Dedicated to Chaos will
always be remembered as the album that almost broke Queensryche. In addition to
being panned by just about everyone that heard it (Including a few band
members), it allowed many fans to see just how far the band had fallen and
arguably contributed to Geoff Tate’s well-publicized departure in 2012. It was
also the first album to feature Tate’s former son-in-law Parker Lundgren on
guitar duties though this factor doesn’t speak for itself quite as much as it
would in the near future…
Scott Rockenfield was right when he described this album as
being “kind of like Rage [For Order] through a time tunnel,” but not in the way that he intended. While
he probably made that statement as a plea or reassurance to longtime fans, Dedicated to Chaos and Rage For Order are similar in that they
both experiment with a wide variety of styles and have lyrical themes that
reflect the musicians’ states of mind at a given time. However, Rage unified those sounds with brilliant
songwriting and thoughtful lyrics; Dedicated
To Chaos just serves as a mass of stylistic confusion thanks to a bunch of
hacks not knowing how to handle their midlife crises.
This can best be seen on tracks like “Got It Bad” and “Wot
We Do,” easily the two worst songs ever released under the Queensryche name. The
music combines jazz, R&B, and whatever else they could think of into these
faceless blobs and the lyrics do their best to bring sex appeal to a group that
generally kept their class even when singing about horny teenage boy fodder.
One could argue that the cabaret flashbacks are merely an attempt at being
campy but the pacing is far too slow and Tate’s sneering is more obnoxious than
funny.
Speaking of obnoxious, the lyrics are easily the worst that
Tate has ever put together. When he is not providing us with the sexual
insights of a man that is just a year older than my dad, he becomes everything
that The Warning warned us about as
he goes on about his YouTubes, cell phones, and how having “those sunglasses
on” is pretty much the most erotic thing ever. In short, it’s the perfect
antithesis to their classic outlook.
But with that said, Queensryche can still pull off a few
worthwhile moments even in the absolute nadir of their career, though it can be
a pretty big stretch to really notice them. “Get Started” makes for a
legitimately fun opener and continues the band’s occasional Rush parallels
thanks to its “Far Cry” style pacing. Following that, “Hot Spot Junkie” is a
goofy successor to “Damaged,” “Around The World” makes for okay U2 worship, and
“Retail Therapy” is a decent Alice In Chains-esque grinder if you are capable
of ignoring the crap lyrics on each of those songs…
But what really makes this album frustrating is how the
actual performances are actually pretty good. The diminishing vocals fit in
with the album’s smug tone and toned down style, the focus on the rhythm
section was the closest thing the album had to a smart move, and the guitars
still have a decent shine to them in the absence of actual riffs. It’s
certainly nothing that makes the songwriting any better but it does provide a
glimpse at what the band could’ve been capable of with the right material.
The most masochistic fan may find a song or two of value, but
there is no doubt that Dedicated To Chaos
is the lowest point of Queensryche’s career. Say what you will about Lulu or Illus Divinum Insanus (You know, the other two pieces of shit that
came out in 2011), but there has never been a band that so blatantly spit in
the faces of their principles while claiming to be still adhering to them. Just
listen to Rage For Order if you want
experimentation, Operation: Mindcrime
or Empire if you want insightful
lyrics, and the new one if you want to see just what Queensryche is truly
capable of.
Current Highlights:
“Get Started”
“Hot Spot Junkie”
“Around The World”
“Drive”
“Retail Therapy”
No comments:
Post a Comment