Search - Queensryche :: Q2k

Kenneth W. (Eyesore) from TAUNTON, MA
Reviewed on 12/4/2007...

Chris DeGarmo is a scapegoat. To this day, fans continue to claim his departure from Queensryche is the reason the band is a shadow of their former self. And now with this reissue it appears that even Geoff Tate is trying to shift some of that blame onto the shoulders of DeGarmo. In the liner notes he writes, "...and to top it all off, my guitar player, Chris DeGarmo, quit the band. This last detail was perhaps the most difficult to deal with. Emotionally, Chris left all of us devastated. Financially, we were all standing on the edge of a desert, wondering if we had enough water to make the crossing." You'll notice the use of "my guitar player," not "our," which is curious to say the least. He then goes on to discuss the turmoil that surrounded DeGarmo's replacement, Kelly Gray, and all the drugs, alcohol, and death that followed them onto the Q2K tour (maybe offering some insight into the whole Nevermore/Kelly Gray debacle). Geoff then says, referring to the writing of Q2K, "The writing was truly something new for us, as we had only ever worked at creating with Chris…and his style and influence were the building blocks of the Queensryche sound." Again, Chris DeGarmo becomes a scapegoat of sorts.

Hear In The Now Frontier was the last album to fully feature DeGarmo; in fact that album is virtually a Chris DeGarmo solo album as he wrote most of the songs with that intent, not really interested in doing another Queensryche album, and the band relented and released it under the Queensryche banner; Geoff Tate even stepped aside allowing Chris to sing lead vocals on "All I Want." Have people, fans and Geoff Tate alike, forgotten about this album? Have people forgotten that DeGarmo went on to form the short-lived Spyz4Darwin, an alternative rock band with the singer from Sponge? Have people forgotten that he has recently co-written songs with Dredg, a decidedly non-metal band? Have people forgotten that Chris partially returned to Queensryche in 2003 and co-wrote five songs on Tribe, an album far removed from the Queensryche of old, the Queensryche that fans claim only Chris DeGarmo could bring back? For almost ten years now DeGarmo has proven many times that he is nowhere near the person people claim him to be. He's a commercial pilot now! That's what he does for a living. The Queensryche of old is gone forever, folks, as is Chris DeGarmo. It's time to move on.

To say Q2K was a departure for the band was an understatement, it was a grand exit. When it was released in 1999, I was a bit shocked actually. After Hear In The Now Frontier I didn't have any expectations, but Q2K is very different from that album, let alone from previous albums. The songs were all of a sudden very basic, seemingly lacking of personality. While songs like the very catchy "Sacred Ground" and the almost prog-rock "Liquid Sky" are really good, only the brilliant "The Right Side Of My Mind" comes anywhere close to the many classic songs this band has written. Other tracks like "Falling Down" and "Breakdown" are good, but forgettable upon repeated listens. However, it's the dreary, sleep-inducers like "One Life," "When The Rain Comes," "Wot Kind Of Man" -- Wot? -- and "Beside You" that stops this album dead in its tracks. The songwriting just isn't very good, and that's not the fault of a man flying high above the streets of Seattle.

So why reissue an album that didn't sell very well in the first place? Well, surprisingly -- or not-so -- Q2K has been out of print for a while now, so this will at least put it back in the shops for those that do like the album, or are interested in it. It has been remastered, though there really isn't much improvement over the original. Queensryche has already re-released all their other albums except for Tribe, and most of those albums had worthless live bonus tracks. They included a few rare songs, but songs previously available on singles and soundtracks. There were no early songs like "Rage" (which later became "Anarchy-X"), "Waiting For The Kill" (which later became "NM156"), "Ballad In B Minor" (which later became "I Dream In Infrared"), or the many other never-released demos and early versions of album tracks. Luckily, Q2K is a bit different in that respect. Sure, the added radio edit of "Breakdown" and the live version of "Sacred Ground" are both essentially worthless, but they've also included two completely never-before-heard/released songs, "Howl" and "Until There Was You." The former being a very good song in the vein of "Sacred Ground," while the latter is a very good modern rock ballad. Both tracks are not completely produced, but they're still better than at least six tracks that originally made the album; why they never originally included these songs in place of others -- or in addition to -- is beyond me.

Seven years later, Q2K still doesn't impress me much. The addition of two unheard songs is cool indeed, but the songs neither increase or decrease the quality of the album as a whole. It's still the same old Q2K. "The Right Side Of My Mind" still remains one of my all-time favorite Queensryche songs, but the rest of the album doesn't even compare. There are some very good songs, but there are just as many boring, unmemorable tracks. Queensryche will never be the same; even if Chris DeGarmo returned to the band they would never be the same. It's wishful thinking, but it won't happen. And no amount of finger-pointing towards DeGarmo will change the fact that Q2K remains a mediocre album at best.

Website: http://www.queensryche.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/queensryche1982

Q2K, An album showing a bands talent and growth

Danny J. Marcinkiewicz | Chicago, IL USA | 01/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was a huge Queensryche fan with the release of their EP and The Warning. My interest in them faded with their next few albums even though I now consider Mindcrime to be one of the best albums ever. I never gave any of their later work much of a chance, Promised Land and Q2K. I now feel these albums as well as Tribe make the EP and other albums of that era sound dated. I absolutely love the sound of Queensryche later material and look forward to the future of the band. I would definatly recommend this album to any true Queensryche fan. Have an open mind, dwell not on the past, but embrace the present."