I have been a long time Queensryche fan, and while I still enjoyed their later releases with former vocalist Geoff Tate, the new material from their self-titled record (and the material I have heard from Condition Human) has really revived my interest in the band.  Their more “back to the old sound” is resonating with not only me but a large number of people who lost track of the band after Promised Land.  The guys have been touring these last few years, but this is the first time they have come through the Chicago area as a support act.  I’m torn because being a fan, I would always love to see a headlining set, but on the other hand, this is a great opportunity to play in front of a large crowd and prove to everyone that the band is firing on all cylinders.  I hope once they release Condition Human, they embark on a headlining tour with a stop back in Chicago.

As I mentioned earlier, this was a special guest spot on the Scorpions 50^th Anniversary Tour.  Since it had to be a short set, Queensryche certainly made the most of it.  Starting with “Anarchy-X” and “The Needle Lies” really set the mood for their show.  Whoever did the sound for the band did a fantastic job because the Allstate Arena is notorious for bad sound, but Todd La Torre and the guys sounded perfect.  Eddie Jackson took front and center during the show to start off “Jet City Woman;” one of three Empire tracks performed - the other two being “Silent Lucidity” and the title track.  Those songs seemed to get the largest applause, even though the crowd cheered throughout the set.  Although they did not feature any cuts from their 2013 self-titled record, they did throw in a new track called “Arrow of Time” from Condition Human.  The record is not out yet, but the track has been available for streaming for a couple of weeks.  It’s definitely a good tune, and it fit in perfectly with the other ‘Ryche material. 

This was the third time I saw this line-up of Queensryche, and it seems they get better with each time.  La Torre’s vocals were spot on and Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren have turned into quite the guitar duo.  Queensryche proved to the crowded Allstate Arena crowd that not only are they firing on all cylinders, but they have plenty of gas left in the tank.  When they come back and tour for Condition Human,  I will certainly be there and I recommend you do the same.