CD REVIEWS
tribal rhythm style intro. The vocals cross right into classic ‘Operation:Mindcrime’ territory. I could almost swear that that old singer of theirs was still contributing vocals, especially on the fly ins. Goose bumps. “Hellfire” slows down the tempo and brings a grungy almost dirge like feel to the album. “Toxic Remedy” continues the slower vibe, albeit with some excellent guitar work that captures a lot of the ‘Empire’ era vibe, right down to the crashing of the cymbals and driving bass. Todd’s vocals stand out as his own in this song as well, proving that he is no slouch in his duties. “Selfish Lives” grooves right out of the gate and immediately brings back more of the ‘Empire’ era, with it’s radio voice compliments and all. “Eye9” is refreshing with a bass intro, adding a touch of tension into getting the song going. Almost like a nu metal song, but with Queensryche showing how it’s supposed to be done. An angelic chorus opens “Bulletproof” before sparkling guitars and soaring vocals take over. A slow burning ballad that showcases some great guitar work. I can’t really compare this to much from their past. I’ll chalk it up to the band proving they can still think outside the box. “Hourglass” is quite an eclectic song, with different breakdowns and direction changes all over the place. It really keeps your ears on their feet. Some great tandem guitar work on this one as well. “Just Us” is another ballad that made it on to the disc. A great, chilling reminder of some of Queensryche’s past works. Another ‘Empire’ influenced song apparently, but still so fresh to these ears. “All There Was, “The Aftermath, “Condition Human” and “Espiritu Muerto” close out the disc.
songs and not try to describe them? Because I can’t do justice to this any more than I have. If you are a Queensryche fan, buy the album. This collection is one of those albums you can listen to from start to finish, and I have many times already. I know there are some “DeGarmo” holdouts out there, but I say this to you: you are only hurting yourselves. This is some great work from a band that has proven that they are still a viable act that can write amazing songs. If you are not a Queensryche fan or have never heard them, buy it anyway and listen to it immerse yourself in it. You’ll thank me later. - Chris Gillespie
RED SUN RISING Polyester Zeal (Razor and Tie) Red Sun Rising have become the new darlings of the active rock scene and with their new full length release ‘Polyester Zeal’ you are in for one hell of a treat. Leading off with “Push” we get fairly strong start. With guitars a plenty and a catchy chorus this is a damn good song. “Amnesia” kicks off with a cool guitar riff that sees Mike Protich enter into a 2000’s - era style vocal and he pulls it off. There is something very familiar to this music so far. I can hear influence from bands like Cavo and The Veer Union. Rounding out the 3rd spot on this album is the band’s current single, “The Otherside,” which has a slightly different sonic footprint than the rest of the album with it’s Alice in Chains vibe.
Why did I just type the last of the
82 | Hard Attack Magazine www.hardattackmag.com
Almost halfway through the album we have “My Muse,” a slightly less upbeat song. The distorted bass gives it a sudo-electronic feel at first but that only turns to sludgy goodness towards the middle of this song. “Emotionless” has a cool driven acoustic feel and a memorable hook in the chorus. Following is another low key song, “Blister” - the obligatory “whip out your lighter” song. Back into hard driving radio rock we go with “Worlds Away.” The track is your classically formatted rock song and the addition of echoing backup vocals really does set this it apart from the rest of this offering. Continuing on, “Unnatural” has a very cool end to the chorus. The song changes up completely and you will have to buy this track to hear what I’m talking about. “Awake” is the groove song of this album. I can’t stop banging my head to this one. The pulsating bass/ guitar of the verse is captivating and encapsulating. “Bliss” starts as an acoustic song with some light strings in the background. The familiarity with this band is that they are a rock band in the classic sense of the word, being as well versed in their songwriting as they are. Dynamics are not lost on these guys and the forefathers of rock should be proud. The last song on this freshman offering, “Imitations” is a 100mph rage of fury. Right from the beginning I just want to get in an American car and drive fast. This is American rock and roll reminiscent of Guns N Roses. It’s no surprise that these guys have made a big splash. If you are a fan of Rock music from the late 90’s and early 2000’s, this is for you. Red Sun Rising have taken the music that must influence them and thrown their own twist on it. I dare say this is a modern take on the rock most of us grew up on. -Donny Rosko