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)
I Am I
Queensrÿche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Security, happiness.
Unfortunate son cornered,
Cowering in the pit of
Circling panes of glass that
Surround and reveal the ever present "It".
"It" is my move, my every look,
Informing other
What's undercover and
Lurking beneath my mask
Of this year's featured model.
Is this too much?
Close your eyes.
Care to look inside? I am I!
What may appear
Might easily be explained,
But given the situation
Of info saturation,
What you feel can never go away.
Steering perception? I am!
Inviting contradiction? I am!
It's my insistence
You keep your distance
From the glare behind my stare.
So this is the way
The game is played.
You can leave now...
But I think you'll stay. I am I!
The lyrics of Queensrÿche's "I Am I" speaks about the struggle of being oneself in a world that judges people based on appearance and circumstances. The song starts with a promise of security and happiness, but the subject of the lyrics finds himself cornered and cowering in a pit of circling panes of glass. The glass represents the society that surrounds him, revealing the expectations and judgments of the world. The subject then asserts his individuality by stating that "It" is his move, his every look, interpreting gestures and informing others of what's underneath his mask, revealing himself as this year’s featured model. He exclaims that he is not just a projection of someone else's expectations, but is instead a unique individual.
The next verse of the song speaks about the difficulty of being understood in a world of information saturation. The subject says that what we see may be easily explained, but what we feel can never go away. He then proclaims himself as the one steering his perception and inviting contradiction. It's his insistence that others keep their distance from the glare behind his stare. The song then ends with the subject declaring that this is how the game is played, and unlike others who may leave, he knows he's going to stay because he is who he is.
Line by Line Meaning
Beating with life you promised life,
You claimed to offer security and happiness that comes with a life that is thriving.
Security, happiness.
You promised security and happiness.
Unfortunate son cornered,
Despite being cornered and left with few options, there's still a glimmer of hope.
Cowering in the pit of
Feeling trapped and unable to escape a difficult situation.
Circling panes of glass that
The obstacles and barriers to life seem to keep circling around and trapping the individual.
Surround and reveal the ever present "It".
The barriers to life that surround the individual also reveal the pervasive problem or negativity affecting them.
"It" is my move, my every look,
The problems or obstacles the individual faces are constantly affecting their every move.
Interpreting gestures,
Trying to understand or interpret the behavior of others.
Informing other
Conveying messages to others about what is going on beneath the surface.
What's undercover and
The hidden or underlying feelings that are not immediately apparent.
Lurking beneath my mask
The true feelings and emotions that are beneath the surface even though they may not be apparent on the outside.
Of this year's featured model.
The false image or persona that is presented to the world for show.
Is this too much?
The overwhelming feelings are difficult to handle and it's natural to question if it's too much to bear.
Close your eyes.
It's possible to shut out the external stimuli and focus internally.
Care to look inside? I am I!
It's possible to take a closer look at what's beneath the surface and see the true self for who they are.
What may appear
Things may not always be as they seem.
Might easily be explained,
There are logical explanations for things, even if they are not immediately apparent.
But given the situation
When the context of the situation is taken into account,
Of info saturation,
When there is too much information to process or when the information being presented is repetitive.
What you feel can never go away.
The emotions and feelings that are experienced are real and will not disappear, no matter how much they are ignored or avoided.
Steering perception? I am!
The individual is in control of how they are perceived by others and what they allow others to see.
Inviting contradiction? I am!
They are willing to entertain opposing views and hear what others have to say, even if it contradicts their current perspective.
It's my insistence
They are determined and unwavering in their stance or perspective.
You keep your distance
They want others to keep a safe distance and not probe too deeply into their personal life or emotions.
From the glare behind my stare.
They hide their true emotions and feelings behind a cold, emotionless stare.
So this is the way
This is how they have learned to cope and navigate the obstacles they face.
The game is played.
Life is a game and they have learned how to play it effectively.
You can leave now...
The individual is giving permission for others to leave or stop trying to understand them.
But I think you'll stay. I am I!
Despite the difficulties and the overwhelming emotions the individual faces, they are confident in who they are and expect others to recognize and accept them for who they are.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS DEGARMO, GEOFF TATE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cars and Health Todd Rosenzweig
One of their many musical masterpieces. I really miss this old lineup :( They were just simply invincible and unmatched to this very day
Diego Mazzaron
This is so true
Ralph Reinhardt
I concur 100%.
JohnAnderson2112 Guitar Covers
Agreed
Side Swipe
SCREAMING IN DIGITAL!
Giorgiana Dragoi
Great song & performing, with a powerful message❣️💪👏👏👏
Όμηρος Αμπατζής
Rare combination of class ,innovative composing , deep meaningful lyrics and overwhelming quality ,this is the legacy true old queensryche left to the world ,lost but not forgotten
Mats Nilson
Definitely not a popular opinion, but for me Promised Land is Queensryche's second best album, beaten only by the sheer perfection that is Mindcrime. It may not be very "metal", but it's melodic, dark, moody and experimental. I f-in love it!
Diego Rubio
Yes! Just today I 've listened to Mindcrime and this amazeballs album to chill out because it's one of the most fervent band in the World!
Michael
I agree that Promised Land is their second best album, but Rage For Order would be first for me. Mindcrime is overrated in my opinion.