HEAR IN THE NOW FRONTIER

3.5 stars. This album is a definite departure from Queensryche's masterpieces of the previous 10 years. I agree that it fails to reach the gold standard they set with Operation: Mindcrime, but the album is far from a failure. Perhaps a bit less proggy, a bit more accessible, somewhat in the vein of Empire, yet excellent songwriting and composition nonetheless. This is an album that's hard not to sing along with, which unfortunately can be rare in the prog genre.

Pleasantly surprising is the diversity of style here, from their exploration of a classic rock sound in All I Want, to the gritty, grinding bass Anytime - Anywhere, to the Floydish interludes on Spool.

Other standout tracks include Sign of the Times, Cuckoo's Nest and Some People Fly.