Queensrÿche The Origins Tour

Queensrÿche The Origins Tour

Although Queensrÿche were initially grouped with the legions of pop-metal bands that dominated the American heavy metal scene of the ’80s, they are one of the most distinctive bands of the era. Where their contemporaries built on the legacy of Van Halen, Aerosmith, and Kiss, Queensrÿche constructed a progressive form of heavy metal that drew equally from the guitar pyrotechnics of post-Van Halen metal and ’70s art rock, most notably Pink Floyd and Queen. The band found mainstream success with the acclaimed 1988 concept album Operation: Mindcrime and its follow-up, Empire, the latter of which sold over two million copies due to the hit single “Silent Lucidity.” Queensrÿche’s popularity waned as grunge and alternative rock took over, and a string of lineup changes and lawsuits resulted in the band splintering into two entities in the 2010s. Nevertheless, they have retained a large following over the decades and are considered pioneers of the progressive metal genre alongside Dream Theater and Fate’s Warning.