Queensrÿche

Futuristic prog-metal band Queensrÿche scored its biggest hit with the ballad “Silent Lucidity” (from the hugely successful album Empire) in 1990, but while album sales have slowed since then, the group remains a respectable concert draw. Its 2009 record, American Soldier, returns to Queensrÿche’s penchant for the elaborately conceived concept album: It’s about the lives of men during wartime, and is based on interviews songwriter Geoff Tate did with veterans. This summer’s Dedicated To Chaos found the band toning down the metal in favor of a pop-influenced groove that further divided fans of a band notorious for constantly switching up its sound.

Updated 09/01/2011