A concept disc from the perspective of military men is sort of surprising since Queensrÿche were vocal opponents of Bush’s “War For Oil.” Anyway, there are snippets of interviews with actual soldiers, used as voiceovers within songs or as intros. This is the human side of war, not gung-ho, training propaganda, with the final third revolving around the troops’ view of the homefront, either from the field, or upon arrival, post-conflict. To that end, ‘Home Again’ has a kid singing to his missing father and vice versa. ‘At 30,000 Ft’ sees Geoff Tate in the role of a fighter pilot, talking about the uncomfortable (oxygen) mask he’s forced to wear and the regret for his role in the impersonal, yet purposeful slaughter. Between adapted Middle Eastern rhythms, ‘A Dead Man’s Words’ ends in a hail of gunfire and a lone beating heart. Given the subject matter, it’s surprising how mundane the music behind it is. It’s well-known that combat troops frequently employ loud/aggressive music prior to (and even during) battle, yet this is a jangly, at times almost acoustic new age, soundscape. Apparently the goal was to showcase the lyrics, at the expense of music. ‘Middle Of Hell’ temporarily sounds a jazzy sax, while ‘If I Were King’ rues the death of a fellow soldier, down to the (misplaced) guilt of living through combat. ‘Man Down’ refers to post-traumatic stress syndrome, the difficulties in trying to return to civilian life after seeing the horrors of the battlefield. Makes an interesting companion piece to God Dethroned’s latest, a historical and likewise (albeit less) psychological view of Paschendale, one of the great debacles of the First World War.
