Queensryche: Geoff Tate (vocals, keyboards); Chris DeGarmo (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, keyboards, background vocals); Michael Wilton (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar); Eddie Jackson (electric bass, fretless basss, background vocals); Scott Rockenfield (drums, percussion).

Additional personnel includes: Michael Kamen (arranger).

Producer: Peter Collins.

Compilation producer: David K. Tedds.

Recorded at Vancouver Studios, Vancouver, Canada and Triad Studios, Redmond, Washington in 1990. Originally released on EMI (92806). Includes liner notes by Paul Suter.

This is part of EMI Records "Queensryche Remastered" series.

With the breakthrough success and worldwide respect that Queensryche gained from their conceptual masterpiece OPERATION: MINDCRIME, how could the band possibly outdo or at the least match themselves? Just two years after the release of MINDCRIME Queensryche reinvented themselves (though certainly not for the last time). While many fans were clamoring for a conceptual sequel, the band returned to a song-oriented approach that was more art rock and less metal-edged.

Now quite far removed from the fantasy and techno-paranoia lyrical themes of their earlier works, the band tackled overcoming social and physical handicaps ("Best I Can"), poverty, and regret ("Della Brown"). Focused much less on the darker side of love that was always so prevalent in their sound, the band was now brave enough to be romantic ("Another Rainy Night" and "Hand On Heart"). While Queensryche lost some diehard metal fans with EMPIRE, the mature sound and tight production of Peter Collins (Rush) saw the band break into the mainstream (and top off at #9 on the Billboard singles chart) with the Pink Floyd-inspired "Silent Lucidity."

What the critics say...

Q - 3 Stars - Good - Recommended as one of the top 5 metal albums of 1990. - "..The thinking person's rock album...which exudes craft and intelligence at will without ever sounding pretentious or forgetting mighty riffs and classic melodies.."