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JUDAS PRIEST / QUEENSRŸCHE @ PNC Bank Arts Ctr, Holmdel, NJ - 06/10/05 |
Posted: 6/12/05Reviewed by: Dirt |
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QUEENSRŸCHE
Prior to going to this show, I had heard rumors that Queensryche planned on only playing songs from the E.P. (1983), The Warning (1984), and Rage For Order (1986). Given the fact that those are godly albums, I knew that there was no way that I could miss out on this experience. Last time that I had seen the Ryche was back on Iron Maiden's Brave New World tour and they were awesome. During that performance, they primarily concentrated on material from Empire and before, so I figured this show was going to be even better. My only reservation was what I had seen from them on their last DVD, The Art Of Live. They played mostly new stuff and then massacred classics such as "Roads To Madness" and "Della Brown" by modernizing them.
At exactly 8:00pm, the spotlight shined upon guitarists Michael Wilton and Mike Stone as they took center stage and got into their best 'metal' stances. I could feel something great was about to happen and I was right. The boys let loose and the haunting, opening riffs of "The Whisper" from Rage For Order rang out. The sea of people at this outdoor arena rose to their feet in instant approval. It was clear that Queensryche had come armed and ready to prove that they were still at the top of their game. The entire band was adorned in black, with vocalist Geoff Tate, bassist Eddie Jackson, and drummer Scott Rockenfield wearing black shades.
Tate issued a subdued greeting to the audience, and then the band launched into "En Force" from The Warning. This was something special because I don't believe the band has played that one since the early days! If there was any concern that Tate's lower register approach on post Empire recordings meant that his voice was less than it was in 1984, these first two songs proved that our fears were baseless. The keyboards and melodic guitar intro signaled that "Neue Regel" was up next. Cupping his hands over the mic, Tate created the megaphone-like echo and nasal vocals of the studio recording. As he hit those patented highs, he sent a chill through me, while the harmony choruses catapulted me back to 1986! Wilton and Stone pulled off a double axe-attack too. Dualing guitars are what made early Ryche so great and it was a thrill to see it again. Despite Stone's 6-inch high mohawk and mega tattoos (he looked like one of the guys from Rancid!), he certainly knows how to riff, making him the perfect counterpart for Wilton. A personal favorite came next with "NM 156" culled from The Warning. I can still hear the "punch...punch...punch" from Tate! The classic material continued with Rage's "Screaming In Digital," in which Eddie Jackson sang a large portion of the song. What a strong, melodic voice he has.
Geoff then greeted the crowd, asking, "Are you ready for the metal?" The first five songs were awesome and the crowd certainly wanted more. Oddly, the band then delivered "Open" and "Desert Dance" from their poorly received 2000 album Tribe. Based on the classic set, this was unexpected and there was a definite letdown in the crowd. The less technical, more de-tuned guitars, and Tate's lower register approach showed the divide in styles between classic Queensryche and modern Queensryche. With that said, these two songs came off much better than the studio versions. In fact, I didn't mind hearing them at all, especially given the fact that the songs were surrounded by all the rarities.
The crowd let out a huge roar as the band launched into "Queen Of The Reich." The roar turned to shock as the song transitioned into a medley of "Nightrider" and "Blinded," songs that may have only been in the band's set in 1983 and 1984, if at all.
"Walk In The Shadows," the song that should have been the single/video from Rage For Order, was stellar, and was apparently a crowd favorite. Tate then addressed the crowd, saying, "We are honored to be standing on this stage," speaking of touring with Judas Priest. "What a band, what a legacy, what a tour," he said. With tongue in cheek, he questioned the crowd, "Should we continue?" With that, "The Needle Lies" was the only song delivered from Operation: Mindcrime.
Tate then explained the band's next cd would be out in January and that it would be a sequel to Operation: Mindcrime. "I'm American" was performed and gave the crowd an idea of what the album might sound like. While I wasn't blown away by the tune, I must say that it is the best song I've heard from them in years. I especially enjoyed the dual guitar solo (like the great Ryche songs from yesteryear) and the "Who you gonna call? What do you believe in?" lyrics. It was cool as hell when Tate said, "Queensryche, made in America!" too.
"Surgical Strike," another rarity from Rage For Order was dedicated to all the service men and women fighting overseas. Tate stated, "Get home safe brothers and sisters" as he finished the song. A stellar delivery of "Empire" led into Geoff asking, "Jersey, how much metal can you take?"
To complete the show, Geoff spoke of getting older, which he certainly showed no signs of, vocally or otherwise. The guy still has his hair, which I thought began to recede back in the 80s, and he still has stronger pipes than guys half his age. Only an increase around the mid-section was apparent. Geoff suggested that youth should be enjoyed, an appropriate segue way into "Take Hold Of The Flame." The crowd handled the "Take Hold" chant in unison. Before completing the song, a girl ran up on the stage, surprising Tate, slamming into him and giving him a bear hug.
The Bloody Truth: In my review of The Art Of Live DVD, I asked "When will Queensryche figure out that the ‘new stuff’ really doesn’t go over well?" Well, for this tour, they definitely realized what we wanted from them. They certainly could see how enthralled the audience was with what they were doing! If this doesn't shake them back to reality, nothing will. I'm sure the response they are getting from the setlist on this tour, is much better than when they perform post Empire material. Hopefully, future tours will spotlight pre-Mindcrime material, and more importantly, let's pray that Mindcrime II is traditional in nature. This band is spectacular. All they need to do is write material that captures their talent!
QUEENSRŸCHE Setlist:
1. The Whisper 10. The Needle Lies 11. I'm American 12. Surgical Strike 13. Empire 14. Take Hold Of The Flame
JUDAS PRIEST
Judas Priest was going to have to put on some performance to be able to top what Queensryche had just done. To me, it was going to depend on the setlist. This band has many albums and songs to choose from, but I wanted to hear some songs that were different from past tours. I didn't see Priest on Ozzfest last year, but I did catch them on both Ripper tours, as well as twice in support of Painkiller (one was the Operation Rock n' Roll tour and the other was with Testament and Megadeth).
When the curtain opened, I could tell that the guys put a lot of thought into the stage set. A huge red, roving, electric eye was on the backdrop, six of the Priest 'fork-like' insignias supported risers on each side of the stage, and stairs filled the entire center of the stage. As the band launched into "The Hellion / Electric Eye," Rob Halford appeared in the center of the electric eye on a lift. Leather clad from head to toe, with spurs on his boots, and one of many long leather coats that he'd wear during the performance, Rob delivered this primo opener from 1982's Screaming For Vengeance. I became a bit concerned with the fate of the show during "Metal Gods" from British Steel and "Riding On The Wind" from Screaming. Rob's pitch was completely off and he also used his shrill Painkiller voice during "Riding." It was also apparent that Rob's stage presence was rather cold, mechanical and distant. Whether this was on purpose to achieve some sort of aura, I do not know. But the fact is that he was singing to the floor, and often singing or addressing the audience while facing the sides of the stage. He was also walking very slowly, taking careful steps down the stairs (almost fearful of falling), and pacing back and forth across the stage like a caged animal. If you remember how he hopped and jumped during 1986's Fuel For Life tour, you'd agree that his demeanor is much darker now.
Vocally, Rob improved with "A Touch Of Evil" and it was cool as hell when one of the electric lifts dropped him through one of the risers on the stage at the completion of the song. As the backdrop switched to reference the Angel Of Retribution cd cover, Rob rose up on a lift in the back of the stage with faux-flames in front of him. "Judas Rising" sounded powerful, and you could hear the rhythmic difference between this and the earlier material. I was fifteenth row center and I could literally feel the cement floor shaking. Switching into his fourth floor-length leather coat of the evening, Rob hit the center of the stage for "Revolution," which sounded the best of the new tracks.
Rob then addressed the crowd with the well-known, "Breaking the what?" ritual, and then the band tore into the classic "Breaking The Law." The surprise of the evening came next with "I'm A Rocker" from Ram It Down. This song sounded terrific and Rob's vocals were pitch-perfect by this point, and this is a good thing since the acoustic "Diamonds and Rust" came next.
Thanking the audience for their support over the years, he stated that the fans have inspired them and then ripped into another new song, "Deal With The Devil." The early years were represented with "Beyond The Realms of Death," "Victim Of Changes," and "Exciter," all of which sounded good. The Tipton/Downing dual guitar attack was in full force. On the other hand, 86's synth-guitar direction of "Turbo Lover" came off well too. Before leaving the stage, the Angel of Retribution track "Hellrider" and the title track to Painkiller shook the rafters. For the encore, the roar of the motorcycle could be heard, signaling Halford's entrance on the stage and the classic "Hell Bent For Leather." The party anthem "Living After Midnight" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" closed the show.
The Bloody Truth: The stage set was awesome looking, the band's image was full-on metal (although Rob should get rid of the shaggy goatee), and K.K., Glenn, and Ian look damn good for their age. Due to the huge set, it didn't really allow the band to run around much, so the energy was a bit on the low side. Plus, Rob was apparently being very careful not to fall down the stairs. Musically, the band is much heavier than they were in the 80s, so be prepared for that, and bring your earplugs unless you want them to be ringing for the next few days. I do want to know why Defenders Of The Faith was ignored? "Freewheel Burning," "Love Bites," "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll," or "The Sentinel" should have replaced "Turbo Lover" and "A Touch Of Evil." Overall, it is great to see classic metal and bands like Queensryche and Judas Priest receiving so much audience support. The venue was packed to the rafters, giving the appearance that it was the 80s all over again. This is clearly the tour to see this summer!
JUDAS PRIEST Setlist:
1. The Hellion /
Electric Eye 10. Deal With The Devil 11. Beyond The Realms Of Death 12. Turbo Lover 13. Hellrider 14. Victim Of Changes 15. Exciter 16. Painkiller ----------------------------------------- 17. Hell Bent For Leather (encore) 18. Living After Midnight (encore) 19. You've Got Another Thing Comin' (encore)
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