similar influences were present. And despite the lack of hits that Empire had, PL flows far more efficiently than the former. And even though it's not a concept album per se (though, it probably should've been), ala O:M I & II, there's a theme present dealing with self-doubt/sabotage/isolation, perseverance & then ultimately winding up in self-reflection.

    Promised Land is one of the top 10 best albums of the '90s...:righton:
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2020
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  23. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US
    Still can't decide which version I like better. I think they are both awesome.
     
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  24. guyfromscene24

    guyfromscene24 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    I like both but prefer the piano duet.
     
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  25. Promised Land has long been my favorite Queensryche record. Quantifying why is difficult but I'll try. I think it melded all the things I liked about the band into one great record. For me the song writing is strong here. None of these songs are filler. This record has some of the kick @$$ immediacy that was evident on 'Warning' and 'Rage' while at the same time being a much more 'mature' sounding record ala 'Empire. The song 'Bridge' is a personal favorite as it nails the 'non' relationship my brothers and I had with our father. In any case, I loved this one right out of the gate and it only grew in stature for me.
     
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