On February 17, 2025, at Le Trianon in Paris, Queensrÿche turned back the clock, revisiting the era when they were carving their name into Metal history. This tour is all about their roots, with a full performance of The Warning and their self-titled EP—records defined by soaring vocals, intricate twin-guitar work, and an ambition that would only grow in the years to come. Naturally, this setlist leaves no room for later staples like "Suite: Sister Mary," "Silent Lucidity," (we did get to hear "Jet City Woman" and "Eyes of a Stranger" during the encores, I don't think the band could get away with not playing at least one of those...) but that’s the point. This isn’t a career-spanning retrospective or a Greatest Hits show, it’s a deep dive into the band’s formative years... a full-circle moment decades in the making.
For years, a faction of the fanbase has been clamoring for a return to that early sound, and now the band is delivering. Kicking off the show with "Queen of the Reich" set the tone immediately—it was a statement of intent. And they have the firepower to back it up. Todd La Torre, their frontman for nearly 15 years, handles the piercing high notes with ease, something the band simply couldn’t have attempted before his arrival. That’s not a slight against their former singer—it’s just reality.
It’s understandable that some fans might lament the absence of more classic-era members, with only Michael Wilton and Eddie Jackson remaining from the original lineup. But this incarnation of Queensrÿche does the material justice. Geoff Tate is out there keeping the Operation: Mindcrime years alive, and Chris DeGarmo has been gone for nearly three decades. There’s no need to take sides. Band politics and business decisions fade away when faced with a performance like this. What matters is the music, and on that front, Queensrÿche absolutely delivers.
For 90 minutes, Le Trianon became a time machine, erasing most of the past four decades and transporting the crowd to a time when this band was an still gaining momentum and shaping its future. It was a rare chance to witness the raw, uncompromising power of a band taking flight once again.
