Song:Silent Lucidity
Album:10 Great Songs
Usually when a hard rock group has mainstream chart success, it's in the form of a Power Ballad. This was true of Queensryche. The 1991 single Silent Lucidity was their only top ten pop hit. But they have been very successful in the hard rock market. Queensryche are from Bellevue, WA. They started out as a heavy metal cover band but got more serious in 1981 when they were called The Mob. The band was formed by guitarists Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo and then added bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Scott Rockenfeld. Geoff Tate was lead singer but left because he didn't want to be in a cover band. They eventually got him back. They couldn't use The Mob so they named themselves Queensryche after one of their songs on their demo Queen of the Reich. The name gave the impression that they were European when they were an American version of a European progressive rock band. That confusion didn't hurt them. After self releasing an EP, Queensryche signed with EMI Records in 1983 and remained there for 15 years. So they had a very successful run. For the first few years, Queensryche didn't score any hit singles. But they were a very successful concert draw. And their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime was certified Platinum. But they crossed over to pop success with the 1991 album Empire. That album sold over three million copies based on the success of Silent Lucidity which reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Queensryche faded after this and Tate's health forced him to leave Queensryche. He would return later. And DeGarmo left in 1998 to become a commercial pilot. Of course the problem with that is he wrote most of the songs. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. Queensryche is still around but there was some controversy when Tate returned and then was fired in 2012. Tate sued and eventually was paid for the rights to the Queensryche name. The current version of Queensryche last recorded in 2013 and are currently working on a new album. Here's the video for Silent Lucidity by Queensryche.
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