Queensryche - Digital Noise Alliance (New album October 7, 2022)

[whiplash1972]

 

QUEENSRŸCHE Announces New Album 'Digital Noise Alliance' - BLABBERMOUTH.NET

QUEENSRŸCHE has set "Digital Noise Alliance" as the title of its new studio album, due on October 7 via Century Media Records.

 

"Digital Noise Alliance" was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and "The Verdict" LPs.

This past March, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre told FOX17 Rock & Review about the band's upcoming LP: "Each song might have a little different attitude and we wanted to just use real amps and all the vintage, real stuff that was used throughout the history of QUEENSRŸCHE.

"We did all the drums at a place in Clearwater [Florida] — a huge home with the most amazing ceiling for a drum room," La Torre continued. "So we did all the drums there. And then, really, at my place [in St. Petersburg, Florida], we're able to track all the guitars, bass and vocals.

"Those days of renting thousand-dollar-a-day studios, we don't really need that anymore. And our producer Zeuss, who did the last two QUEENSRŸCHE albums — he does all Rob Zombie's stuff; he's a very seasoned producer, [and] he does mixing and mastering, so he's a one-stop shop — he's down here from Massachusetts. So he's handling all those duties. And things are going really well. We're having a great time."

Last November, La Torre told Canada's The Metal Voice about the musical direction of the new QUEENSRŸCHE material: "It doesn't sound like 'The Verdict'. It's its own new kind of thing. We really kind of just focused more on melodic hooks. I don't think we went in thinking, like, 'Oh, we need to sound old school or new or this.'"

He continued: "You know what we did on this record… Every other time, each guy would kind of submit their own song ideas and then we would kind of work on that. But what we did on this record was, other than Eddie [Jackson, bass] — Eddie has a couple of songs that are really cool that he wrote and then showed us kind of when they were pretty much done. And then Michael kind of wrote some interesting chords — still staying within the keys and everything. But we all got in a room with our here [in Florida], and we literally started from scratch. Like, 'Michael, what do you got?' [And he would] come up with a riff. And Casey [Grillo] would sit on the drums, or I would sit on the drums. We were all actually in a room and just tried it like the good old days. So this record was totally like that — the whole thing pretty much, minus one or two songs. And even that changed a little bit."

In early 2021, Wilton told The Metal Voice about the sound of the new QUEENSRŸCHE music: "Our producer, Zeuss, if this is any indication, he says it sounds like QUEENSRŸCHE … I think we're just going with our gut right now. You don't wanna take too many drastic chances in this day and age. So I think it's more of a continuation of 'The Verdict', maybe, in some sense. We're riding that wave. It's been good to us. [Laughs]"

In October, Wilton confirmed that returning guitarist Mike Stone would contribute guitar solos to the band's next studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past five years, Grillo has been filling in for QUEENSRŸCHE's original drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In early October, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against the band's fellow original members Wilton and Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge.

Earlier this year, QUEENSRŸCHE pulled out of SCORPIONS' rescheduled "Sin City Nights" Las Vegas residency in order to support JUDAS PRIEST on the "50 Heavy Metal Years" North American tour dates. The trek kicked off on March 4 in Peoria, Illinois and concluded on April 13 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

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From Queensryche's Facebook page:

 

QUEENSRŸCHE – Release “In Extremis”, 1st Song And Video Taken From “Digital Noise Alliance”, Announce Tour With Judas Priest!

With a career that not only spans, but has charted the course of multiple genres, QUEENSRŸCHE remains a force in their own right. “Digital Noise Alliance”, QUEENSRŸCHE’s 16th studio album, which will be out October 7th, continues the ever-evolving legacy the Bellevue Washington born band that began in 1982 when they first took hold of the flame with their hugely received self-titled 4-song EP. Their recent U.S. tour with Judas Priest proved that the band’s time off the road and in the studio only stoked their ambition and fire.

Once again teaming up with producer Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed), “Digital Noise Alliance” not only refracts QUEENSRŸCHE’s past accomplishments but also pushes into the band’s future. It is the band effortlessly moving from strength to strength: immediate and thought-provoking. Quintessentially QUEENSRŸCHE.

Get a first taste of “Digital Noise Alliance” with “In Extremis” that is out on all digital platforms, as well as by watching the video: https://youtu.be/W6btF3AotH0

The band comments, “This song is about being on your deathbed surrounded by your loved ones. Clinging to the last sense available, letting them know you will still be hearing them after correspondence or perceived consciousness is visible. Other conceptual metaphors flash in and out, taking note of a world that will not bend to accommodate such suffering, a universe of mockery and a universe void of such abilities.”

Right after the release of “Digital Noise Alliance” the band will embark on another tour opening for the mighty Judas Priest on their “50 Heavy Metal Years” tour.

 

QUEENSRYCHE opening for Judas Priest dates:

Oct. 13 Wallingford, CT - Toyota Oakdale

Oct. 15 Albany, NY - MVP Arena

Oct. 16 Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall Fenway

Oct. 18 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Veterans

Oct. 19 Wilkes-Barre, PA - Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

Oct. 21 Kalamazoo, MI - Wings Event Center

Oct. 22 Detroit, MI - Masonic Temple Theatre

Oct. 24 Cincinnati, OH - The Andrew J Brady Music Center

Oct. 25 Waukegan, IL - Genesee Theatre

Oct. 27 Green Bay, WI - Resch Center Theater

Oct. 29 Moline, IL - TaxSlayer Center Moline

Oct. 30 Mankato, MN - Mayo Clinic Event Center

Nov. 01 Sioux City, IA - Tyson Events Center

Nov. 02 Rapid City, SD - The Monument

Nov. 07 Ontario, CA - Toyota Center

Nov. 08 Tucson, AZ - TCC Arena

Nov. 10 Loveland, CO - Budweiser Events Center

Nov. 12 Park City (Wichita),KS - Hartman Arena

Nov. 13 St. Charles, MO - The Family Arena

Nov. 15 Corbin, KY - The Corbin Arena

Nov. 17 Southaven, MS - Landers Center

Nov. 18 Baton Rouge, LA - Raising Canes River Center

Nov. 20 Oklahoma City, OK - Paycom Center

Nov. 22 San Antonio, TX - Tech Port Center & Arena

Nov. 23 San Antonio, TX - Tech Port Center & Arena

Nov. 25 Dallas, TX - The Factory - Deep Ellum

Nov. 26 Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street

Nov. 28 Edinburg, TX - Burt Ogden Arena

Nov. 29 Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall

Stay tuned for more news, music and pre-order options soon!

 

QUEENSRŸCHE line-up:

Eddie Jackson - bass

Michael Wilton - guitar

Todd La Torre - vocals

Casey Grillo - drums

Mike Stone - guitar

[AlphaMale]

That sounds great.

Edited June 27, 2022 by AlphaMale

[tts42572]

Never really got into these guys.  I dug a few tunes back in the day like Another Rainy Night, Empire & Jet City Woman but that's about as far as I ever got with them.

This new song sounds okay but it'll be a pass for me.

[whiplash1972]

New track “Forest”

 

[AlphaMale]

On 7/23/2022 at 5:50 PM, whiplash1972 said:

New track “Forest”

 

[KarpetRydOFunk]

5 hours ago, AlphaMale said:

Is it that bad? I haven't listened, yet. 

[AlphaMale]

15 hours ago, KarpetRydOFunk said:

Is it that bad? I haven't listened, yet. 

yes..... boring!

[Tabe]

3 hours ago, AlphaMale said:

yes..... boring!

Absolutely. 

[whiplash1972]

New vid for “Behind the Walls”

 

[Darkstone]

An interesting song for them to cover.

A great effort, but I think "Dope" did it much better in '09.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2022 by Darkstone

[AlphaMale]

from google search as source:

With over 20 million albums sold worldwide, innumerable accolades and a career that not only spans, but has charted the course of multiple genres, QUEENSRYCHE remains a force in their own right.

“Digital Noise Alliance” (DNA), Queensrÿche’s 16th studio album and fourth to be helmed by founding guitarist Michael Wilton, vocalist Todd LaTorre and bassist Eddie Jackson continues the ever-evolving legacy the Bellvue Washington born band began in 1982 when they first took hold of the flame with their hugely received self-titled 4-song EP.

Their recent U.S. tour with Judas Priest proved that the band’s time off the road and in the studio only stoked their ambition and fire. Once again teaming producer Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed), “Digital Noise Alliance” not only refracts Queensrÿche’s past accomplishments but also pushes into the band’s future.

So here it is – Queensryche’s first post pandemic album. Sonically it has all the hallmarks of its predecessors and yet there’s even more nods to the past than you might imagine without exactly replicating that sound. It’s also been a long process – with ‘in the same room’ writing sessions spanning a year and tracking starting in January this year.

The band also sought to capture a vintage vibe by using Michael Wilton collection of old Marshalls: the amp from The Warning and the amp from Rage for Order or Mindcrime or Empire. Each song has different amps and different guitars that reach back to that era.

There’s some new personnel as well. Former Kamelot drummer Casey Grillo had been playing with the band live for quite some time, but it’s only now on “Digital Noise Alliance” that he make his debut on record with Queensrÿche. And he makes a hell of an appearance. Despite his power metal roots, Casey brings a fresh and fiery hard rock performance to the drums that elevates this record.

Also gone is Parker Lundgren, who logged a number of years with the band as the younger, energized foil to founding guitarist Michael “Whip” Wilton. The tandem had re-established the signature dual chorusing guitar tone of the classic lineup, and I was concerned that there would be missing piece on this release.

To be honest, I was even more concerned to read that Mike Stone was serving as Parker’s replacement. Mike’s previous output with Queensrÿche was during their “lost” years prior to Tate’s split from the band, and that was not a place I hoped to revisit.

Fortunately, this record sounds more like classic Queensrÿche than anything since “Promise Land,” and that’s a very good thing. I don’t know how much of the recorded work was supplied by Stone, but the guitar work on this record is vastly superior to the lost years.

Indeed opener ‘In Extremis’ strikes you as ‘Vintage Ryche’, full of drive, energy and dynamics and a dab of Dio and Maiden. Queensryche always had that ability to unite Metal, Rock and Prog fans and I see that prismic appeal here on tracks like the mid-tempo ‘Chapters’, or the wonderful ‘Lost in Sorrow’ that keeps that tempo and brings it on home!

In truth even on first play this is sounding rather strong – The ‘Ryche’ trademark lush melodies, passion and drive are all there and whilst tracks like ‘Sicdeth’ might not blow you away first time, they’re all growers. As you might expect there’s plenty of light and shade here – the ominous and brooding ‘Behind The Walls’ even comes across like spic Lillian Axe which is wonderful. As is the Proggier ‘Out of the Black’.

With its current line up of singer Todd LaTorre, Wilton, bassist Eddie Jackson, Stone and Grillo, and recent albums like ‘Queensryche’ (2013), ‘Condition Human’ (2015) and ‘The Verdict’ (2019) there’s definitely a kind of post-Tate resurgence, and this could be the best so far.

Saying that the longer time goes by the more I realize how much I do miss the writing of Chris DeGarmo, and as much as both Queensryche and Geoff Tate manage to capture the feel of ‘Classic Ryche’ albums like Mindcrime and Empire and those that proceeded it on occasions, it makes you realize how much he gave to the band.

That comes most on tracks like ‘The Forest’, which even the press release likens to the DeGarmo-penned ‘Silent Lucidity’. That’s not to criticize anything here because ‘Digital Noise Alliance’ really is well worth your attention.

We close strongly too. ‘Realms’ has a nice gritty hard rock edge, whilst ‘Hold On’ the penultimate track gives LaTorre’s a real shining moment to flex his vocal might. It’s closer ‘Tormentum’ though that underlines that good feeling you got when you hit play – the power and the passion and gunfire riffs are all present and correct and just like we started there’s a wonderful infusion of old school metal flowing in this one. It’s great stuff.

Then there’s the unexpected album closer—a rocked up version of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” which is actually more fun than expected and a fantastic rendition of a song that has been covered by many. Todd’s take on Idol’s varied vocals are surprisingly effective, and while it’s somewhat strange to hear so much “poppy” keyboard on a Queensrÿche track, the rendition ends up being way more satisfying that one can expect when seeing it in the track list.

If any fans have wandered away from the Ryche due to all of the confusion and uncertainty that’s been foisted on them over the years… or if someone is still unsure whether they can find a version of Queensrÿche legitimate without Geoff Tate on vocals… or if you simply want to pick up a rocking record that sounds both classic and contemporary…check out Queensrÿche’s “DNA” (“Digital Noise Alliance”) and be pleasantly surprised during the process.

HIGHLY Recommended

Tracklist:

01 – In Extremis
02 – Chapters
03 – Lost in Sorrow
04 – Sicdeth
05 – Behind the Walls
06 – Nocturnal Light
07 – Out of the Black
08 – Forest
09 – Realms
10 – Hold On
11 – Tormentum
12 – Rebel Yell

Michael Wilton – guitar, backing vocals
Eddie Jackson – bass, backing vocals
Mike Stone – guitar, backing vocals
Todd La Torre – lead vocals
Casey Grillo – drums

 

Pre order:
www.amazon.com/Digital-Noise-Alliance-Queensrÿche/dp/B0B7B29YY6

[KarpetRydOFunk]

I've listened to it twice this afternoon. I'm liking it. 

[Jez]

The last album was really good, but I think this one is even better. The best La Torre  album so far

[Geoff]

Heard a few tunes of this and it actually sounds quite good. Looking forward to giving it a fair chance. 

[AlphaMale]

About to give this a first spin. High hopes.

[whiplash1972]

I was pleasantly surprised on first spin yesterday… I did find myself enjoying the second half, 7-12, quite a bit more than the first, but that’s probably just me. More spins needed.

[AlphaMale]

This album is my favorite La Torre album for sure. A strong "classic" Queensryche feel on this one. No real weak spots except for the boring ballad. 

[whiplash1972]

Queensryche - Hold On 

 

[Geoff]

Never been a Queensryche diehard, but I'm a curious observer and like to keep up to date with what's happening. Heard a few tunes off this one and it seemed to be something worth listening to. Gotta admit, it's not going to switch my opinion on these guys, but I thought it was a good album and as far as I could tell, did a pretty good job in capturing their prime sound/style. To me, all the songs are pretty good and the cover of 'Rebel yell' is strong too. 

I'd love for a song like 'Behind The Walls' to be a bit huger and shall we say, more impactful. Could be a huge song, but doesn't quite hit what I believe it could be. And that'd probably be my commentary throughout the album. It's all really quite good, but I wouldn't mind a little more, shall we say, elevation of the tunes. 

Edited October 10, 2022 by Geoff

[whiplash1972]

Mr Snyder concurs with what seems to be the consensus regarding DNA 🧬 

His review of the deluxe edition 👆

[auslander]

I was considering dropping the band as I don't listen to the new stuff much and LaTorre seems to be a bit of a dick. Seems like I still can't... sigh

[whiplash1972]

New vid released today; Realms

 

[whiplash1972]

Queensryche - Tormentum

 

 

[whiplash1972]

Actual vid for Rebel Yell released today…

 

[whiplash1972]

New AI generated vid for “Nocturnal Light”