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)
Roads to Madness
Queensrÿche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've gone too far to turn back now
I'm not quite what I thought I was but
Then again I'm maybe more
The blood-words promised, I've spoken
Releasing the names from the circle
Maybe I can leave here now and, o
Transcend the boundaries
For now I'm standing here
I'm awaiting this grand transition
The future is but past forgotten
On the road to madness
Times measure rusts as it crawls
I see its face in the looking glass - stop
This screaming laughter hides, the pain of its reality
Black, the door was locked I opened
And now I've paid that price ten-fold over
Knowledge - was it worth such torment, oh
To see the far side of shadow
And still I'm standing here
I'm awaiting this grand transition
I'm a fool in search of wisdom
And I'm on the road to madness
Yes, I'm on the road to madness
I'm awaiting endlessly
Pounding rhythms echo me
Won't you take me somewhere far beyond the void
And still I'm standing here
I'm awaiting this grand transition
Maybe one day, oh I'll meet you, and we'll
Walk the roads to madness
Yes, we're on the road to madness
Oh, I think they've come to take me
I hear the voice, but there's no-one to see
I can't scream, too late it's time
Stay on the course to pass
You'll never find the answer
To a place where darkened angels
Seemed lost and never found
Scream to see the light of
Forming figures fast behind you
Lay the past in the wind to spin
And your fate will sail beyond the open plains
Sail with angels onward
Live or die for the chosen one said
Saber sights cast a spell behind you
And they lock in all around
Free the scene insider
Never looking back to find why
Ride a course till the end of time
And you'll stand atop the gate
Laying waste in a path recited
Fighting force won't avenge the guided black wing
Oh, electric might poses fright inside me
Seeing light at the end of sight reminds me
I've passed away
The lyrics of Queensrÿche's song "Roads to Madness" express the singer's journey through mental turmoil and despair while searching for transcendence. The opening lines convey a sense of inevitability and irreversibility, as the singer has gone too far to turn back now. They reflect on their identity and question if they are not quite what they had thought they were. The blood-words they promised have been spoken, and the circle is finally released. They hope to leave their current state, transcend the boundaries, and move onto something bigger.
The song then moves onto the singer's frustration and pain as they realize that time passes slowly, and they cannot escape their reality. They open the door to knowledge, but they have paid a tremendous price for it. Despite the torment, they continue on their search for wisdom, aware that it might lead them to madness. They seek a transition from their current state, hoping to leave it far behind. However, they are aware that madness is always lingering around the corner, threatening to consume them.
The chorus chorus repeats the singer's desire for transcendence and the road they are on. They reach out in desperation to be taken somewhere beyond, somewhere far from their despair. The song then ends with a sense of closure as the singer accepts their fate – that they have passed away.
Line by Line Meaning
Most of this is memory now
The singer is reflecting on their past experiences and acknowledging that they are mostly just memories now.
I've gone too far to turn back now
The singer believes that they have progressed too far in their journey to turn back now.
I'm not quite what I thought I was but
The singer realizes that their perception of themselves does not match their current reality.
Then again I'm maybe more
Despite the previous line, the artist also acknowledges that they may be more than they thought they were.
The blood-words promised, I've spoken
The artist has made a promise and has fulfilled it, possibly a promise made in blood.
Releasing the names from the circle
The singer has let go of something, possibly releasing themselves from a restrictive situation or mindset.
Maybe I can leave here now and, o
The singer is hopeful that they can move on from their current situation.
Transcend the boundaries
The artist hopes to go beyond their current limitations and boundaries.
For now I'm standing here
The artist is currently in a state of waiting or contemplation.
I'm awaiting this grand transition
The artist is anticipating a significant change, possibly in their life or mindset.
The future is but past forgotten
The singer believes that the future is influenced by the past, but it should not hold one back.
On the road to madness
The artist believes they are journeying towards insanity or an unstable mindset.
Times measure rusts as it crawls
Time moves slowly and it can cause decay or rust in the singer's life.
I see its face in the looking glass - stop
The singer can see the negative effects of time when they look in the mirror and they want it to stop.
This screaming laughter hides, the pain of its reality
The singer laughs to hide their pain and the harsh reality they face.
Black, the door was locked I opened
The artist has opened a metaphorical door that they perhaps shouldn't have with negative consequences.
And now I've paid that price ten-fold over
The artist has suffered greatly and regrets their actions.
Knowledge - was it worth such torment, oh
The singer questions the value of the knowledge they acquired at such a high cost.
To see the far side of shadow
The singer wanted to understand the darker aspects of life, but they regret what they have learned.
And still I'm standing here
The artist is still in the same state as before, contemplating their situation.
I'm a fool in search of wisdom
The artist acknowledges that they have made mistakes in their pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
Yes, I'm on the road to madness
The artist is convinced that they are heading towards an unstable mental state.
I'm awaiting endlessly
The singer feels like they are waiting for something without any kind of end in sight.
Pounding rhythms echo me
The artist hears intense sounds or feels a metaphorical pounding of their heart.
Won't you take me somewhere far beyond the void
The singer is asking for help to be taken somewhere beyond their current state of emptiness or numbness.
Maybe one day, oh I'll meet you, and we'll
The singer is hopeful that they will meet someone in the future who can help them on their journey.
Walk the roads to madness
The singer and this hypothetical person will travel together towards insanity or instability.
Oh, I think they've come to take me
The artist has possibly lost touch with reality and feels like they are being taken away.
I hear the voice, but there's no-one to see
The artist hears something but cannot find the source of the sound.
I can't scream, too late it's time
The singer is unable to express their fear or desperation because it is too late for them to do anything.
Stay on the course to pass
The singer believes that continuing on their current path will lead them to success or a resolution.
You'll never find the answer
The artist believes that there may not be a definitive answer to their problems or questions.
To a place where darkened angels
The artist is referencing a place where traditional symbols of good (angels) are shrouded in darkness or negativity.
Seemed lost and never found
The artist believes that this place or idea is elusive and almost impossible to understand or grasp.
Scream to see the light of
The singer is encouraging themself or others to express themselves, even if it is painful or scary.
Forming figures fast behind you
The artist is aware of something or someone quickly approaching them from behind.
Lay the past in the wind to spin
The singer is suggesting that they let go of their past and allow it to become a distant memory.
And your fate will sail beyond the open plains
The singer believes that if they let go of their past, they will have more control over their future and can move beyond their current state of emptiness.
Sail with angels onward
The singer is embracing the idea of traditional symbols of good helping them move forward (even if they previously described these angels as darkened).
Live or die for the chosen one said
The artist believes that they have a higher purpose or destiny and that they may have to make sacrifices to fulfill it.
Saber sights cast a spell behind you
The artist is describing a dangerous situation where someone is using a weapon to intimidate them from behind.
And they lock in all around
The singer is trapped by this dangerous situation.
Free the scene insider
The singer wants to break free from their current situation or mindset to see things from a new perspective.
Never looking back to find why
The artist is suggesting that they don't need to dwell on the past to understand their current situation.
Ride a course till the end of time
The artist is determined to stick to their path and see it through until the end of their life.
And you'll stand atop the gate
The artist believes that if they remain steadfast, they will find success or a higher state of being.
Laying waste in a path recited
The singer has left destruction in their wake as they moved towards their end goal.
Fighting force won't avenge the guided black wing
The artist believes that taking revenge or being aggressive won't help them reach their goal, even if they have been guided by something dark or negative.
Oh, electric might poses fright inside me
The singer is experiencing fear or anxiety because of powerful or intense energy.
Seeing light at the end of sight reminds me
The singer is encouraged and reminded that there is hope at the end of their journey.
I've passed away
The singer may be referencing their own death, possibly having achieved their ultimate goal or succumbing to their madness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TATE, CHRIS DEGARMO, MICHAEL WILTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind