Queensrÿche: “American Soldier” (2009)

The problem with Queensrÿche’s American Soldier: every segment showcasing some soldier’s first-hand observations about his military experiences dwarfs, in weight as well as depth, anything the band has to say about the same subjects. For purposes of illustration, let’s take the lead-off single, “If I were King.” The opening is a soldier’s harrowing account of his best friend catching an enemy bullet, bleeding out, and dying for want of a Medivac which doesn’t arrive. The song that follows is soggy power-balladeering, full of power chords of ersatz uplift and soaring vocal melodies that desperately wish to crash down upon them. That’s right: they began with a sadly common military tragedy and reduced it to a side-one ballad from the Q2k era. I’m not sure if that’s deliberate juxtaposition which just fails, or some kind of accidental poor taste, but it’s a fine microcosm of where (and how) the album dashes itself to pieces against its own good intentions.

If you can get past these sorts of glaring missteps, American Soldier presents a decent product, sometimes good, often unremarkable. Some good songs, notably “The Killer” and (especially) “Man Down!,” but little that’s essential. Some good ideas, but none so startling they leap forth from the speakers to dazzle the listener with inner fire and boundless energy. Few surprises; fewer chances taken. If I’m being fully honest, there really are times I like what the record’s on about, but they only seem to arrive when my attention’s fully divided…