Queensryche's "Empire" isn't metal
Queensryche's highly regarded 1990 fourth album "Empire" is often referred to as a heavy/progressive metal record however upon closer inspection I'd suggest that it's really not a metal album at all, instead sounding a lot like a more complex version of Def Leppard's "Hysteria" & sitting far more comfortably under a progressive/hard rock tag. There's only really two legitimate metal songs included in the title track & "One & Only". For that reason, I've just raised two Hall of Judgement entries to have "Empire" removed from both The Guardians & The Infinite so that it can reside under Non-Metal.
It's hardly prog, either. Honestly, Queensryche genre tags seem to be the result of fanboys who love lumping things in with cooler tags for credibility.
I disagree. I sit on the complete other side of the fence in that regard. Queensryche certainly aren't the most technical of prog artists but I feel that there's enough complexity & creativity in both the song-writing & production to warrant a prog tag, particularly as they don't sound much like your average heavy metal band.
I don't need them to be SUPER technical, but a little more than that.
Heh, I just realized, your hard rock vs. heavy metal opinions are like my prog opinions, and vise-versa. :P
Why does progressive metal need to be overly technical though? Progressive & technical have two different meanings. Progressive house & progressive electronic aren't technical for example. Progressive rock isn't always technical either. Musicality is certainly promoted but technicality isn't essential. It's more about maintaining a more expansive musical mindset & artistic palate than other forms of music that's important in my opinion.
But Empire feels to radio-friendly for me, that's the thing. And I repeat: it doesn't need to be overly technical, but I'd appreciate a little more in Empire. There's some, but most of the album gave me radio-rock vibes.
Besides, it's obvious that the people who attribute "prog" to different genre tags have different meanings, and I don't tag a prog electronic album that way unless it feels less radio friendly and conventional. New and proggy are also two different things.
Besides, it's obvious that the people who attribute "prog" to different genre tags have different meanings
They shouldn't though in my opinion.
Besides, it's obvious that the people who attribute "prog" to different genre tags have different meanings
They shouldn't though in my opinion.
I agree. Unfortunately, they do. So I reserve those tags.
Having just revisited this Queensryche album, I honestly still hear metal in some other songs besides those two highlights. It's also not progressive enough to deserve The Infinite clan, as only two songs "Best I Can" and "Della Brown" are highly progressive and they have much more in common with the prog-rock of Rush than the prog-metal of Dream Theater. So with Empire being a hard rock/heavy metal album to my ears with only two progressive songs, I'll vote for having it removed from The Infinite but vote against having it removed from The Guardians. Stay tuned for my revisit/review for their next album Promised Land and its possible subsequent judgement submission...