EMPIRE

Empire when it was released was Queensryche's softest and most commercial work. Degarmo was the main driving force behind this creation and it became their highest selling album. The fact that Queensryche gained millions of fans with this release was a double- edged sword. The band were forced to continue touring for much longer than they wished to, reducing morale. On top of this Queensryche went back to softer more commercial work for Hear In The Now Frontier two albums later. This album was the first major dissapointment for a band who seemingly had ditched their classic sound of the Mindcrime era. That being said, Empire is a very accessible and highly enjoyable record.

1. Best I Can: Excellent vocals and a lovely interwoven keyboard / guitar melody. (9/10)

2. The Thin Line: Lots of vocal harmony along with soft melodic guitars make this a good track. (8/10)

3. Jet City Woman: A very simple structure but an excellent rhythm section and a catchy chorus make up for it. (9/10)

4. Della Brown: Clocking in at over 7 minutes it would have been nice to see some Prog from the band, excellent in places but dull in others. (7.5/10)

5. Another Rainy Night: An excellent catchy rock song with great vocals from Geoff (8.5/10)

6. Empire: Classic Queensryche sound, dual guitars, backing keys, Progressive elements. (9.5/10)

7. Resistance: A fast paced rocker but a basic structure limits and otherwise great track (8.5/10)

8. Silent Lucidity: Queensryche's highest selling song, an excellent ballad with good use of strings (9.5/10)

9. Hand On Heart: More melodic rock with top draw vocals, great song. (9/10)

10. One And Only: Staccato guitars and a good punchy bass fuel this track. (8.5/10)

11. Anybody Listening: A beautiful track, soaring vocals and excellent guitar work. (9/10)

Overall: 86/100

A highly enjoyable release from a brilliant band. In my opinion this doesnt rate up there with the Mindcrimes or Rage For Order but is an excellent addition to any Queensryche or Rock fans discography. Empire really put Queensryche on the musical map.