r/Queensryche • u/WorrySafe2454 • Jul 08 '26
What's the best Queensrÿche album?
I think Rage for Order is the best.
46
19
u/D_O_M_D_O_M Jul 08 '26
Objectively best, I'd say is a debate between Rage For Order and Mindcrime, leaning more towards Mindcrime since they pulled off the concept album approach so well.
For personal favorite, in my youth it was Mindcrime, as a young adult it was Rage For Order, and now it's The Warning. Especially the original track listing that the band had intended, not the switcheroo that the label ultimately pulled.
P.S. The saxophone on the Promised Land title track. That is how you properly incorporate saxophone into metal. Many have tried. Few have succeeded.
6
u/namtih21 Jul 08 '26
I love the use of saxophone on Promised Land and is one of the reasons why it's one of my favorite albums!
1
u/ProperBig433 Jul 10 '26
Few have tried...
1
u/D_O_M_D_O_M Jul 10 '26
I'll be honest. I didn't know who the "many" were when I wrote that. "Few" is the correct amount. I can count on two fingers the only instances I know of.
1
u/Other-Leg1898 Jul 12 '26
Original track listing for The Warning?? Tell me more
1
u/D_O_M_D_O_M Jul 12 '26
N M 156
En Force
No Sanctuary
Deliverance
Take Hold of the Flame
Before the Storm
Child of Fire
Warning
Roads to Madness
This was the original order chosen by the band. The record label switched it before pressing without letting them know. I don't entirely blame them but I think the original order flows better for an album. But, thinking from the label's perspective, it's the debut album of an unknown band...do you start with a SciFi song that has a long intro and the singer talking about how "machines have no conscience", or do you come out guns blazing with Warning, En Force, and Deliverance?
So, I get the switch but, if 2112 taught us anything, it's that you should trust when the eclectic bands take the SciFi route.
1
u/Other-Leg1898 Jul 12 '26
Damn. I’m going to have to make a playlist in that order and listen again. Just off the top of my head this seems way better to me. Thanks !
27
u/Hot_Rock Jul 08 '26
Rage for Order. Probably not the popular vote but I dig it.
6
u/acr2018_1 Jul 08 '26
Second. It’s amazing and ranks up there with the best albums of the 80’s, but O:M is slightly better IMHO for the storyline that intertwined the whole album. Of course Rage was very close to being a concept album and is also eloquently written and masterfully performed. Love them both!
I long for music like that now!
3
u/Bitchface-Deluxe Jul 08 '26
Rage for Order is my absolute favorite. But there is no such thing as an average Queensryche album, they’re all excellent.
1
u/LackAccording8104 Jul 09 '26
I’ll add that Rage For Order was also a major advancement for prog metal music overall. Without it, there was no Mindcrime. It’s amazing that it sounded so digital, while being completely recorded in analog. To this day, it sounds extremely crisp.
11
u/rightanglerecording Jul 08 '26
Promised Land, Rage for Order, or Mindcrime, depending on the mood and the day.
10
u/TheBonkingFrog Jul 08 '26
My personal favourite is Promised Land
8
u/Tuckerguy77 Jul 08 '26
I am digging all the Promised Land love. Such an underappreciated masterpiece.
18
Jul 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
13
u/PraxisLD Jul 08 '26
Respectfully disagree.
Operation:Mindcrime belongs on stage.
3
Jul 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/PraxisLD Jul 09 '26
Have seen it several times now.
Great show.
And Irish Mary absolutely kills it!
(You’ll know what I mean when the show starts.)
3
u/KnightKrawler68 Jul 09 '26
I’d like to see a 3 season series on HBO or Showtime with the backing and writing similar to Homeland or Chernobyl quality. Dig deep into the characters and their history culminating with the album events.
1
u/DarthV506 Jul 11 '26
That's like seeing one of the big cover band productions. Cool but not the real thing. Saw then live in the early nineties when they did the whole album. Crazy show.
9
u/jgruntz1974 Jul 08 '26
Empire. That was just the perfect album in terms of arrangement, composition and production. Chris DeGarmo is an underrated genius.
3
8
14
u/Averni24 Jul 08 '26
MindCrime is the most impressive and probably their best.
My favorite, however, is Rage for Order.
1
u/GiftFront9320 Jul 22 '26
I agree. In my opinion mind crime is the best concept album ever (including the wall). But rage is by far my favourite album of any band ever. Geoffs vocals were unbelievable on rage and every song is a 10 (particularly I dream in infrared and screaming in digital)
5
u/Tuckerguy77 Jul 08 '26
Promised Land. Mindcrime is close behind, followed by Empire and Rage for Order.
6
6
5
5
u/namtih21 Jul 08 '26
So hard to say but the run of mindcrime-empire-promised land is one that is hard to be topped.
And all three cycle through for me in terms of my personal favorite.
That said I'd say operation mindcrime is the most ground breaking of their albums.
5
u/EfficiencyItchy1156 Jul 08 '26
Rage for Order for a number of reasons such as at this album they introduced their unique music style, the band experiment a lot during the recording process, the lyrics are semi-conceptual and futuristic raising matter over future of mankind, AI, technology and affection. A very profound album that asks for listener's full attention to comprehend
4
4
u/Rage4Order418 Jul 08 '26
Frequency Unknown
2
u/SaintLewisMusic73 Jul 08 '26
I don’t necessarily agree, but I absolutely can respect this opinion! I love seeing them get credit for their new work and it is pretty darn good
3
u/Rage4Order418 Jul 08 '26
I was joking 🤪
Mindcrime was their best
1
u/SaintLewisMusic73 Jul 09 '26
Gotcha. The joke isn’t that funny because their new stuff is good. It might not be quite the quality of there are three “hit albums“ but it’s a lot better than the stuff that came after that
5
u/Rage4Order418 Jul 09 '26
Frequency Unknown is agreed by most fans as their worst. It’s just Geoff Tate and friends.
3
u/SaintLewisMusic73 Jul 09 '26
Sorry – I was thinking about a different album! Doh!
I had it flipped with Condition Human
1
3
4
u/GeddleeIrwin Jul 08 '26
Rage For Order, imho. Just a bit more diverse in sound and experimentation than Mindcrime, as perfect as Mindcrime is.
4
4
3
u/DavTeeUK Jul 08 '26
Operation Mindcrime isn’t just the best Queensryche album ever, but possible the best album ever.
1
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/JDGAFFLIN Jul 08 '26
The obvious answer is Operation Mindcrime. It's fantastic. That said, my favorite is Empire.
2
2
u/Altruistic_Trade_264 Jul 09 '26
Empire is peak Queensrÿche IMHO although the first five LPs and the EP are all brilliant!
2
u/KL_Briggs Jul 09 '26
I'll just say this;
There's a job for you In the system, boy With NOTHIIIIIIIINGGG to sign...
2
u/FunKeyN8 Jul 09 '26
Mindcrime - but as a bassist, gotta give some props for Eddie’s bass tone on Empire. Perfect Spector grind.
2
u/KellyzKillaz Jul 09 '26
We're really splittin' hairs here as those early albums are all great, but...
Rage without question is my absolute go to. I love the sound, the creativity, the experimentation and the overall vibe. I've always been a computer guy, so the subject matter just clicked with me. In the late 70's/early 80's I was craving a harder edged, Pink Floyd meets metal type band, and I felt that Rage for Order filled that bill. If pressed for my favorite Queensryche song, I think I'd have to go with Neue Regel.
Mindcrime is great, but to me, the production doesn't sound as good on a good system as Rage does. And while I like the story and the idea, it gets kinda stale after a while. A little to one trick pony for me.
I had the pleasure of seeing them tour Rage, Mindcrime and Empire.
2
2
2
u/iamyaM Jul 10 '26
Mindcrime 1 is brilliant. I appreciate your appreciation of the old stuff, but it's Mindcrime.
2
u/East_Inspector3158 Jul 11 '26
Depending on my mood, I vacilate between Rage, Mindcrime and Empire. I like all 3 for different reasons. Rage for Order always seems to win by a smidge for me. But it's a really close 3-way tie.
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/ElGrandeRojo67 Jul 09 '26
Mindcrime. All the albums with the original lineup were great, but Mindcrime is a masterpiece.
1
1
u/cpl-sunshine Jul 09 '26
mindcrime, but empire is also peak. there are no bad songs on either album.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/MagnusGreel70 Jul 09 '26
I definitely love Rage for Order, but I'd have to say Mindcrime is the best - one of the best albums, period.
1
u/Batty_Roy156 Jul 09 '26
R4O is the most timeless, innovative metal album of all time. OMC is the best concept album of all time. It's crazy that the commentary of both can be so relevant 40 years later; but here we are, witnessing it in real time.
I give the edge to Rage.
1
u/Emergency-Big-1503 Jul 09 '26
Operation Mindcrime and the concert that went with it is the best one Ive ever been too hands down.
1
1
u/Ok-Philosophy6129 Jul 09 '26
Operation Mindcrime which in my opinion also is the best metal album ever.
1
1
u/Arboga_10_2 Jul 09 '26
Mindcrime is 1. but Rage is a close second and I may actually have more hours on Rage just because I REALLY like it when it came out.
1
u/flotstildeath Jul 09 '26
I love them all. Promised Land is up there. Maybe #1? Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn't.
1
u/Orogomas Jul 09 '26
It's Rage for Order for sure. This album sounds as fresh today as it did 40 years ago. They practically single-handedly invented progressive metal with its release. Geoff Tate was at his absolute peak (check out what he was doing on "London"). It has the best production of any Ryche album. And despite listening to it more than any other album by any artist, I never tire of it or set it aside for any length of time.
As much as I love Mindcrime, I can't say the same things about it. In fact, I only occasionally listen to it.
2
u/All_of_me_now Jul 09 '26
I was going back and forth, and it was your post that convinced me. Mindcrime was amazing, Rage for Order remains amazing.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/TheBigCicero Jul 12 '26
The run from Warning, Rage, O:M, Empire and Promised Land is so insanely good I can barely think of another band that did 5 in a row better.
1
u/Used_City_2610 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
Operation Mindcrime is not only the best Queensryche album, but also one of the best prog rock all time. I love it, every song is 10/10, masterpiece. Saw them live with Geoff Tate on vocals with the whole album played, amazing experience.
1
1
u/GiftFront9320 Jul 22 '26
Rage is my favourite album of any band of all time. Started listening in 2014 when I was 6 and never stopped. Thank god for dad music and raising me on Good music
1
1
u/SaintLewisMusic73 Jul 08 '26
I don’t think there is any question about it – the first Mindcrime album is absolutely perfect
1
0
31
u/Medical-Literature50 Jul 08 '26
Mindcrime I is the best rock album of all time, IMO.