Queensryche ~ USA ~ Seattle, Washington

The Warning (1984)

---11/8/21

I embraced Queensryche at the very beginning with their brilliant Judas Priest styled EP. When word surfaced that their first full length was going to be more "progressive" I could hardly sleep I was so excited. In 1984, progressive rock mixed with metal was still more of a fantasy than a tiresome burden. After buying the LP on Day 1, I was so very disappointed. Some years later I ditched it. OK, there is the CD on the thrift shop shelf, let's try it again. Hey, this is pretty good metal actually. Not progressive of course, but not too far off the NWOBHM sound they had perfected a year earlier. Geoff Tate was (is, I suppose) a great singer.

---2/20/26

I sold off that CD only to get both the LP and CD back in recently. The LP condition wasn't the best, so into the show box it goes. Let's try this album one more time.

I'm also creating a page here, since I know I will speak highly of that aforementioned debut EP whenever I get around to listening to my copy again. And I'll try to be more patient with their more commercial breakthrough albums that were still a few years away (I wasn't too keen on them real time). Two of those titles are here in my vast inventory, so who knows when they will be touched. Queensryche, like Metallica, are a band who has a great following, and then suddenly fell out of critical favor and put out a series of low rated albums (seven straight according to RYM). At least in Queensryche's case it appears they have rebounded nicely in the last decade plus.

When hearing early Queensryche with an Iron Maiden perspective, the music opens up nicely. They had similar approaches during this era, though Maiden were far more advanced with Powerslave in 1984. But if I consider the previous Piece of Mind instead, then we have some parallels worth considering. I mean, seriously, Geoff Tate was something special as a talented singer. As was Bruce Dickinson. The metal quotient, that is the heaviness of the guitars, is somewhat muted. That would be another resemblance with the almighty Maiden. Judas Priest gets thrown out as a comparison all the time, but that was more considering their EP, and Priest were a different (and lesser) animal by 1984 themselves. To tie the Maiden knot is the closing track which is also The Warning's progressive rock statement. One has to remember that in 1984, metal bands had mostly steered clear of prog for fear of losing street cred or whatever image one had to project in those days.

The problem was... Iron Maiden were something of an exception in that era. The metal movement had moved on to heavier realms as Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, and the German contingent of groups were taking everything to the next level. Meanwhile bands like Fates Warning were prepping the world for a true mix of prog rock and metal. Where does Queensryche fit? I read a review where someone felt the band was "holding something back". I feel the same way. Not heavy enough, not progressive enough, not innovative enough. Yet it's a solid effort throughout. From an historical perspective, including my own personal history, I think I should hold onto the CD this time.

Ownership: EMI-Manhattan (CD). Acquired in 2026.

Former ownership: 1984 EMI America (LP). Acquired in 1984.

9//84; 11/8/21 (notes); 2/20/26 (review)

2/20/26 (new entry)

Metal Church ~ USA ~ Seattle, Washington

Blessing in Disguise (1989) 

---7/7/15

I bought this on LP when it came out, and 26 years later it just gets better and better. The songwriting is top notch, the riffs are sharp and memorable, the production is massive, and new singer Mike Howe's shrill and passionate vocals fit the music perfectly. There are plenty of progressions within each track, keeping the music exciting throughout. 'It's a Secret' recalls the killer instrumental 'Merciless Onslaught' from the debut. Overall, Blessing in Disguise sits comfortably in the middle ground between old school metal and late 80s thrash. Superb.

---12/22/25

For whatever reason I did not add that review to UMR, so it makes its debut here. It's interesting to note that this album isn't really progressive - or even all-out thrash - yet it has elements of both embedded that makes it a fascinating listen. It's a sophisticated album, but not overtly so. Metal Church found a niche in an overcrowded metal marketplace. I didn't mention it above, but if you're going to listen to one track here, make it 'Badlands'. At once beautiful and powerful. Incredible vocal performance by Howe. A true 5 star masterpiece. 

As I catch up on the band's history, it's sad to read that both of their iconic lead singers have passed away, along with their original drummer. On the positive front, they are still marching forward with ever changing lineups around founder Kurdt Vanderhoof, and plan on releasing their 14th album in 2026. As you can see at the bottom, I've barely heard a fraction of them. And only one recent title. 

Ownership: 

1989 Elektra (LP). Lyric insert.

1989 Elektra (CD). Tri-fold booklet with lyrics and photos.

1989 (LP acquired); 5/7/12; 7/7/15 (review); 12/22/25 (update)

The Dark (1986)

For whatever reason, I could never buy this album back in the day. It was like a reverse magnet. I'd have it in my hands, and put it back. I loved the first album (still do), and when Blessing in Disguise came out, I jumped on it. This latter work remains one of my all-time favorite metal albums. But I still didn't get The Dark. I even had a CD of Human Factor at one point (long gone). So leave it to me to wait until it's expensive. That's the Genius Hans way! Ah well, on the same wall with Wrathchild America was a perfect copy of this (it was an incredible metal buy from these guys - all in shrink and most looked untouched). It was overpriced (like unfortunately most of the others, though the WA was fairly marked), but I can never find anything to use my trade credit on, so what the hell - still free for me essentially. 

I offer this prelude to give you perspective on how I approached my first listen. It was with high anticipation. Well... it appears my basic instincts were correct. Or I should state - sort of correct. It's a good album for sure - solid metal all the way. But it misses the X factor that the two albums that surround it have. Whether it be the lack of hooks, energy, or epics, this album isn't breaking any new ground for 1986. I do appreciate Dave Wayne's shrieky voice though. On the downside, the production is a bit "square wave" if you know what I mean. I'm sure I need more time with the album - as the other two I must have heard well over 50 times each (which is what we all did back then). But I wasn't compelled to hear The Dark twice in a row last night. Anyway, a keeper for sure. But disappointing.

Ownership: 1986 Elektra (LP). Lyric insert.

3/7/21 (acquired / review)

Also own and need to review: Metal Church (1984); XI

Once owned and need to revisit The Human Factor.

3/7/21 (new entry)

Heir Apparent ~ USA ~ Seattle, Washington

Graceful Inheritance (1986)

Heir Apparent were one of many great bands buried on the French cult label Black Dragon, a label I was keeping a close eye on given that's where Manilla Road resided. Despite this, I completely forgot about the name Heir Apparent until recent times, if I knew them at all. I don't recall seeing their album in the college record store bins nor seeing writeups in the metal mags I followed at the time. Even if I did flip the record over at some point, I doubt I would have given it much thought, seeing 13 (?!) tracks and short time durations. The longest song here is 5:06, so it doesn't appear they were stretching the boundaries of heavy metal, which is what I would have been looking for.

And now that I'm hearing the album for the first time, I can attest to that last statement. Not groundbreaking at all. That said, I find the music on Heir Apparent's debut very pleasing. It doesn't take long to figure out that the band bears close resemblance to that of same era Queensryche. That's not a coincidence given they often interacted with each other and both were from Seattle. Long before the nihilistic grunge movement was to take over, bands all over the US were more influenced by the fantasy driven NWOBHM groups of the era. Right from the off, you are greeted by Paul Davidson's high pitched yet soothing voice. Sounding every bit like Geoff Tate in his prime without the histrionics. Guitarist Terry Gorle brings a lot of the 70s decade with him, especially in his use of the wah wah pedal on his solos. His tone isn't particularly heavy for the era, so the band relies on melodicism. And it's here that Heir Apparent shines greatest, as it's apparent (had to do it) they spent quite a bit of time both writing and arranging these songs, including the instrumentals.

The greatest part about discovering albums like Graceful Inheritance is that I know I missed tons of excellent metal albums from the mid to late 80s and early 90s. I didn't have much money in college, and once I was released (haha - yea, released) I was way deep into putting paychecks to global prog albums.

Ownership: 1986 Black Dragon (LP). Lyric inner bag.

Also own and need to review their follow up One Small Voice.

9/27/25 (acquired / review)

Sanctuary ~ USA ~ Seattle, Washington

Into the Mirror Black (1990)

Into the Mirror Black is an improvement on Sanctuary's debut. The tones have more heft and the songwriting has become both more complex and melodic. I really miss this era of metal when it was just as important to craft a composition as it was to demonstrate how complex they can play. Everything here has balance and it never feels like it's going off the cliff. Late 80s Fates Warning comes to mind here, though Sanctuary were more grounded in thrash. And Warrel Dale is the perfect singer for this kind of music. He sings at the higher registers, which was de rigueur back then, but it's well within his range and control. No ball squeezing shrieks here. From here, Dale and bassist Jim Sheppard went on to form the heavier Nevermore, a band that achieved great underground success before Dale's untimely passing in 2017.

Ownership: 1990 Epic (LP)

5/28/24 (review)

Refuge Denied (1987) 

Debut album from Seattle based power metal band that is more famous for their subsequent group Nevermore. The stakes were pretty high for 1987, and while Sanctuary puts in a strong power metal effort, it does pale to some of the competition. Good riffage, but it seems there isn't enough of them. Warrel Dane screams with the best of them, though. Not too fond of Dave Mustaine's hollow and slick production either. Lacks oomph. 

This is one of those albums I feel compelled to keep, primarily because I probably won't find it again. But when the great purge happens, I doubt this one will make the cut. From a release perspective, Refuge Denied was initially issued as a CD, and the LP was an afterthought released a year later. Only one US pressing, demonstrating that Sony didn't expect too much demand, and I'm sure they were right. Hence its obscurity today, like many other albums of its ilk.

Ownership: 1988 Epic (LP)

7/20/23 (review)

7/20/23 (new entry)

Sky Cries Mary ~ USA ~ Seattle, Washington

Wandering in the Vastness (2021) 

I started to plow through this CD upon receipt from the good folks at Trail, but I just couldn't make heads or tales out of it and put it aside for a future evaluation. Two plus years later and that day has finally happened. For the predecessor I wrote: "Sky Cries Mary. Now there's a blast from the past. I haven't thought of this group since the mid 1990s, when they first burst onto the scene. Their 1994 album This Timeless Tuning was all the rage with my running set in those days. I was a bit dismissive at the time, recalling that they were just as immersed into 90s alt rock/indie as they were into neo psychedelia. And I've long struggled to find peace and harmony with the former genre."

Secrets of a Red Planet won me over, but Wandering in the Vastness has not, for some of the reasons I mention in my opening prologue. Its very random in its approach, and there's not much in the way of songwriting. It sounds like a product of the 90s, and not the element I enjoy about the decade. There's a lot of music to absorb here and some of it has a nice psychedelic underground and space rock feel. But unfortunately there's not enough here for me to keep. My instincts on the first listen were correct. I just delayed it since Trail was so nice to send it over. I hate leaving anything but positive reviews on welcome submittals, but I just couldn't get into this title.

Former ownership: 2021 Trail (CD). Tri-fold digipak with recording details and photos. Acquired in 2023. Downsized in 2026.

11/12/23 (review)

Secrets of a Red Planet (2020)

Sky Cries Mary. Now there's a blast from the past. I haven't thought of this group since the mid 1990s, when they first burst onto the scene. Their 1994 album This Timeless Tuning was all the rage with my running set in those days. I was a bit dismissive at the time, recalling that they were just as immersed into 90s alt rock / indie as they were into neo psychedelia. And I've long struggled to find peace and harmony with the former genre. But that was 25 years ago, and my life has changed dramatically since then. So I cannot say how I would receive the album today. To be honest I was a bit apprehensive to hear this album after obtaining a copy in the mail about a month ago. I thought Sky Cries Mary were an odd choice for Trail Records - who primarily specialize in Eastern European and Asian space rock - to pick up an old flannel-shirted Seattle based band. But some quick research shows it is I that is completely out of touch (no surprise there...), as Sky Cries Mary not only aren't some reclamation project, but rather a continuing operation. And for the last 11 years they have been part of the Trail Records stable (?!). Nice to see how well I've kept up.

Once the music started, my worst fears faded, and I found the music welcoming on impact. There are most certainly many references to the 90s - a decade, I should add, that I treasure - so that is not a pejorative in my world. The music is, without a doubt, space rock, and it's most certainly psychedelic, in the same way as groups from the 90s were - hence the genre neo psych. There are still some female (and male) vocals, but mostly this is instrumental music with a great emphasis on studio effects, like the great Krautrock masters would do. Guitars and a mass of keyboards lead the way. This is not a stroll through 1970s Vintage Park, but rather modern technology is put to great use. An excellent example of this is 'Trapeze Dancer', which brings in the (gasp) beats, and I found the intermingling of sounds to be quite (pleasantly) jarring in this setting. Part of that reason is the judicious use of them - as that's pretty much the only place that kind of rhythm is used. Otherwise it's good old fashioned drum work propelling the music forward.

While listening to Secrets of a Red Planet, other images from the 90s began to flash by. Including the group Beyond-O-Matic, another Trail Records pickup that we wrote about some 7 years ago. How many of you remember the Kranky label - bands like Jessamine, Magnog, Windy & Carl, and Doldrums? Or the Los Angeles based Farflung? There's traces of those sounds here, but this new effort is far more likable to my ears. Like Beyond-O-Matic, Sky Cries Mary didn't stay content with the past, and has improved considerably upon it. Or at least as my memory would have it. If any of this review resonates in a positive manner, then you represent the target audience. Overall, Secrets of a Red Planet is an excellent addition to the USA canon of space rock albums.

Ownership: 2020 Trail (CD). Tri-fold glossy digipak. Acquired in 2020.

5/19/20 (review)

5/19/20 (new entry)

Pearl Jam – Ten. 1991 USA-Washington

This is the debut album from Pearl Jam, one of grunge’s major stars. If I was unplugged by 1986, you can only imagine where I was in 1991. Of course I knew who all these bands were. I still would watch MTV on occasion as but one example. Some of my metal friends had started to crossover to the flannel shirt set. If I were to summarize, I would say that I viewed Pearl Jam and its ilk in the same way I viewed Madonna in the early 80s, which I spoke about on one of her albums. That is to say, I wasn’t enamored by it, but I wasn’t annoyed either. Sounded OK to me, and I remembered being tempted to buy a Soundgarden album at the time. Now is probably the right time for me to listen to Pearl Jam. The vocal style that Eddie Vedder brings isn’t really to my taste and yet it defines the genre honestly. But I’m beginning to tolerate it. What I do like is the psychedelic styled guitars, very much an indication of the upcoming stoner movement, which I was an early adopter of (though I tired of it quickly). I found the whole album very enjoyable.

Ownership: MC: 1991 Epic Associated. From a recent garage sale collection buy (2023).

3/3/23 (MC 4.1); 4/19/23 (new entry)

Konkrete Kantikle. 2001 USA-Washington

Back in 2004 I had the opportunity to buy the entire Ventricle set of releases for a very cheap price, so I decided to pull the trigger. Over the years, I've trimmed almost all of them out. They range from horrific (Corpse You Luv) to pretty good, most falling in the latter category. They're all variations on a theme, with ethereal female vocals and mellotron. The flagship "band" were Mauve Sideshow, and if you are curious to go further, I'd suggest any of their 4 CDs as a starting point. Led by "Dusty Lee", the Seattle based Ventricle label was a showcase for his musical vision. One he had started with a collective called Kangaroo Kourt before moving out of state. Known prior as Lee Blair, he was one of the original heads from the Texas scene (Austin in this case), and I bought plenty of rare Krautrock and French LPs from him in the late 80s that I still own to this day. We were complete opposites in just about anything you could name, but we shared the same musical tastes. And I remember him being very kind to me and always willing to share his vast underground music knowledge, which was hard to come by in those days.

The one CD I am for certain to keep is Dream Radiation, though I haven't heard it since that initial buy. But I do have a special memory of it. The second one that managed to get this far is Konkrete Kantikle, which I haven't heard since then either. The primary difference here is the heavy use of organ (rather than mellotron), including what sounds like pipe organ. The 17+ minute centerpiece is as good as anything Klaus Schulze mustered up in the early 70s, and the haunting voices bare a slight resemblance to a wordless Rosi. Only track 5 gets a bit too far out there, but it's short. So that likely closes the book on Ventricle for me - Konkrete Kantikle and Dream Radiation will remain with the collection.

Ownership: CD: 2001 Ventricle. Acquired as noted above (2004). The cover may remind you a bit of Anglagard's last 2 releases.

2004; 12/9/22 (new entry)

Culprit - Guilty as Charged. 1983 USA-Washington

A few years ago I bought an album by a little known band called Chasar. There I wrote: "Some lads from Scotland get together in a room, listen to Rush's Permanent Waves, and decide on the spot to create a band in the spirit of Iron Maiden, Saxon, et al, but with a bit more creativity and free flow of ideas." 

Replace Scotland with Seattle and you pretty much have Culprit's sole album as well. This one slipped under the radar, but is really a very creative album for the time and place. While Queensryche were getting all the local attention, Culprit were more innovative. This comes two years before Fates Warning got serious about bringing progressive rock ideas to heavy metal. But there are similarities here. A very inventive release where multiple listens reveal more each time. Easy recommendation for early metal fans.

Ownership: LP: 1983 Shrapnel. Single sleeve. Another part of the large buy from a local offline seller. There looks to be a high quality CD reissue with bonus tracks, and easy to find to, if you'd rather go that way. If I find one on the cheap, I'd probably supplement this copy.

9/8/22 (new entry)

Sonic Tribe ~ USA ~ Seattle, Washington

Spirit Rising (2002)

Spirit Rising was released at a time when the 60s hippy movement was having its last great swansong, and they were combining New Age, Tribal Electronic, Psychedelic, and lyrics about saving the planet all into one big bag of druggy goodness. Sonic Tribe is part of the Dean Evenson universe, and he was hyperactive during this era, primarily as a solo artist. It's all so very West Coast (Seattle area in this case). I like this one, brings back memories of the early to mid 90s for me, which were the most transformative years of my life. The music contains a certain something I cannot describe in words. Not a mind blowing album (could have used Ed Wynne on a few of these tracks), but I'll take what I can get.

Ownership: 2002 Soundings of the Planet (CD). Acquired in 2021.

12/2/21 (review)

Presto Ballet ~ USA ~ Seattle, Washington

Peace Among the Ruins (2005)

Mannn... had this album only been around in 1979, right? Van Halen walks into the studio and jams with Kansas; Uriah Heep listened to Judas Priest and said "hey, let's add a little guitar muscle here and we can do this!"; Styx grew a pair (or James Young took control of the band - whichever). You know you would have waited all night on the radio to hear this - don't deny it! But alas, it's 2005, and it's a thrash metal guy bankrolling it. A guy who happens to have a vintage keyboard fetish. Not progressive rock - noooo (stop it guys!) - but that wonderful late 70s Pomp / AOR sound - with some 80s crunchy guitar to lap it up with. Why not? I'm buying the concept.

Ownership: 2005 InsideOut Europe (CD)

8/27/10; 2/15/16 (acquired / review)

2/15/16 (new entry)