By Enrico Spinelli
I certainly don't have to explain how much you love Queensryche and how much you worship their first five albums and debut EP. It is equally true that unfortunately, the group in the following years has released some rather questionable works and, at least for me, not up to the level of those mentioned above, up to the split with the historic - and not exactly accommodating - singer Geoff Tate. Since then the band has been able to raise their heads with a new and talented vocalist, Todd La Torre, and two classy records such as "Queensryche" and "Condition Human" (beautiful). Unfortunately, the most recent "The Verdict" had passed rather indifferently, with no particular peaks or memorable melodies so I was rather skeptical about this new release "Digital Noise alliance". And so?
So Queensryche are back in great shape, with an album that sounds Queensryche from the first to the last note, where an hour of music goes by smooth, without ever getting tired or boring, without fillers and with a stylistic proposal that embraces everything. the band's career, with heterogeneity that delights the listener. If the opener "In Extremis" already strikes in its immediacy, the following tracks only increase the interest, with the progressive jewel "Sicdeath" and the beautiful "Behind the walls" to remind us of what the Seattle boys are capable of.
And when you think you have heard enough and that the last 5 tracks cannot say anything else, here is a melodic and stratospheric "Forest" (among the songs of 2022 for me) to reopen the dance and give us a good handful of thrills again. Among other songs there are "Realms", "Hold On" (what a great chorus!), The frightening and aggressive "Tormentum" and the rocking "Rebel Yell", worthy closing of a fun, powerful, rocky work but with wonderful melodic openings, transversal as never before in its nuances, a record that enters your head immediately but asks to be listened to over and over again, for me their best work after Tate... Thanks guys!