Rage for Order

After tasting success from both their self-titled debut EP and The Warning, Queensrÿche lost their edge a bit on this release. The hair metal movement was fast approaching and this once unique band now looked -- and for the most part, sounded -- like the average metal band of the day. The signature sound of Queensrÿche is still unmistakable, as Geoff Tate's voice sounds strong. The music here is simpler than on Warning; the lyrics are bit too heavy-handed and have not stood the test of time very well. "Walk in the Shadows" is a well-structured song with a good combination of Tate's howling and dramatic background vocals. "I Will Remember" was a precursor to "Silent Lucidity" and accentuated the power and emotion that Tate can evoke. The band was obviously trying to expand their approach to music with a heavy emphasis on theatrics, but the music suffered as a result. They succeeded with this approach to a certain extent on Operation: Mindcrime, but the band's musical limitations have always prevented them from moving beyond a classier version of Iron Maiden.