Two years after the average self-titled effort that started the new era of progressive metal veterans Queensrÿche on a lukewarm note, Condition Hüman is the second album to feature new singer Todd La Torre and offers some more value for money. The record comes around with twelve new tracks with a running time of fifty-three minutes and some versions even include a bonus track. No uninspired instrumental or other unnecessary material can be found on this ouput.

The record convinces with great guitar play that finds the right mixture between melodic riffs and technical progressive vibes. The production is organic, rich and warm. The playful, melodic and catchy ''Guardian'', the atmospheric, epic and playful ''Hellfire'', the more modern and sinister ''Selfish Lives'', the inspired and variable ''Hourglass'' and epic closing title track ''Condition Hüman'' are all very decent.

However, the record also includes a few fillers that won't grow even after multiple spins. The songwriting also includes some self-plagiarism with melodies and even lyrics recalling the band's greatest era from the eighties. An obvious example is the fact that the classic ''Revolution Calling'' has now become ''Evolution Calling'' in the song ''Guardian''. The feeling that one has heard several ideas before is enhanced by the fact that Todd La Torre continues to sound like a younger copy of Geoff Tate and fails to add his very own note to the band.

At the end of the day, Condition Hüman is a decent melodic progressive metal album that marks a step in the right direction for a band that has been struggling for two decades. However, the group doesn't unfold its entire potential because its sound and songwriting try too much to go back to the roots instead of exploring new possibilities. That's why this album sounds somewhat old-fashioned at times. The bottom line is that unconditional fans of the band should appreciate Condition Hüman while occasional fans might find it too average to leave its own mark.

Final rating: 70%

Cover albums can be quite hit and miss and coming from a band such as versatile American rock and metal group Queensrÿche, the quality on display might even be more meandering than usual. This is certainly the case here as Take Cover includes highlights, fillers and dreadful tunes in almost perfectly balanced parts.

As for the highlights, a very positive surprise is the atmospheric, progressive and variable ''Red Rain'', originally performed by the great Peter Gabriel. The airy guitar play, playful bass guitar, tight drumming and emotional vocals harmonize perfectly here.

Among the filler material, one could for instance cite the band's take on Queen's ''Innuendo''. The musicianship is techically decent here and singer Geoff Tate is trying to make the song his own with his unique timbre and flow. However, he certainly isn't as charismatic and unique as Freddie Mercury and the muddy effects on the vocals are also somewhat nerve-firing.

The most dreadful tune on this output is the closing live cover of U2's ''Bullet the Blue Sky''. That's not only due to the fact that said band is one of the most overrated rock bands ever in my opinion that usually releases about two or three great songs per album with the rest of the tracks being adult-oriented ballads aiming for radio airplay. To make matters worse, the version included here breaks the ten-minute mark and essentially features a hysterical spoken-word section by Geoff Tate that makes you wonder whether he was either having an emotional breakdown while performing or under the influence of some weird substances. Calling this version creative doesn't save it from being plain annoying.

As for the record's general values, the production is overall organic and rich. The vocals sound powerful and the drums come out quite energetically as well. The guitar play could have needed some oomph here and there and sounds a little bit dry. A special shoutout goes to the cool cover artwork that I would love to get as a flag or poster.

At the end of the day, Take Cover would have been a decent addition to the special edition of a regular studio album, compilation or boxed set. On its own however, this album is good average with a balanced mixture of great tunes, average tracks and disappointing cuts. I would only recommend this release to avid collectors and fans of the band. If you haven't listened to this, you certainly haven't missed much.

Final rating: 60%

Aside from some semi-amateurish cuts from the early years, Queensrÿche hasn't released any live material in a decade and a half which is surprising with its significant line-up change on the vocals. Mindcrime at the Moore is already fourteen years old as I'm writing these lines and it's still a very special release in Queensrÿche large discography. Released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray, this concert recorded in the band's hometown of Seattle features both Operation: Mindcrime records played in their entirey, plus an encore consisting of two tunes. This makes for nearly two and a half hours of entertainment. The DVD and Blu-ray versions even include a tour documentary and some other extras that are really only interesting for avid collectors and fans.

There are many positive elements to mention about this release. The production is very good with crystal clear vocals, energetic guitar sound, powerful bass guitar lines, tight drums and an audible audience. The band is in great form and plays the songs very well from start to finish. The track list offers energetic cuts such as ''Revolution Calling'', catchier tunes such as ''I Don't Believe in Love'' and cinematic, conceptual and progressive songs like ''Suite Sister Mary''. The closing encore ''Jet City Woman'' convinces with excellent atmosphere and is celebrated by band and fans alike.

On the negative side, the second instalment of the Operation: Mindrime duology has a few lengths in the middle section. However, the diverse songwriting and the passionate guest vocalists manage to keep this section of the concert from mediocrity. The live versions of said album are certainly more dynamic than the studio versions.

At the end of the day, Queensrÿche's Mindcrime at the Moore is a very good to great live album with thirty-four songs and almost two hours and a half of great to excellent heavy, power and progressive metal performed by a band in excellent shape in front of a crowd that participated very well. I would suggest purchasing this gem rather than the second Operation: Mindcrime studio album. This concert could also serve as an appropriate introduction to the band. Moreover, this is not only Queensrÿche's last convincing release with original singer Geoff Tate but the band's last truly outstanding release altogether to this day.

Final rating: 85%

Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensrÿche is the compilation that introduced me to the variable progressive metal band almost a decade and a half ago. While not exactly compiling the band's very best moments, it accurately portrays the band's genre changes, missteps and successes in mostly chronological order, covering nine studio albums and the debut extended play.

A first contact with the band was positive but not perfect. The creativity, diversity and energy in most of the band's songs on display are certainly quite appealing and find the perfect balance between gritty heavy metal, harmonious power metal and commercially appealing hard rock. On the other side, the band seems at times to be lacking coherency and identity.

Geoff Tate's vocals also take some time to grow on you. His high-pitched vocals can be a little bit dramatic and exaggerated at times and his pronounciation and rhythm are sometimes lacking flow and sound rather unusual. That being said however, his voice is truly variable, technically impressive and certainly unique.

Highlights on this compilation include anthemic, fast-paced and melodic heavy metal stomper ''Queen of the Reich'', the atmospheric, imaginative and slow ''The Lady Wore Black'' and the catchy, harmonious and liberating ''Jet City Woman''.

The compilation's second half however lowers the bar and several tunes are rather forgettable. ''Sign of the Times'', ''Real World'' or ''Some People Fly'' fail to leave a deeper impression for instance, even after dozens of spins. To be fair, the closing conceptual tune ''All the Promises'' is a decently redeeming closer to an overall mostly entertaining compilation.

Back in the days, I picked up this compilation because it was the most recent one and since I wanted to get a solid overview of the band's career. This release certainly fulfils this purpose very honestly. However, the previously released Greatest Hits features more value for money since it focuses even more on the band's strong debut extended play and great first four studio albums. This compilation here also exists in a limited version with an additional disc comprised of alternative versions, b-sides, demos, live versions and one unspectacular new track but that disc is for avid collectors only and completely unnecessary for occasional listeners like myself. The bottom line is that Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensrÿche is decent for what it is, no more, no less. I'm glad that I bought it back then but wouldn't purchase it again today, knowing what I have head from the band by now. My best advice would be to purchase the band's debut extended play and first three studio albums for sure and perhaps the fourth and fifth records if you like adult-oriented rock music of the late eighties and early nineties.

Final rating: 70%

For several decades, power metal fans had been dreaming of a reunion of Helloween with its former guitarist and singer Kai Hansen and former singer Michael Kiske. Just when such a reunion seemed to be definitely impossible, the septet finally got together four years ago. The group released a decent single with ''Pumpkins United'' and embarked on a strong world tour as documented on the excellent United Alive in Madrid. The full length album however took a lot longer to materialize but now the self-titled record has finally seen the light of day.

This record might not be a masterpiece or album of the year material but is indeed very good and has fulfilled my expectations. The record starts with anthemic, enthusiastic and inspired ''Out for the Glory'' where the three different vocalists can shine in their very own ways. Michael Kiske still hits the high notes perfectly, Kai Hansen has a rougher and meaner approach and Andreas Deris convinces with a darker and lower register. The musicianship is also phenomenal with fast drum play, bumblebee bass guitar sounds and ecstatic extensive solos. The song entertains from start to finish through more than seven minutes that can be celebrated as triumphant return to form for every musician involved.

The album also includes several shorter tunes that offer some welcome breaks and get to the point. ''Best Time'' reminds of Kai Hansen's and MIchael Kiske's Unisonic project with a catchy chorus versus more experimental verses. ''Cyanide'' on the other side has a grittier tone with gripping riffs, playful rhythm section and convincing vocals by Andreas Deris. Japanese bonus track ''We Are Real'' is a true gem as it can be considered an uplifting band anthem with strong performances by all three vocalists and an excellent bass guitar solo.

The two best tunes however come right at the end of the regular version of the record. ''Down in the Dumps'' starts on an eerie atmospheric note and slowly evolves into a fierce heavy metal tune with galloping rhythms before melodic vocal performances from all three singers bring back the epic Helloween trademarks of yore. Closing epic ''Skyfall'' mustn't hide behind the band's legendary longer tunes as it oozes with atmosphere, creativity and melody. From the anthemic opening with melodic guitar leads and Michael Kiske's passionate vocals over the galloping verses with tight drum play and dominant guitar play to the ecstatic and fast finale, this song can be considered the crowning achievement of a very good album and should stand the test the time as a contemporary masterpiece such as ''The King for a Thousand Years'' or ''Occasion Avenue''.

At the end of the day, Helloween's self-titled effort delivers the goods as a collaborative, energetic and inspired return to form that should make heavy and power metal fans around the globe happy. I can't wait to see the band on stage after the pandemic and will try to finally attend one of its concerts.

Final rating: 90%