Queensrÿche

One of the great unknown facts of '90s metal was Queensrÿche's consistently intriguing, satisfying output. Although the mainstream left them behind after grunge, they never totally revamped their sound in hopes of regaining a wider audience. They kept on with their ambitious, layered fusion of metal and prog rock, turning in albums that were distinctly different from each other yet tied together by a signature sound. Their decade-capping Q2K is no different. Yes, it does suffer from their worst title ever, but this, their first effort for Atlantic Records, is an assured effort that trims away some of their excesses, replacing it with a slightly heavier, harder approach. As a matter of fact, it feels like a concept album but appears not to be one, which is unusual for Queensrÿche. But by concentrating on just the music, it becomes apparent how subtle and nuanced their interplay has become, and how their musicality keeps growing stronger with each passing year. The expanded and remastered edition contains four bonus tracks, two of which are previously unissued. There's the spacey power ballad "Until There Was You," and the riff-driven screamer "Howl." The latter of the two is prime Queensrÿche, and is worth the package price alone. Next is the live reading of "Sacred Ground," which was only included on the Japanese version of Q2K. It's full of pent-up slide runs, slow, droning power chords, and of course, Geoff Tate singing his ass off. Finally, the only unnecessary track here: a radio edit of "Breakdown." Its inclusion is just a toss off to round the time out on the disc. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Thom Jurek, All Music Guide