Monthly Archives: December 2008

Rush – Grace Under Pressure (1984)

Posted on December 27, 2008 by jkonrath

When I first got into Rush, my friend Derik Rinehart (now an accomplished prog-rock drummer) made me a tape from his LPs, with this on one side and Moving Pictures on the other. Of course, I played the hell out … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Passafist – Passafist (1994)

Posted on December 24, 2008 by jkonrath

I’m surprised I didn’t throw this album out a long time ago. I’m not saying that it’s that repulsive, I’m just saying that it never really clicked with me, and it went away in a box for a long time, until recently, … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Geoff Tate – Geoff Tate (2002)

Posted on December 23, 2008 by jkonrath

Look, I’ll start off the review by saying the obvious, and scaring off the 90% of you that just won’t get this album. First, this isn’t a Queensryche album. Second, it’s not even really a metal album. And if you … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)

Posted on December 22, 2008 by jkonrath

You can divide the history of Rush into different discrete eras – in fact, the band did a good job of this themselves by putting out a live album exactly every four studio albums, wrapping up their career into nice … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

GTR – GTR (1986)

Posted on December 22, 2008 by jkonrath

You know how now (with now being 2008), all of the major phone companies and wireless companies are merging together and buying each other out, so where before maybe you paid Southern Podunk Bell for your local line and ABC … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Dream Theater – A Change of Seasons (1995)

Posted on December 21, 2008 by jkonrath

Dream Theater has never been known to show up at a gig, play the songs from the new album, throw in a few old numbers, and call it a night. Similar to Frank Zappa, they’ve always been known for having … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Leave a comment

Queensryche – Operation:Livecrime (1991)

Posted on December 20, 2008 by jkonrath

After the 1988 release of Operation: Mindcrime, Queensryche weren’t in a position to put on a lavish stage show or three-hour headlining concert yet; in fact, they spent their time opening for Metallica on the epic …And Justice For All tour. (Unfortunately, … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Queensryche – Hear in the Now Frontier (1997)

Posted on December 20, 2008 by jkonrath

This oddly-titled release is often bemoaned as being too “alternative” or “grunge” by many fair-weathered fans of the band, which is a pretty inaccurate comparison. This came at a time when many bands were cutting their long hair and trying to move out … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Queensryche – The Warning (1984)

Posted on December 16, 2008 by jkonrath

While their self-titled EP sounded like some kind of generic heavy metal, this Seattle once-covers band started down the path of prog-metal with their first full-length release. This nine-song album features some great long-form metal pieces, excellent sound, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Joe Satriani – Flying in a Blue Dream (1989)

Posted on December 16, 2008 by jkonrath

Everyone remembers Joe Satriani’s third studio album as “the one where he started singing”, and it’s true. The guitar genius, for whatever reason, decided to add his vocals to some of the tracks of his otherwise instrumental discography, and it … Continue reading →

Posted in reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment