Queensrÿche

A progressive metal band which originated in Seattle, Washington in 1981. Their earliest material had a very gothic/technopunk metal edge, with obvious progressive influences like Pink Floyd and Queen, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. In later years their progressive sound evolved into what is considered to be their high point with Operation: Mindcrime in 1988. In the '90s the band shifted directions with a more mainstream sound in Empire and experimentation with Promised Land. Their most recent works represent a further exploration of their musical talents, however many fans consider them to have peaked long ago.

The band (past and present):

Geoff Tate (1981-Present): Vocals
Chris DeGarmo (1981-1998): Guitars
Kelly Gray (1998-Present): Guitars
Michael Wilton (1981-Present): Guitars
Eddie Jackson (1981-Present): Bass
Scott Rockenfield (1981-Present): Drums

Discography:

1983 Queensrÿche (EP)
1984 The Warning (Album)
1985 Live in Tokyo (Live Video)
1986 Rage for Order (Album)
1988 Operation: Mindcrime (Album)
1989 Video: Mindcrime (Video)
1990 Empire (Album)
1991 Operation: Livecrime (Live Boxed Set)
1992 Building Empires (Video Retrospective)
1994 Promised Land (Album)
1996 Promised Land (Interactive CD-ROM)
1997 Hear in the Now Frontier (Album)
1999 Q2k (Album)

credits: http://www.queensryche.com

The Heavy Metal award for Least Promising Start goes to Queensryche. They came from Seattle long before it was voguish to do so, sounded like an operatic Judas Priest and, with The Warning (1984), charted for just one week in the UK Top 100- at No.100.

But the band (who'd debuted with 1983's EP 'Queen Of The Reich') secured a loyal following with 1985's sophisticated Rage For Order and 1988's compellingly conceptual Operation: Mindcrime (hence 1991's CD/video package Operation:livecrime).

By the time of Empire (1990), they'd ditched an ill-advised Glam image and were rewarded with the hit 'Silent Lucidity' and triple-platinum album sales. Royally aloof from prevailing trends, they finally looked like the 'Pink Floyd of Heavy Metal' that reviewers had labelled them from the start- hence platinum sales for Promised Land (1994) even after a lengthy lay-off. However, after Hear In The New Frontier (1997), the band's first ever line-up change- the exit of guitarist Chris DeGarmo- put their future in question.