To the casual metal fan, Queensr˙che is probably known for their one big hit, the Pink Floyd-esque power ballad “Silent Lucidity.” The song exploded onto MTV and gave the band more exposure than they had ever had before. To the ardent metal fan, however, they are one of the most well-respected bands at their craft. One of the founding prog-metal bands, they paved the way for popular acts like Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, and Mastodon, and their seminal album Operation: Mindcrime is heavily revered among metal fans. Unfortunately, recent days have been tough for the Seattle based group. Ever since “Silent Lucidity” broke them into the mainstream, they have struggled to have radio hits, and their albums have been critically panned. Luckily, that all might come to an end with American Soldier, the band’s strongest, most interesting effort in years. This album is full of epic, emotional songs that should remind fans of what the band does best: creating intriguing, complex metal that tells a story.
As you can guess from the title, this is a concept album about the trials of war. While that may seem like a tired idea, this album avoids the usual traps of soapbox ranting and self-important lyrics. To get their inspiration, the band went straight to the source, conducting numerous interviews with soldiers fighting overseas. This gives the album a very personal feel and makes the songs much more believable. This is especially true of the first single, “If I Were King,” a ballad reminiscent of their MTV heyday, which expresses a soldier’s desire to go home. He wishes he could end the war himself and return to the people who love him. This theme is also touched upon in the album’s most emotional track, the touching “Home Again,” which features dialogue between a soldier and his wife. This song reminds us that the soldier’s family goes through troubles of their own. By presenting the troubles of both sides, it achieves an incredible emotional resonance. The presence of actual troops on this album is key to its effectiveness. It’s not just the assumptions of songwriters, it’s actual testimony.
Luckily, not every song on here is a ballad. The band avoids coming off as schmaltzy by presenting the many sides of war. Quite a few of these songs focus on the action one faces while engaging in combat. This is presented on “At 30,000 Ft,” which is from the point of view of a fighter pilot dropping bombs on the enemy from afar. The song talks of the conflict a soldier faces when he doesn’t know who he might be hurting. Another interesting track is “Man Down!” which describes the casualties of war in a very harrowing manner. Interestingly enough, the song is not a ballad mourning the loss, but a loud, action-packed track describing how it happened. At times like this, the album plays like a documentary, with each song giving us a window into another facet of a soldier’s life. It’s fascinating from beginning to end.
This could’ve very easily been another boring protest-metal album, regurgitating the same points we’ve heard before, but luckily, they put their thinking caps on, and created an album that tells a unique story, and gives us real insight into what goes on during war. In addition, they also return to the complex musical structures that made their early albums so beloved.
