𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
July 22, 2003 — Queensrÿche released their eighth full-length studio album, Tribe via Sanctuary Records. It was self-produced by Queensrÿche, with Scott Olson engineering and Adam Kasper mixing the album. (Listen)
With an impending deadline to deliver their next album, and the band's strained internal relationships leaving them short on material, a call was placed to former lead guitarist Chris DeGarmo to see if he would be interested in contributing songs to the project. After a meeting with Geoff Tate, he agreed and took part in the writing sessions.
Upon release of the album, Sanctuary Records misrepresented DeGarmo's involvement as a "reunion" with Queensrÿche, which some have considered to be a PR stunt to generate sales.
Background:
Fresh off the tension in summer 2002, Queensrÿche found itself at a crossroads. Kelly Gray was no longer affiliated with the band in any capacity (although there was no official statement). Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, and Scott Rockenfield had been writing all summer for the next Queensrÿche album, and once Geoff Tate returned from his solo tour, the four started to put the material the three musicians wrote with Tate's lyrical vision (and initially, some ideas from Jeff Carrell, guitarist from Tate's (then) solo band, the direction of which was said to have set Wilton off a bit. The singer kept a journal on the road, “taking the pulse” of society (paraphrasing) in a post- 9/11 world, in preparation for writing lyrics.
In addition, session guitarist Mike Stone was brought in to help collaborate on the project, and help connect the band and Tate a bit. Stone was unknown to the band, but was suggested by Lars Sorenson, management and label personnel.
At some point in fall 2002, it is said that Chris DeGarmo was contacted by either Adam Kasper or Scott Olson, who was working with Queensrÿche on the record. DeGarmo found out about the theme Tate was working on, and some of the music his old bandmates were composing, and eventually, he decided to reunite with Queensrÿche in the studio (it is unknown who actually contacted Chris, but Olson and Kasper are friends of DeGarmo's, so it very well could have been one or the other who arranged a meeting).
After some initial sessions, the band found that the chemistry was there, and the five original members of Queensrÿche set to work on the record.
Initially, it appeared to the public that DeGarmo was ready to rejoin his bandmates on an official basis. He wrote three songs musically on his own: Falling Behind, The Art of Life and Doin' Fine. He also made songwriting contributions to the existing tracks Open and Desert Dance. A fourth song, Justified was also written by DeGarmo and being worked on in the sessions.
A New Year's Eve 2002 gig was booked in Anchorage, Alaska, that was allegedly supposed to include DeGarmo (it was not marketed as such, but DeGarmo was writing with them at the time). That didn't happen, however, and it is unknown why. So, Mike Stone, who the band was working with earlier in the year, stepped in for DeGarmo on short notice and made his live debut with the band.
It appears DeGarmo continued working with the band throughout winter 2003, and it was originally announced that DeGarmo would rejoin the band for its summer European dates in support of Tribe, starting in June. DeGarmo took part in a lengthy photo shoot for the record and all indications (at that time) was that he was back in the band, although there was nothing posted to that effect (except the summer European trek).
Something happened in the studio, however, that scuttled those plans and a more public reunion. Allegedly, DeGarmo and Tate were a bit at odds in regard to the vocal arrangements on the record. In the past, Chris would suggest certain ways for Tate to sing the songs (DeGarmo had always worked hand-in-hand to shape vocal melodies and arrangements for Queensrÿche), and Tate would try a variety of things before they settled on something they both liked. For Tribe, however, Tate was allegedly not open to that sort of creative collaboration, leading to some tension between Chris and Geoff, which ultimately led to Chris leaving the sessions entirely. (These are pieced together accounts from different individuals involved, so don't take them as law.) There may have been some other factors involved, but the story goes that Chris realized that the situation was not good for him, so he moved on.
This left Queensrÿche in a bit of a bind, and the release of Tribe (which was scheduled for June) was pushed back slightly to July. (It was delayed a few times in 2003, actually.) The songs with music completed and recorded that DeGarmo wrote or helped to write were used for the record, with the exception of Justified (entirely written by DeGarmo, including lyrics), which was unfinished and left off the album. Stone was brought back in, and he contributed one song, Losing Myself, and he added a slide guitar solo to Rhythm of Hope. (Given DeGarmo's proficiency with and past use of the slide, one would assume that this tune was meant for him to add the slide to... but he had left before it was recorded).
Ultimately, to meet deadlines, the record was pushed through, and likely wasn't fully completed. Allegedly, solos Michael Wilton had planned for certain songs (The Great Divide being one of them) were not recorded, and it was rumored that the song Blood had a second guitar part that was never recorded at all (Chris was allegedly going to work on it).
Note: Wilton debuted a solo for The Great Divide at a show in St. Louis in support of the album in 2003. In the minds of fans, this helped solidify the rumors that the music for Tribe wasn't quite finished.
Tribe was submitted to the label, and DeGarmo was digitally eliminated from the band photos that were shot for it. The record was credited to Queensrÿche as a four piece, with DeGarmo and Stone being thanked for their contributions to it.
Songwriting:
The writing for Tribe began more than a year before the record was finally released and heavily featured Michael Wilton and Scott Rockenfield. Wilton received writing credits on half the album's tracks (same as DeGarmo). Rockenfield and Jackson had a number of credits as well. Tate was credited on every song for his lyrics. Stone was credited for the music on the one track he wrote.
Stylistically, the songs Tribe reflect the time period in Hard Rock & Metal. Hefty, murky riffs, and mostly mid-tempo cuts with some acoustic instruments and some atmosphere were featured throughout. (The one standout being Losing Myself which is more of a Pop Rock number that was allegedly added to fill up space instead of Justified, which was unfinished due to DeGarmo's departure.) Lyrically, as mentioned early, Tribe was based on Geoff Tate's notes on society during his travels across the United States in 2002. Of note is Falling Behind, which comments on religious wars; and the title track, which has an element of Tate's more vague storytelling style combined with a very powerful, unifying chorus. In essence, the tunes on Tribe which feature DeGarmo seem to carry on where Hear in the Now Frontier left off.
In addition to Justified, one other track was being worked on during the Tribe sessions that unfortunately was not finished prior to turning the album over to the label. That song is Hostage. The song is significantly different than the version used on Queensrÿche's Operation: Mindcrime II a few years later. The demo version that was meant for Tribe has a more aggressive Michael Wilton guitar solo, a bit more aggressive singing by Tate, no court room/drama effects (which were added to it later to make it work as a “flashback scene” for the Mindcrime sequel), and really captured some great emotion in the lyrics (which followed along a bit with Tribe's overall theme of capturing society in a post-9-11 world).
The demo was never officially released, although it appeared on the band's website, and was played over the PA AFTER shows in late 2004/early 2005, as a “preview” for Operation: Mindcrime II. So, the only public version of the demo version of the song available are audience recordings of that PA broadcast. But, there is no mistaking that it was written in 2003 by Jackson/Rockenfield/Tate/Wilton. It just wasn't complete before the deadline for Tribe.
In addition, early promo releases of Tribe had the track The Art of Life replaced with Under My Skin. An early version of the tracklisting on Queensrÿche's website had it listed as the abbreviation "U.M.S.” However, to this day, it is unknown whether that is another song entirely, or simply The Art of Life re-titled.
It is unknown which (if any)Tribe songs Mike Stone appears on, other than Losing Myself and the slide guitar part on Rhythm of Hope. Stone may or may not appear on the other tracks not credited to DeGarmo (Tribe, The Great Divide, and Blood). For this, no information can be found anywhere. One thing for certain, is that DeGarmo performed on all tracks he was credited on (Open, Desert Dance, Falling Behind, The Art of Life, Doin' Fine, and Justified) and those songs were most likely the only tracks all five original members performed together.
Critical Reception:
Desert Dance was released to the public as a stream on Queensrÿche's website in spring 2003 in advance of the record and the band's European shows that summer. It was an aggressive track featuring a very post-Grunge riff and great guitar effects in the intro and solo section. There was some criticism of the vocals, most notably, the line “keep reachin' c'mon, keep reachin,'” in the tune (which some people interpreted as “rap”), but overall, it was received positively by fans for its return to some form of aggression that the band had been missing.
The first single, however, was Open. It received some attention, with the band appearing on a couple TV shows (the short-lived Orlando Jones show being one). Years later, Michael Wilton explained that during the Tribe period, with Tate not really wanting to do “Metal” any longer (Tate had said so in various interviews around this time), the band had approached Tate about pursing a more cerebral Hard Rock sound in the vein of TOOL, which may have led to some of the sonic elements on the album.
Ultimately, however, Tribe was considered a commercial failure. Lack of label support (Sanctuary Records was on its way under) likely contributed to it, as well as fans being let down over the album being marketed as being by the original lineup, when it really wasn't. While Losing Myself and Rhythm of Hope were also released as singles, Tribe didn't garner a lot of attention and was not commercially successful, generating only 75,000 SoundScan units as of 2007. Songs such as Open and Losing Myself have been played on the satellite station, Ink'd, and the former was included on the soundtrack to the PC port of the 2003 video game True Crime: Streets of L.A.
Some critics gave Tribe grim reviews, based mainly on the musical direction the band had started upon with the release of Promised Land. Featuring an Alternative Rock approach akin to the bands 1997 release, Hear in the Now Frontier and the more experimental side of their 1999 release Q2K”, Tribe lacked the heavier Progressive Metal elements that the band had become known for, causing many to accuse the bands music of lacking any depth.
Contributing writer Vinnie Apicella at KNAC.com stated;
“There’s a couple tracks here worth repeating, most of the rest are forgettable; followers than leaders that wallow aimlessly in the dark in spite of the record’s pointed self-discovery-reared theme. It’s unimaginable this is a full group effort. The musicianship speaks nothing of five talented players setting the pace for Rock progression built on instrumentality and songwriting depth, but rather bar stool sitting, forty-something folk players gigging the nearest dinner theater. There’s nothing to get excited about.”
Apicella concluded his stark review by saying;
“...the only progression that still exists is in the lyric writing, and even then, there’s nothing written save for GT’s explanatory cover page message. Tribe preaches of unity and the eye opening experiences of Mr. Tate’s wanderings to find himself in post-9/11 America; which could explain much of why Tribe plays often like another of his solo records rather than the full band experience. Live Evolution seemed the start of something big again for QR where for the first time we could actually equate old with new and realize they’re one and the same group of musicians. What we’re left with here is a Def Leppard-sounding, soft in the middle album of seven of ten nap-inducing tracks. What will it take to light the fire for this band again”.
While other critics, like Thom Jurek’s at AllMusic had greater things to say about Tribe, when he stated:
“Ultimately, the members of Queensrÿche prove they've been hearing the sounds of today's Progressive Metal à la Agalloch, Green Carnation, Anathema, Katatonia, and even Opeth, while remaining true to their own writing vision -- hooks, sprawling melodic architecture, and unflinchingly honest and even scathing lyrics rooted in an inclusive vision of empathy and compassion that would be unthinkable for any other band. Tribe is the sound of a band revitalized, growing with its fans and looking for new ones while remaining true to what made it so special in the first place. Tribe is Queensrÿche's finest recorded work since Empire, period.”
While I will always love the Progressive Metal sound of Queensrÿche's earlier releases, unlike many QR fans, I liked and appreciated the new direction that the band had taken, and looked forward to where their journey would find them. To me Tribe was just another experiment in a long line of experimental releases. And, most definitely one that I enjoyed. — E.N. Wells
Touring:
The tour to support Tribe included session guitarist Mike Stone alongside Michael Wilton. It began with some festivals in Europe (the ones DeGarmo was originally set to play) before leading to a U.S. co-headline tour of amphitheaters with fellow Progressive Metal band Dream Theater. Fates Warning was support for the summer, making it the first time all three bands (all three have received much of the credit for the establishment of Progressive Metal) were on tour together.
The tour was very successful, with Dream Theater closing half of the shows, and Queensrÿche closing the other half. Both bands played shortened headline sets, and then got together for the encore to play a song from each band and a cover tune. The trek went coast-to-coast and was highly regarded by fans of all three bands.
Once the tour wrapped up, Queensrÿche had a month or so off before beginning its own headline tour in support of Tribe. Like many of the album tours before it, the Tribe headline tour would feature a heavy dose of the new material, with the title track, Losing Myself, Desert Dance, The Great Divide, and Rhythm of Hope being featured. Also new was a brief acoustic set in the middle of the set, with some songs such as My Global Mind and Roads to Madness being re-arranged. In addition, later in the tour, the band played some rarely-performed tracks (up to this time) such as Anybody Listening?.
The Tribe Tour itself, wrapped up in Nov. 2003, with a couple of one-off gigs in winter 2004.
The Art of Live:
Queensrÿche invested heavily in recording technology prior to the 2003 tour. They recorded many (if not all) the shows supporting Tribe. The idea was to have the freedom to record and release anything they do, with as little future expense as possible. The kick-off for this would be documenting the Tribe tour with The Art of Live, an announced live separate DVD and CD releases, wiht the DVD being marketed as being in full color with 5.1 audio. Unfortunately, the plan backfired. While the shows were all captured, the stage lights over-powered the cameras, giving the band washed out color (although the audio was fine).
The result was a DVD shot in sepia tone (and some have stated that the audio wasn't true 5.1 surround). It was released in spring 2004, and the band went out on another tour leg in support of it, but also focused on the material from Tribe as well. Susan Tate was credited as producer, while Eddie Jackson was credited as overseeing the audio production.
The DVD also contained one of the encore jams between Dream Theater and Queensrÿche on the 2003 summer tour.
Symphony X were direct support for this tour on many dates. However, of historical note for Queensrÿche, Snake River Conspiracy was direct support for weeks as well. This is a key point in time, as it is the beginning of the relationship beween Queensrÿche and SRC bassist/songwriter/producer Jason Slater, who would soon become a vital part of the band's creative collective.
The tours in of support for both Tribe and The Art of Live concluded on July 10, 2004 in Sweden.
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Notice: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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