Geoff Tate – Kings & Thieves
Release Date: November 6, 2012
With all of the drama surrounding this year’s split between Queensryche and their long time vocalist Geoff Tate, fans were left wondering what would become of both parties. Queensryche took a stab at working with new vocalist Todd LaTorre with surprisingly great feedback and results while Geoff Tate wasted no time releasing this latest solo effort. Being a long time fan of Geoff and Queensryche, I really wanted to give this album an honest listen and I really hoped that it would be something that would blow me away and surprise me. I don’t think I was prepared for what I was about to hear but I went in with an opened an unbiased mind.
“She Slipped Away” opened the album up and right away I had to keep reminding myself, “Don, this is NOT Queensryche” because I just thought it sounded ridiculous. Once I got passed that and engrained that into my skull, I found myself really enjoying this song and for the rest of this album I just couldn’t believe how much I was enjoying it as a whole. “Take a Bullet” had this really dark almost grungy kind of groove which I enjoyed and even as ridiculous as “The Way I Roll” was, I found myself really loving that song. Songs like “Change” and “These Glory Days” really showcase a side of Geoff as a writer that I can trace back to the Queensryche days with a dark and somewhat melancholy beauty. “Say U Luv It” is a really odd cut and actually made me feel kind of uncomfortable. To hear Geoff Tate singing about things like putting his fingers in some girl’s mouth and then using handcuffs and plastic wrap just made me squirm. It’s funny that of all the ridiculous metal that is supposed to be extreme and gross me out, none of it really does. Leave it to Geoff Tate to actually get that kind of reaction out of me.
I listened to this album front to back three times. By the time I got through my 3rd listen, I found myself really liking this album. But why did I like it? I’m still trying to figure that out. I mean, at first listen I hated it and thought it was one of the most absurd things I had heard. On my 2nd listen I felt myself distancing myself from the Queensryche comparisons and by the 3rd time I was completely into this album as a Geoff Tate album. If you’re looking for a Queensryche album, this isn’t where you need to be but if you’re looking for something that is so the polar opposite and you’re brave enough to wade through dark waters; this is just the album for you. One answer remains though; why did I like this album?
Maybe I liked this album because he’s an amazing vocalist. Some will argue that Tate’s voice is not as strong as it once was. I can agree to an extent but Tate has managed to work with the change in his voice and still deliver a powerful, sharp sound that still cuts through the air like it always has. It’s a voice that is comfortable and that still possesses that passion and emotion that I’ve come to associate it with. Maybe I liked this album because even at its most off the wall moments (“Say U Luv It” and “The Way I Roll) I couldn’t tell if he was just taking it off the wall for shock value or if he was sincere. The fact that this album was this thought provoking says to me that Geoff Tate is a lot more intelligent and much more of an artist that I ever gave him credit for.
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