I kept trying to find an exciting song to listen to here, but I couldn't....I've been a serious fan of QR since their first album. The songs all seem to have the same sound on this cd. I hate to be the bearer of bad news for QR fans, but, this one is just NOT the Queensryche I'm used to. If you're expecting to hear the technical guitar wizardry, the great vocals, the new-aged style of their brand of "metal" you so love from these guys, you're not gonna get it here....There are no guitar solos here, basic vocals, no excitement...etc. It seemed like there was more hype for the release of this album than there was rehersal time in the studio! I found two or three songs OK, but on a whole, I'm very dissapointed with this CD. I'm sure that with the departure of Chris DeGarmo, this group will never be the force they used to be...However, I hope not. I hope they prove me wrong with their next CD! Maybe they have matured a bit? I don't know...The songs just have a bit of a horrible "grungy", "ethereal" sound. The songs are, in my opinion, just plain 'ol "BORING" and have a "droning" feel, like all the songs are in slow-motion! I know they can do much better than this. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to "bash" this new cd entirely, some people might really like this "new" Queensryche, it's not the worst CD I've ever heard, but I warn you, please listen to soundclips BEFORE you buy it. You might not recognize it's Queensryche at all.

Conclusion: As many times as I've listened to this CD, trying to give Queensryche a fair shot, I just can't get into it. I'll wait for the next one to come out....The songs are just not that exciting.

All is right with the world
All is right with the world. The new NFL season has started and Queensryche has released a new album. Queensryche has been "labeled" as Progressive rock. They have a very distinctive sound ,but never the same one twice. The band turned (guitarist) Chris DeGarmo's leaving into something that they progress even further from. I had heard this would be Empire part 2; but doubted it. Listening to Q2k the first through was a enjoyable experience. The more I listen, the more I enjoy it. The first track, Falling Down, gets things started right. It has elements of all the previous albums. For example, Beside You is reminiscent of Silent Lucidity. Liquid Sky (my favorite song)is somewhat cryptic. I don't know if I'll ever figure out what the song means, but, I think thats the point. I would highly recommend this CD to any one. Other QR fans I am sure echo my sentiments.

Q2K - D@mn Good CD
Not sure why many people don't like this CD. Maybe it's because they're looking for Operation Mindcrime II, or Empire 2K. This CD has a lot of excellent tracks: Falling Down, Sacred Ground, Liquid Sky, Breakdown, Right Side of My Mind, Burning Man, ...

The sound is different, but if I wanted to listen to a band whose sound didn't ever change, I'd listen to AC/DC. Q2K may not be my most fav QR CD, but it spends a lot of time in my player.

Underrated
After the seriously out-of-the-box effort of Hear in the Now Frontier I was ready for a change of pace--and knowing how QR reinvents their sound without reinventing themselves (or their delivery) Q2K was a step in the right direction. This was a welcome departure into a much more basic, raw and aggressive sound that is not unlike the band's Seattle-based contemporaries. The much lamented departure of Chris DeGarmo did have an impact but this is a mature band that obviously moved on. Kelly Gray contributes well to the crunch and wah-wah of a more grunge-flavored sound with this release. Not original-yes, but certainly effective and passionate. Lyrically this is not as strong (evidence of DeGarmo's absence here), but I found this to be a solid musical statement. My personal favorite here is the opening track "Falling Down", which has a duel solo break that is so simple yet so inspiring. Eddie Jackson's bass sound has never been more rude than on "Burning Man". Other tracks of note are "When the Rain Comes", "Breakdown" and "Liquid Sky". I agree this wouldn't be a good introduction to the band's music. Nonetheless, Q2K rocks hard here and for that, 4 stars is well warranted.

I love this, but it IS different
"Music fan" is right. I'm not an expert on QR, but I can tell this is a different style due to a different guitarist. And, thank goodness, this band does not keep making the same album over and over.

If you want hard raw metal like their earlier stuff, this may not be for you. On the other hand, I think (similar to Rush) that as Queenryche's career goes on, each album may need more listening time to reveal itself. For me, though, the first listen hooked me.

Disclosure: I saw the Q2k tour, which probably biased me positively towards liking this album tons and tons. I especially like some of the lyrical content.
Seattle vets Queensryche breach the new millennium with heads held high, their music ever-straddling that uneasy middle ground between 1980s big-hair metal and '90s shaved-head sludge. In other words, they've managed to keep their originality intact. The band's sense of taut drama remains, with "Falling Down" and "Sacred Ground" setting the tone. Melodic (if not overwrought) vocalist Geoff Tate manages to evoke R.J. Dio without all the medieval kitsch that comparison implies. "One Life" proves they've learned a trick or two from angst-ridden younger Seattle cousins Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, though not enough to keep them from the occasional lapse, like the bitter-saccharine "When the Rain Comes." But by sticking to their guns, especially in the epic-scaled "Liquid Sky," Queensryche may yet share the same last, ironic laugh that Def Leppard did on Euphoria. --Jerry McCulley