Queensryche: American Soldier

I just discovered this tonight.  Geoff Tate, singer and songwriter, created an album that has come from his experiences interviewing soldiers from WWII through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  According to his posts, he was talking with his father about what it meant to “Support the Troops” and discovered something much deeper.  He ended up taping the conversations and showing them to his family.  His wife told him he should write a song, but his own journey led him to write an entire album based on interviews with many veterans and soldiers.

Although I have never been big on what I consider “Hair Band” type music, the song that was on the website sounded pretty good.  I have to applaud Geoff Tate and Queensryche for attempting to convey such heavy subjects through music.  I couldn’t find anything about whether or not any proceeds would go to help soldiers or veterans though.  At any rate, it surprised me to see not just a whole song, but an entire album dedicated to soldiers.  The site has some more information and the album is due out at the end of March.

Here is the Amazon link, and I’ll put some bullets after the break for those whose ADD might preclude them from searching through the site themselves..

Queenryche’s “If I Were King” Video Premiere
From the Website:

A Track-by-Track explanation of the meaning behind the individual songs.

Post: Thank A Soldier

• I didn’t realize the depth of the journey I would take and how much I would learn. Throughout hundreds of hours of conversations with soldiers from WWII to the present conflict in Iraq, I found myself humbled and awed by their dedication, loyalty and supreme willingness to give everything and anything for our way of life. They lay their lives on the line and live through things that most of us can’t even imagine. They stand in the “Gap” so that the rest of us can live our lives and pursue our dreams. We sleep easy because they are watching our backs.
• “How can you know me until you’ve walked in my boots?” This is a very old saying and I think a very appropriate description of this album of music. These are Soldier’s stories, their words and even their voices. This hour of music is a walk in a Soldier’s boots.
  As you listen to the record and hear these songs and stories, I hope you will be moved. I urge you to not stop there but to talk to the people in your life, the people you know that have served our country. Ask them to share their stories. Then thank them.

Post: Queensryche Salutes Troops w/ American Soldier

• Those stories resonate at the heart of AMERICAN SOLDIER, imbuing each song with vivid details about both the emotional and physical impacts of war, evoking war zone battles (”Middle Of Hell”), sacrifice (”The Killer”), loss (”If I Were King”), the longing for home (”Remember Me”), and adjusting to society after returning from war (”Man Down!”).

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