Growing up in the mid-2000s, there was one late night infomercial that would always catch my attention. It was called Monster Ballads and it was a culmination of some of the best power ballads from some of the biggest metal bands of the 80s. One moment during this infomercial that always stood out was them playing about 10 seconds of the music video for “Silent Lucidity” by Queensrÿche, as this was my first introduction to the band. They have been going strong for over forty years now, and with this latest tour they wanted to show their appreciation to the fans by playing their first Self-Titled EP and their debut album The Warning in its entirety. Bringing with them fellow 80s metal band Armored Saint, fans sold out the House of Blues in Anaheim for a chance to relive the beginning of a bands career.

Though I have seen vocalist John Bush with Metal Allegiance the last two times they played the House of Blues, this was my first true experience seeing Armored Saint. As guitarist Jeff Duncan riffed the opening lick to “End of the Attention Span,” it built the anticipation and excitement in the crowd. As the rest of the band came in, the sound of Armored Saint brought me back to wishing I grew up in the 80s seeing these during the metal heyday. Solid guitar worked passed back and forth between Duncan and Phil Sandoval, with driving basslines from Joey Vera, and a galloping drum beat from Gonzo Sandoval. This foundation would get anyone in the crowd banging their head and rocking out, but it is Bush’s powerful vocals that takes Armored Saint’s sound to a whole new level. The man can balance melodic singing with powerful sustains that sound like the heavens opening and shooting a beam of light onto the singer. His talents could be heard with each song they played like “Raising Fear,” “Tribal Dance,” “Over the Edge,” “March of the Saint,” “Do Wrong to None,” “Isolation,” “Win Hands Down,” “Can U Deliver,” and ending with “Reign of Fire.” After Armored Saints set, all I could wonder was how they never came across my path before. I feel I have done a disservice to myself by not listening to them earlier, and this will be rectified moving forward.

A voice over spoke to the crowd, greeting fans and welcoming them into the world of Queensrÿche. Opening with the first song off their self-titled EP “Queen of the Reich,” we were transported out of the House of Blues and into a fantastical world that the band created. Its astounding to see and hear how vocalist Todd La Torre can push his voice to hit some of the high notes in these songs every night without fail. Guitarist Michael Wilton and Mike Stone build the ambiance of Queensrÿche with dueling guitars. When Wilton takes center stage to play his solos, he beautifully lets himself shine on his axe while heightening the overall song and never making it feel out of place to the whole experience. Bassist Eddie Jackson adds more than just texture to the songs, as his basslines holds weight and adds emotion that can be felt in the music. Drummer Casey Grillo rounds out the band and adds the final touch to a live performance by Queensrÿche with a drum set that almost envelopes him. We truly did get every single song off the band’s first EP and LP like “Nightrider,” “Blinded,” “The Lady Wore Black,” “Warning,” “En Force,” “Deliverance,” “No Sanctuary,” “NM 156,” “Take Hold of the Flame,” “Before the Storm,” “Child of Fire,” “Roads to Madness,” and we were graciously bestowed a two song encore of “Prophecy” and “Eyes of a Stranger.”  

It is a very special time when a band decides to go back and perform their first albums in their entirety. The band has evolved past who they were at that time in their life, but the music still lives on and holds such a beloved place in fans hearts. Seeing the fans who showed up for this kind of experience, you could feel the passion and love they have for the band and for these original songs that introduced most people to who Queensrÿche would become. It was a night to relive the beginning of a true giant in the progressive metal genre.