QUEENSRYCHE · The Verdict | CD

CD in jewel case.

Background information about 'The Verdict'

There is a moment about forty seconds into "Blood of the Levant" where the guitars lock into that unmistakable Queensryche chime and you just know the band came to play. The Verdict is the sound of a veteran outfit refusing to coast, trading the glossy sheen of the 2000s for something leaner, hungrier, and considerably more pissed off. Todd La Torre has never sounded more at home behind the mic, and his chemistry with Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren gives these ten tracks a twin-guitar attack that recalls the glory days without ever feeling like a nostalgia trip.

The songwriting here is tight and purposeful. "Man The Machine" rides a stuttering, almost mechanical riff into a chorus built for arena singalongs, while "Light-years" stretches out with the kind of melodic patience this band practically invented. Then comes "Bent", all six minutes of it, a slow-burning epic that swells and crashes with genuine drama rather than cheap bombast. Elsewhere "Propaganda Fashion" and "Launder the Conscience" sharpen their blades on modern anxieties, and "Portrait" closes things out on a brooding, cinematic note that lingers well after the last chord fades.

What makes The Verdict land so hard is its confidence. No filler, no pandering, just a band that knows exactly who it is and writes like it has something left to prove. Progressive metal this sharp and this emotionally direct does not come around often.

For fans of: Fates Warning, Crimson Glory, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Sanctuary

Other Versions

BLACK LP · Sold out 2CD-BOX BOXCD · Sold out BLACK LP · 41,99 € BLACK/GREY MARBLED LP · 44,99 € BLACK TAPE · 13,99 €

Track listing

1. Blood of the Levant
2. Man The Machine
3. Light-years
4. Inside Out
5. Propaganda Fashion
6. Dark Reverie
7. Bent
8. Inner Unrest
9. Launder the Conscience
10. Portrait

Manufacturer: Century Media Records GmbH, Schäferstr. 33a, 44147 Dortmund, Germany, Contact: www.centurymedia.com