The UK rock music press are an odd bunch – they are quick to criticize bands for non-original ideas and seemingly being copycats of other bands. They forget every band is inspired by what came before. Queensryche were often written off as Iron Maiden clones – as were Dream Theater and Fates Warning – due to their first EP. I prefer to look at it as Maiden inspired them to find their sound. I mean, nobody could have predicted them serving up Operation Mindcrime, and that’s what they came up with just a couple of albums later. They took what Maiden were doing and added that progressive edge. Yes, Geoff Tates vocals are very close to what Bruce was doing in Maiden, but musically I think they were a bit more adventurous – after all, this was their debut full length record.
Warning is a great opening tune and it lets you know what the band are all about – and Tates vocal range is very impressive. En Force reminds me a lot of Judas Priest, with the riffing and the lower tone in Geoff’s voice. Deliverance’s layered harmony vocals are very impressive with a very basic riff. No Sanctuary could be the first prog metal tune, as the arrangement is pretty epic with amazing vocals – although slow in pace – it’s going places others weren’t. Remember it’s ’84 and Dream Theater were just a twinkle in Mike Portnoy‘s eye. Side 1 closes out with NM156, and this is my least favourite track on the album – it’s a tad disjointed.
Side 2 kicks off with Take Hold Of The Flame and it’s my favourite on the album. It’s a totally different vibe to anything else and has a great riff and groove, but what a monster vocal. The pedal goes straight to the metal with Before The Storm, it has a great odd beat and groove. There is a version of this on a Greatest Hits somewhere and it’s straight pedal to the metal – totally different! Tribal drums announce the arrival of Child Of Fire, and the riff is straight out of the Judas Priest songbook. Roads To Madness starts with a very evil doomy main riff – this song is full of light and shade and is the big epic of the album. This was about as metal as they got as they started to change and find their own voice after this.
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
