In a baltic Marble Factory on the outskirts of Bristol, musomuso were able to bring back a few memories from their youth as Queensryche brought their Origins tour to the UK.
Support came from Night Demon, a power trio metal group from California. And when I say metal, they are really did hark back to the early days of the likes of Iron Maiden or Tygers of Pan Tang, NWOTHM (new wave of traditional heavy metal). A near full hall responded well to the set, with the band making a good attempt to warm the feet and hands of the crowd. We even had a 7ft Night Demon (I guess) toast us during 'The Chalice' as he sculked across the stage. Brilliant.
The Origins tour had a simple structure, playing the first EP, 'Queensryche' (1982) and first album, 'The Warning' (1984) start to finish, in order ("like you would have listened to it on LP, when you probably bought it") with a couple of additions at the end.
Even after a scorching performance from Night Demon, the crowd were still shivering and the freezing temperature was duly noted by Queensryche's Floridian singer, Todd La Torre. Todd kept the talking to a minimum, bar a mid set monologue to explain the aim of the set and the desire for it to feel as much like an album play through from 1984, with minimum interruptions, as possible.
From the start, the articulate guitars and strong vocals from La Torre really were striking. And the songs came alive, 40+ years old but so much power in this new live setting. The pure harmony of the lead guitars, such a signature of the Queensryche sound, really were impressive with original member Michael Wilton not missing a note all night.
It really was an impressive performance, with a striking lighting show to support the cinematic sound. The lack of 'chat', something I would usually find a little cold and impersonal, actually worked to give the right atmosphere and effect, a reverence if you will. 'Take Hold of the Flame' really landed with the crowd singing the chorus loud and full.
The encore is where the band drifted away from the early material with a couple of songs from Rage For Order ('Walk in the Shadows' and 'Screaming in Digital'), 'Empire' from Empire and finishing up with 'Eyes of a Stranger' from Operation: Mindcrime
As Todd said, this type of music is a dying breed, which is a shame. It comes with a cloak of showmanship and performance that was once a staple of much of the music in the 80's and 90's. It almost feels orchestral or operatic in grandeur in terms of its structure, the musicianship and technical credibility. Its just in the margins on the musical scene today but the fact that Queensryche can take this 40 year old music and make it sound fresh and relevant is testament to the quality of the band. We need more Queensryche's in this world.
Words and pictures by Glenn Morrison
