Queensryche: Empire (DVD-Audio)
Reviewed By: Paul Russell
Reviewed On: 08/25/02

Expectations & Reactions:

Queensryche is one of those bands that you either like or dislike – there seems to be no middle ground where the 'Ryche is involved. Rising to super stardom in 1988 with the groundbreaking release of Operation: Mindcrime, the band went from an underground success to popularity somewhere in the upper stratosphere...literally overnight. Critics and devoted fans alike heralded Mindcrime as a reawakening of the lost art of storytelling through song. Comparisons were immediately drawn to classic artists such as Pink Floyd and even Frank Zappa. In a single heartbeat, Queensryche found themselves near the top of their game. For a band that spent years struggling in the then-nonexistent music scene in Seattle, the success was a surprise. Going from playing to crowds of a few hundred to thousands upon thousands could make many artists leery, but not Queensryche. They knew how to put on a show. They knew how to interact with the audience. They knew what they wanted...and nothing was going to stop them.

Following a whirlwind multi-national tour, the band returned to Seattle to begin work on the follow-up album. The one constant with all of their previous albums was the lack of repetition. They refused to fall into a rut and simply remake the same album over and over again. Empire was certainly no exception. Nearly two years after the release of Mindcrime the album that would help define the "Seattle sound" was unleashed on an unsuspecting public.

1990 proved to be a pivotal year for music. Seattle was undoubtedly the scene. That year Alice in Chains release their breakout album Facelift, Pantera put out Cowboys from Hell, and recent albums from Nirvana (Bleach) and Soundgarden (Flower and Ultramega OK) were beginning to take a stranglehold on the record charts. World attention was focused on this small city in the northwest corner of America. The buzz surrounding the music scene in Seattle went a long way to ensuring Empire would be a success, but that was certainly not the only reason.

Taking a sharp left-turn from the hard hitting "heavy metal" sound from Mindcrime, Empire was filled with melody, harmony, and yes...even symphonic orchestration. It was different, it was bold, it was a triumph. Record sales went through the roof, and critics bestowed an incomprehensible amount of praise. Both factors firmly established Queensryche as a top act, and the money and power that go with it wasn't wasted. With epic videos and even more grandiose tours, Queensryche pushed their image to new levels with Empire.

Of course, not everyone was thrilled with the album. In an era where "grunge" was born, the harmonious nature of the album went against the proverbial grain. Personally, I fell in love with the album. From the first moment I heard tracks like "Best I Can," "Empire," and "Silent Lucidity" I was hooked. Granted, I'm also an avid fan of the various other "Seattle" bands, but there was something about Queensryche and Empire in particular that spoke to me. As a guitarist, I was in awe of the symbiotic interplay between Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton. Add to that the vocal stylings of Geoff Tate and I was in 7th Heaven. Quite frankly, if I had to compile my own personal "top 10 desert island albums," Empire would most assuredly make the list.

Now, some twelve years after the first release of Empire, the album is receiving a multi-channel DVD-Audio treatment. I have been eagerly awaiting this for a long time...longer, in fact, than DVD-A has been a reality. Queensryche's masterpiece goes far above the stereotypical rock album. There's nothing straight ahead about any of the songs. While some are certainly dated, over half of the tracks (I'd say) are timeless, and to be treated to the most modern incarnation of home audio formats is a true blessing.

Audio & Mix:

Empire is one of those albums that simply scream for an immersive multi-channel mix. There are so many layers and facets to the music that much of it is lost or overshadowed in a simple 2-channel mix. Remixed by James "Jimbo" Barton, each song has been given a breath of rejuvenated life. The spirit, the essence, and the artistic vision of the songs has been retained – simply enhanced and redirected to fuse 5 discrete channels together to create a soundfield that even surpasses a live performance.

The first, and default, audio option is the 96/24 5.1 channel advanced resolution track. Right from the opening notes of "Best I Can," this new multi- channel mix begins to strut its prowess. The interplay between the channels is simply awesome. Instead of simply shuffling and dividing the soundscape, each element is present in all of the channels. This bleeding creates a tight envelope that surrounds and captivates the listener. Prime examples of the dramatic effect created by this new mix can be found throughout the most popular songs on the album. The harmonious guitars at the beginning of "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" echo and reverberate throughout the room. Michael Kamen's stunning orchestration in "Silent Lucidity" has been punched up, and is far more prevalent than in the original 2-channel releases.

Unlike many DVD-Audio releases, which try to create a sense of motion with channel fades and quick cuts, Empire is an all-encompassing experience. Cheap tricks have been forgotten and the music can speak for itself. This mix uses the dynamic of the listening environment to create the effect of distance and the subtle nuances of the background sounds meld with the primary sounds to create a multi-plane experience to which no words can do justice.

Both the Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 tracks are remarkably similar, yet neither come up to par with the 5.1-channel advanced resolution track. As expected, they lack the range and scope of the 96/24 track. The mix for each track is the same for all three of the multi-channel formats, but there are audible differences in the way each format encodes and decodes audio. The DTS track contains more prominent bass than the DD track. However, the DD track features a broader range in frequencies – clearly evident in songs such as "Jet City Woman" and "Resistance" where there are dramatic shifts in the ranges. While certainly less impressive than the true DVD-A track, both are a magnificent leap forward when compared to the original CD release.

Speaking of the CD, it's time for a head-to-head comparison between the new 2- channel 96/24 advanced resolution track and the original 2-channel release. It's not exactly surprising to learn that the new 96/24 track is a vast improvement. It can be summed up quite simply with one comparison: the differences can be likened to listening to the album on a ghetto blaster and then a full- fledged, hi-fi stereo system. The original CD presents the notes, but this track presents the body and spirit. There is a more elaborate frequency response, which spans the entire spectrum (often within the space of a few seconds). The bottom line is this new 2-channel mix has rendered the original CD useful only as a coaster or Christmas tree ornament.

Extras & Highlights:

EMI has included a seldom-used feature for each of the four audio options – synched lyrics. Each song has been divided into chapters that coincide with the lyric pages. It's a nifty little feature...not exactly earth shattering, but nifty nonetheless.

The extras really begin with a new retrospective featurette (20:22) on the band and the album. Containing interviews with Chris DeGarmo and Geoff Tate (from March of this year), all aspects of the creative process and the phenomenal success of Empire are explored. The candid interviews intercut with archival footage from the videos and concerts prove to be both informative and entertaining – a perfect mix.

The music videos for "Jet City Woman" and "Silent Lucidity" are included. Both are presented in their original formats: full frame with DD 2.0 audio.

There is a brief photo gallery, which contains blow-ups of the images used in the liner notes included with both the original releases and this DVD-A.

Queensryche EMI Discography lists all of the 'Ryche albums released under the label (which is all of their albums from the self titled debut to 2000's Greatest Hits). Along with a tracklisting of each album there is a short clip from one "popular" song. One menu screen is devoted to every album, and automatically advances to the next screen after a given period of time.

In the text-based department, there is a biography that chronicles the progression of the band back from the early days through to the end of the Empire tour, a listing of other EMI DVD-A titles, a page of weblinks (also included as a ROM enhancement), and the song lyrics.

The final bonus feature is a detailed credits section. Beginning with a Capitol Records Hollywood and Vine intro, there are pages upon pages of credits. Most of which are from the liner notes. Credits for the DVD-A have also been included. There is also a section entitled About DVD-Audio. Found with the set-up menu, this text-based explanation gives an overview of the features found on this release.

Menus & Interface:

The menus are simple and to the point – no messing around here. The backgrounds are all static, and have been created from a collage of the pages from the liner notes. Navigation is easy. The default menus are for the 5.1 96/24 track and contain two play options (one with synched lyrics and one without), access to the bonus material, and a set-up menu that allows the remaining audio tracks to be selected. From the main menu, regardless of the audio selection chosen, if there is an extended period of inactivity, the first track begins to play automatically. The menus for all of the audio selections are similar. Even the Dolby Digital and DTS options can access the bonus material. In the end, this is a delightful interface that serves as a credit to Empire.

ROM & Weblinks:

Included on this disc are weblinks to the Capitol Records and Queensryche websites.

Queensryche was comprised of Geoff Tate on vocals, Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton on guitars, Eddie Jackson on bass, and Scott Rockenfield on drums. Empire was recorded at Vancouver Studios in 1990. The album was produced by Peter Collins and recorded by James "Jimbo" Barton, with the exception of "Empire," which was recorded at Triad Studios by Tom Hall.

The surround mix for this DVD-Audio release was mixed by James "Jimbo" Barton and Steve Genewick, and was mastered by Robert Vosgien. Henninger Vision handled the authoring and encoding, along with the menu creation.

Conclusions & Afterthoughts:

Without a doubt, I throw a lot of praise towards Queensryche for Empire. This is the pinnacle when it comes to music. Perhaps I'm being a tad overzealous...after all, music is merely the combination of notes and words to create something pleasing to the auditory senses. But, in reality, music is so much more. Out of all the arts, music is the most subjective. What one person likes someone else detests. Music can awaken memories long since forgotten and, for a short time at least, allow the past to come to life. It is in this ability that music has touched our culture so wholly. Empire, to me, is one of those albums that touched me. Something about it inspired me and connected with me. Having sold millions of copies, I know I'm not the only one who feels this passionately about this collection of eleven songs.

As far as this DVD-Audio is concerned, I would have been happy with a release containing little more than a multi-channel remix. Thankfully, Queensryche and the folks at EMI (along with the technicians who worked on this DVD-A) opted to give Empire an above average treatment. With four audio options they still managed to include a delightful featurette and a variety of other niceties. This release is highly recommended