A Blast from the Past gives us a Look into the Future

By Travis Failey on March 26, 2013

Queensrÿche rocking Orlando… (L to R) Parker Lundgren, Eddie Jackson and front-man Todd La Torre (photo: Travis Failey /RSEN)

Orlando, Fla.– Queensrÿche took the stage at the House of Blues in Orlando on Friday night and the fans who were with the band from the beginning could not have been happier. The band opened their set with “Queen of the Ryche” from their debut EP Queensrÿche, and new vocalist, Todd La Torre.

Parker Lundgren (photo: Travis Failey / RSEN)

La Torre’s opening notes of the song were dead on balls and we knew instantly that this was going to be a special night. A lot of Queensrÿche fans questioned if Todd La Torre could pull of this difficult job of replacing one of the most recognizable and established hard rock/metal voices in the genre, in Geoff Tate. Well, question no more. La Torre didn’t shy away from the trademark sound and screams that this band is known and loved for and managed to add his own style and flair and made the songs his own. La Torre had a similar experience when he stepped in as the vocalist in his previous band, Crimson Glory. We discussed this topic in depth during Rocket Sports and Entertainment’s interview with him, which can be found @ https://www.rocketsports-ent.com/the-new-ryche-is-back/

Todd La Torre (photo: Travis Failey / RSEN)

La Torre and guitarist Parker Lundgren, who joined the band in October 2011, have instilled not only fresh faces but a renewed spirit in this band. You could see it in the smiles of the original members in Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson and Scott Rockenfield as they played deep track classics from their first five albums. I was pleasantly surprised to see Queensrÿche play five songs off The Warning album, including “Road To Madness,” and always a fan favorite and an encore selection of “Take Hold of the Flame.”

La Torre hinted at playing their new single “Redemption” from their upcoming untitled album in the interview, but Queensrÿche didn’t include it in tonight’s set. “Redemption” was premiered on the Eddie Trunk show on Sirius’ Hair Nation channel and can now be heard on the Official Queensrÿche page @ http://www.queensrycheofficial.com/home.cfm

Also included in Queensrÿche’s 17 song set list were 5 songs off their masterpiece, Operation Mindcrime, including my two personal favorites off that release, “Speak” and “The Needle Lies.”

Scott Rockenfield (Travis Failey / RSEN)

I was hoping that they would play a couple off of Promised Land ( guitarist Chris Degarmo’s last release with the band) but they finished off the show with 3 more encore songs in ”Jet City Woman”,” Silent Lucidity” and “Empire”, from their most commercially successful album, Empire.

The night was a great return to prominence for a band, who over the past years have seemed to be going through the motions. With a renewed vigor, lineup and a release on June 11th in the U.S., look for a resurgence from Queensrÿche, a band whose parts all seem to fit together once more.