34. Queensrÿche – “The Verdict”

This is probably the best Queensrÿche album since 1994’s astonishing “Promised Land”. The years in-between certainly haven’t been kind for the band. The 90’s were particular cruel, seeing them plunge from arena stars to veritable nobodies. The noughties saw them release shite album after shite album as they desperately tried to recapture past glories and the last decade started with a highly acrimonious split with vocalist Geoff Tate and a bitter fight over the name which saw two Queensrÿche touring the world. Competing lawsuits were finally settled in 2015 leaving founding members Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson and Scott Rockenfield with the name. “The Verdict” is actually the third Todd La Terre fronted post-Tate record, but is the first where the band have seemed to be have truly clicked. This album reminds me why I fell for Queensrÿche in the first place. It is intelligent, intricately structured Metal that knows exactly how you mix commerciality with complex. There is astounding musicianship on display here but at no point does it get full of itself. It knows exactly when to soar and when to scale back. Fantastic return to form.