Queensrÿche has sold over 20 million albums worldwide, including over 6 million albums in the United States. They are considered one of the leaders of the progressive metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s, and often referred to as one of the "Big Three" of the genre, along with Dream Theater and Fates Warning. The band received worldwide acclaim after the release of their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime, which is often considered one of the greatest heavy metal concept albums of all time. Their follow-up release, Empire, released in 1990, was also very successful and included the hit single "Silent Lucidity". The band has received three Grammy Award nominations for songs from both albums. In 1998, drummer Rockenfield received an individual Grammy nomination.
Also in 1998, guitarist and primary songwriter Chris DeGarmo left the band for personal reasons, returning briefly in 2003 to write and record the Tribe album. Over the years, his replacements have been Kelly Gray, Mike Stone, and Parker Lundgren. Following a highly publicized backstage altercation before a show in São Paulo, Brazil, in April 2012, Tate was fired from the band and replaced with then-Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre. In response to his dismissal, Tate and his wife Susan (who served as the band's manager from 2005 to 2012) filed a lawsuit in a Washington court, claiming that he was wrongfully terminated. The ruling in the preliminary injunction was that both parties were allowed to use the name Queensrÿche until a court ruling or a settlement decided who would get to use the name. A settlement was reached on April 17, 2014, in which founding members Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson were awarded the rights to the band trademark, continuing to play with the lineup that additionally includes singer La Torre and guitarist Lundgren.
During the time, both parties could use the name Queensrÿche, Tate created his own lineup featuring former guitarist Gray and musicians from bands including Blue Öyster Cult, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Dio, AC/DC and Quiet Riot. This version of Queensrÿche with Geoff Tate released the album Frequency Unknown on April 23, 2013, while Queensrÿche (with La Torre replacing Tate) released their eponymous album on June 24 and 25, 2013 (European and American release date, respectively). Both bands toured in 2013 and 2014.
Full article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensrÿche
Studio albums
The Warning (1984)
Rage for Order (1986)
Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
Empire (1990)
Promised Land (1994)
Hear in the Now Frontier (1997)
Q2K (1999)
Tribe (2003)
Operation: Mindcrime II (2006)
Take Cover (2007)
American Soldier (2009)
Dedicated to Chaos (2011)
Queensrÿche (2013)
Condition Hüman (2015)
The Verdict (2019)
Digital Noise Alliance (2022)
Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche
Frequency Unknown (2013)
En Force
Queensrÿche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into the depths of unknown
The blackness surrounding the border of hope
We're alone
We plead for the signs of a second chance
In hopes it will stifle the fear
The dying remains of a world gone insane
A course that will lead us through darkness
Prepared by our leaders insist
We mustn't all pray to the shadow of
The iron fist
We enter the void with our eyes straight ahead
The force all around us we feel
The twisted contusions of hatred will finally reveal
Enforcer
Master of nations revealed
Enforcer
The beams from his soul you will feel
Slicing and tearing our way to the gate
A towering fortress of blackened steel
Desolate plains holding dying remains
Heed the call of the master we'll soar to
The edges of time
Light tracers follow me farther
Into the depths of unknown
The blackness surrounding the borders of hope
We're alone
We plead for the signs, give us a second chance
In hopes it will stifle the fear
The battered remains of world gone insane
We are near
Once long ago we had to hide
In the shadows of the land
To keep us away from the crawl
Enforcer's taking hold of us
Queensryche's song En Force is a poetic exploration on the theme of power and its consequences. The opening lines, "Light tracers follow me farther, into the depths of unknown, the blackness surrounding the border of hope, we're alone" sets the tone of the song, describing a sense of lost hope, as if a journey into darkness with no clear sense of direction. The song then shifts focus on those who seek power, the paradoxical allure of power, and control. The line "We plead for the signs of a second chance, in hopes it will stifle the fear" emphasizes the desperation of the people seeking redemption, urging the higher powers to provide them with a second chance. It is clear that power has corrupted and ravaged the once flourishing world, with the line "The dying remains of a world gone insane."
The song then takes a more ominous turn, "A course that will lead us through darkness, prepared by our leaders insist, we mustn't all pray to the shadow of the iron fist," foreshadowing a looming danger of a tyrannical order controlled by the enforcer. The enforcer, a master of nations, is introduced as the symbolic representation of hegemonic ideas that have consumed and led the world to the brink of disaster. The line "The twisted contusions of hatred will finally reveal" reveals the ugliness and hideousness of the violence that awaits those who stand against the enforcer. The song ends with a sense of fatalism, "Once long ago we had to hide, in the shadows of the land, to keep us away from the crawl, enforcer's taking hold of us," as if there is no escape from the enforcer's grasp, and that power and control are inescapable.
Line by Line Meaning
Light tracers follow me farther
The singer is being pursued by something unknown witnessed only by flashes of light.
Into the depths of unknown
The singer is being drawn into an area of which they are unfamiliar or unaware.
The blackness surrounding the border of hope
There is a dark and ominous presence looming over any potential future optimism.
We're alone
The artist or group is without help, and their situation is dire.
We plead for the signs of a second chance
The artist requests a chance to redeem themselves or their situation.
In hopes it will stifle the fear
A successful second chance would alleviate whatever trepidation the singer is experiencing.
The dying remains of a world gone insane
The environment in which the singer finds themselves, be it figurative or literal, has become damaged beyond repair and is destroying itself.
We are near the end
Things are coming to their inevitable conclusion, and little can be done to prevent it.
A course that will lead us through darkness
The artist has no other course of action but to continue forward, despite the likelihood of the journey being dangerous and potentially fatal.
Prepared by our leaders insist
Those in charge have created this path and present no other option. The artist has no choice but to take it.
We mustn't all pray to the shadow of the iron fist
Obeying and following the authority figures is not the path out of the current situation. It is necessary to find another way.
We enter the void with our eyes straight ahead
The artist proceeds on this treacherous road with determination and focus.
The force all around us we feel
There is something overwhelming and powerful guiding events that the singer can sense.
The twisted contusions of hatred will finally reveal
Regardless of what comes to light, it will be revealed in the worst of ways, leaving the singer no choice but to confront it.
Enforcer, master of nations revealed
There is a figure in charge of everything, and that person has had considerable influence over the singer's present state.
Slicing and tearing our way to the gate
The journey is not going to be easy, and there will be many hazards along the way.
A towering fortress of blackened steel
The destination seems to be a foreboding and intimidating structure.
Desolate plains holding dying remains
The singer's surroundings are barren and hopeless, holding only reminders of what was once alive and thriving.
Heed the call of the master we'll soar to the edges of time
The singer is resigned to following the orders of those in control and will do so at great personal risk.
The beams from his soul you will feel
The leader's power and influence is felt in every aspect of life for those under their control.
Once long ago we had to hide in the shadows of the land
The artist, or the group they represent, has had to live in secret and out of the public eye to avoid negative consequences.
To keep us away from the crawl, enforcer's taking hold of us
There is an oppressive or dangerous force that the artist has been trying to avoid, but is now subject to its control.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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