GEOFF TATE – Kings & Thieves

Inside Out www.insideout.de (Released 05.11.12)

It has certainly been an eventful year for Geoff Tate after being dismissed by his former band Queensryche (be interesting to see how they progress as regards new material) and now he has a new album, along with an intent to get on the road again. Joining him on this album are guitarist Kelly Grey (who has worked before with Tate in Queensryche), Gregg Gilmore on drums, Chris Zukas on bass and Randy Gane on keyboards with harmony vocals from Jason Ames and Emily Tate (Tate’s daughter who also appeared on Queensryche’s ‘American Soldier’ album).

Being under his name Geoff Tate can spread his wings a little musically, although much of the album reminded me of Queensryche circa ‘Hear In The Now Frontier’. There is some autobiographical songs in ‘The Way I Roll’ with Tate on sax and the orchestrated ballad ‘Change’, a real stand out and one of the best pieces of work he has done in many years. Not so great though is ‘Say U Luv It’, with spoken word lyrics and unless I am mistaken a song inspired by the bestseller ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’. ‘Take A Bullet’ has been used as the lead song of the album and a good choice as it is one of the heavier songs and closet to a Queensryche song. A good move to use Kelly Grey as his guitar style is varied, one minute a little blues then next heavy riffing on ‘Dark Money’.

Strong and enjoyable album and listening to this you can hear a lot of Queensryche as you’d expect but also more variation such as the use of sax and bluesy guitar, than he could have got away with in Queensryche. Quite how his old band will now progress will also be interesting – will they make new music or tour on past glories – but Geoff Tate has shown on here where he wants to go and I am sure his fans will join him.

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Jason Ritchie

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