Album Review: Sweet Oblivion - Relentless

A couple years ago, the Sweet Oblivion project did something I didn't think was possible; it rehabilitated Geoff Tate's reputation. After years of being blamed for Queensryche becoming a joke, and then his own Operation:Mindcrime band putting out three truly horrific albums, Tate found a project that gave him the best songs he had sung in twenty years. It reminded people why they used to like him, and perhaps it was a new beginning for him.

As soon as that record came out, there were rumblings of discord behind the scenes, with accusations the record needed to be salvaged from Tate's terrible ideas. Given the histories of the two people involved, I believe Tate would have dragged the project down, but since it's his name on the cover as "featuring", it's no surprise he is back and his cohort is not. This is a new Sweet Oblivion, already, which is discouraging before it even starts.

The good news is that this lineup largely continues on where the first album left off. They are clearly trying to pay homage to old Queenryche, which happens to be the sound that Tate sounds best with. Every time he has ventured away from melodic hard rock, it has been a disaster. That he is in his comfort zone means this is better by default. It's a solid record that plays to the right strengths, and people who were relieved when the first album brought Tate back from the dead will be happy they don't have to write him off again.

The bad news is that this lineup have made a record that isn't as good as the first one. The guitar playing isn't as nuanced this time, removing some of the 'intellectual' feeling. The hooks aren't as uniformly strong, which I attribute to Tate likely having more control of what he was singing. The biggest issue, for me, is the production. Tate's voice warbles in a hollow way, and the processing on him doesn't help. He sounds a bit alien to the resrt of the band, and it continues a long-running trend of older artists who now make albums that sonically aren't appealing.

The lesson we can learn from this record is that it's important who is involved in making a record. With the two Sweet Oblivion records, you have Geoff Tate and a crew of musicians trying to make the same sort of music. The results are different, though, because not everyone is replaceable. When you lose the main songwriter, producer, and person pushing the direction of the project, it can't be the same. That's rather sad, since I thought Sweet Oblivion had a chance to really be something. After hearing this album, I don't hear as much of that. It's fine, but it's a step down.

Change isn't always a good thing, even when you try to hide it. This record is evidence of that.