Sure, I’m a bit of a Queensryche fan. Any band that can come up with Operation Mindcrime, Empire, Promised Land et-al can’t do too much wrong. Even Dedicated to Chaos has its moments.
But the somewhat acrimonious split with the boy Tate (let’s stay out of that) was a sad day.
So Geoff has embraced his new life and punched out with Kings and Thieves. I bought it purely as a ‘Ryche fan wondering what the voice was up to. Here’s what I think……..
It looks like a Queensryche album and a lot of it sounds like one too – but not a great one. To my ears it could easily have been a follow-up to Dedicated to Chaos but a bit more upbeat.
She Slipped Away is a good opener. Chugs along very nicely and is the highpoint of the album.
What follows is, in my opinion, pretty much pedestrian stuff all of a more pedestrian pace with not much to distinguish it. Heard one, heard ‘em all.
Sometimes, but not often, Geoff tries to cut loose and Kelly Gray gets in some nice riffing powerchords and the occasional solo though it’s all too few and far between. Overall it’s a bit one-paced and “samey.”
Was expecting something much rockier and perhaps that was wrong of me. Geoff Tate is clearly not afraid to be trying a different approach and find his own way. That’s fine and I wish him well though Kings and Thieves just doesn’t cut it for me.
I’ve tried hard to like it more. It’s not an unpleasant listen – Take a Bullet, Dark Money, These Glory Days are right up there. But stuff like Say U Luv It (spell properly please Geoff) and The Way I Roll are disappointing when you know the man can do better.
All that said, it appears some people do like Kings and Thieves more than me.
So in the interests of fairness and objectivity, you can read other reviews through the link below.
>> Please click here for more reviews of Geoff Tate’s Kings and Thieves <<
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