This is a truly remarkable recording. It's a very commercial album, but really there's nothing commercial about it. The lyrics are intelligent, the musicianship is precise and on fire, and Geoff Tate is one of the best singers in rock. His range is unmatched (only Bruce Dickinson and James LaBrie can compete with him) and he sings every note with passion and precision. An amazing vocalist for sure. Let's not forget the awesome melodic guitar duo of Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton as well as the solid progressive rhythm section of bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Scott Rockenfield.

Anyway, onto the songs! There's not a bad track on here. Every song is perfect, and even better than the one that preceded it. "Best I Can" is a killer opener with inspiring lyrics, a catchy keyboard riff, and engaging energy. "Jet City Woman" is a realistic love song with an incredible melody and emotional vocals. "Della Brown" is an ambient 7-minute piece with hypnotic guitar melodies, jazzy bass and drum interplay, and a powerful message about fame and homelessness. Speaking of messages, both the title track and "Resistance" discuss social issues and their effects on life. "Empire" in particular is about the rising cocaine business and how the government spent more money on other things rather than helping the people. Tate sings the lyrics with a lot of attitude and almost sounds disgusted with the government when he does.

"Silent Lucidity" is the band's biggest hit to date, as well as their most-known song. It's still a great ballad after all these years. The gentle acoustic riff, Tate's passionate vocals, and the dreamy subject matter are what making music is all about.

The highlight of the album for me is the brilliant closer "Anybody Listening?" This song is the most haunting and slashing commentary on the record business ever written. Not even Rush's "Limelight" can compare. As a matter of fact, I think "Anybody Listening?" is better than "Limelight" because it's darker and it fits the lyrics perfectly. "Limelight" was too upbeat to be a commentary on stardom, so Queensryche have answered my prayers with this song. The constant shift between light acoustic touches and heavy crescendos show that what may look good on the outside has dark undertones on the inside. I say again -- amazing!

This album is just too good. I love every minute of it. Although I haven't warmed up yet to "One and Only," EMPIRE is a real keeper.

Great band, lowered expectations.
This was my first Queensryche album, so even though I heard a lot of positive reviews on Empire I didn't know what to expect. I was told that Queensryche sounded vaguely like Dream Theater, or a cross between Iron Maiden and Pink Floyd. Sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try.

Well, after 3 months of trying to appreciate this record, I can say with a fair degree of certainty that Operation Mindcrime is definitely the Queensryche album to get. Mindcrime has everything Empire doesn't--prescence, raw energy, great songwriting and lyricism, and of course an engaging storyline that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go.

Empire still exhibits the impressive talents of Geoff Tate and the guitar-songwriting team of Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton. However, Empire is marred by watery ballads and cheesy lyrics that recall Bon Jovi, not Pink Floyd. Adding to the hair/power metal feel is an overly slick commercial production that isn't bad in of itself, but here it adds to the feeling that you're listening to late-'80s glam rock.

Not all of the material is subpar-- FM radio hit Silent Lucidity is a nice track, Della Brown is atmospheric and brilliant, Empire captures some of the powerful political commentary of Mindcrime while rocking out quite well, and Is Anybody Listening? contains a great message about the evils of the music industry. That saves Empire from receiving less than two stars (2.5, really).

I strongly suggest that all metal listeners add Operation Mindcrime to their collection. Queensryche never topped it from both a commercial and artistic standpoint. After Mindcrime, Empire is an underwhelming record from a band capable of much more.

Hasn't stood the test of time
I liked this record a lot when it came out, but put it away in the early 90's and hadn't listened to it in ages. After recently hearing it again, I now know why. Queensryche's signature sound, though accomplished and distinct, simply doesn't wear well over the long haul. Dated sounds, borrowed riffs, Geoff Tate's operatic vocals, and production values that make Phil Spector look like a minimalist, all conspire to consign "Empire" to its rightful place in the cutout bin.

My main problem with Queensryche has always been Tate. Sure, he can hit the high notes, but does he actually sing? His range is astonishing and his delivery is unparalleled, but he manages to deliver every line with a minimum of emotion. He's clearly trying to impress, and consistently fails to inspire.

The one exception is "Silent Lucidity," which Tate delivers with taste, restraint, and feeling. The song - unfairly but accurately described as a Pink Floyd rip-off - remains a guilty pleasure of classic stature, as chill-inducing as it was back in 1990.

The rest of the record is a bit of the hodge-podge; there are more Floydian gestures ("Anybody Listening?"), nods towards groove rock ("Della Brown") and "Mindcrime"-style omens of doom (the title track). Individual moments impress, but almost every song contains a cringe-inducing hook or riff that instantly dates the material.

Nobody can question Queensryche's musicianship, but their effort to fuse progressive rock riffs with heavy metal sensibilities falls short of the standard established by bands like Rush. Fans of the band or of prog metal will still like it, but modern listeners should stick to the far superior "Operation Mindcrime" for their Queensryche fix.

Art, meet Entertainment; Entertainment, meet Art
To this day, a staggering number of people insist that to entertain is to sell out and surrender growth and innovation. Granted, the frequncy of the stars aligning just right is about as often as a snowball forming in that dark place down below, but it HAS happened, it STILL happens, but never more noticably than in the all-around musical masterpiece "Empire," from the "progressive" "metal" band, Queensryche.

Those quotations are there because Queensryche deserves more than routine catagorization. Their music is at times heavy, and often intelligent, and that's about all the description you should need. If you realize that the past 10 years of mainstream music has been a case of record companies shooting themselves in the foot, this review shall serve to educate you that this album was one of the last appearances of greatness to strike mainstream popularity - it's a good thing Queensryche got this album in before it all went down hill!

The album; dashes of Pink Floyd/Rush/Bon Jovi/Def Leppard/Wagner!
One of my favorite songs ever is the closing track "Anybody Listening?" Epic emotion, powerful vocals, sustained guitar landscapes `a la David Gilmour, operatic theatrics `a la Les Miserables. The song is an adventure, a journey, with changing keys, moods and sections. Everything that a best-song-ever should be is in this unique composition.

Then there's the song that "broke them", despite a very successful prior album ("Operation: MindCrime"). If you only know Queensryche for one song, it's "Silent Lucidity." Granted, it's a bit simpler than much of their work, but just as with "Anybody Listening?", it is a wonderful journey of the mind, "trying to explain to someone the unexplainable," in the words of vocalist Geoff Tate. It is a highly emotional ballad that fits in just fine with the rest of the band's repertoire.

Most of the album is very strong with no filler, but the other big highlights are the songs "Empire," and "Another Rainy Night." These songs deserve some of the highest praise ever, because they adhere to this intelligent-meets-popularity formula better than almost any other song. They deserve even MORE praise, because they are not ballads. They are hard rocking songs, and the former (the title track) was actually quite the popular 'hit.' Can you believe, thinking of a 'hit' as actual good music? It IS possible. These songs are in the normal verse-chorus format, with amazing solos and guitar harmonies, intelligent lyrics, creative chords, and pure heart and soul. They rock like nobody's business, but also allow many people to relate to the music, who normally would be satisfied with bands that only make 10% the amount of effort. It just doesn't get much better than this.

The hardcore fans want their "...MindCrime", but I am going to cave in here - "Empire" is my [just barely]favorite Queensryche album, and the fact that it was very popular doesn't change the fact that it deserved what it got and more. MindCrime is also great - but for once in music history, selling less records doesn't mean it must be better music! "Empire" is the epitome of "exception to the rule." Commercial music hasn't allowed for this much creativity since.

Almost Best They Can
Well, this isn't bad album, it quite good. There's no weak links but it's almost like a continue part for "Operation: Mindcrime" which I like their best work. There's however some good inresting tracks. "Empire" is my favourite. So good lyrics about the world's situation. There's excellent vocals, even better than in the song "Suite Sister Mary" in Operation. "Silent Lucidity" is another favourite track of mine. It's so good, touching ballad about a baby. I've seen the videos of these two tracks and I think they're excellent. They should put them to the album.

"Jet City Woman" is also very good, it catches you with. "Best I Can", "Thin Line", "Hand on Heart" are also quite good, true Queensrÿche! "Another Rainy Night" is a touching track! "Anybody Listening?" is a track which always will be an impotant one for me. When I was lonely and I thought that two girls I liked (like friends do) didn't care about me anymore, I was listening this one. So, I think we all need friends and forgiveness. We also need sad moments that the happy moments feel better. Now, I've learned my lesson and I won't offend them anymore. But this track will always be my guide for human relationship. It's like
the other end of the lake we're sailing, well it is for me. Well, I'm glad they forgave me...I'm gonna do the best I can!

Recommend tracks in order: Empire, Silent Lucidity, Anybody Listening?, Jet City Woman, Best I Can
Exploring the uncharted territory between heavy metal and progressive rock, Queensryche has always been difficult to categorize. While Operation: Mindcrime is their most highly-praised album, Empire remains their most accessible, with a somewhat more commercial approach that has no negative impact on the quality of the material. Empire produced a string of hit singles, including "Best I Can," the title track, "Jet City Woman," and "Silent Lucidity" (probably their best-known song, and ironically unlike most of their other work). At times sounding a great deal like Pink Floyd, Empire is an impressive collection that is all substance, no filler. "Anybody Listening?", which closes the album, is probably the best perspective on a life lived on stage since Rush's "Limelight". Highly recommended. --Genevieve Williams