HEAR IN THE NOW FRONTIER

This album is much maligned as the beginning of Queensryche's downfall. While their subsequent albums are indeed bad, this is quite enjoyable. This is not prog, and not metal, but polished hard rock with dense sound a la grunge rock. And multi-range Tate's vocals are still in top form. If you disregard the albums that followed, you could actually view this one as another in Queensryche catalogue that is different from one another.

I will admit that half of the album's songs seem like filler. But the ugly truth is that even the classic Queensryche had their share of fillers. But the other half I would include in my personal collection of Queensryche hits: the pop rock of Sign of the times (with its gorgeous acoustic break) and The voice inside, the brooding Spool, ironic Cuckoo's nest, hard-hitting Get a life, Rolling Stones-y dirty rock of Anytime/Anywhere, Beatlesque Miles away. The value is maybe not in originality, but diversity - it makes you anxious to hear what's next.