By any reasonable measure, Queensrÿche deserves either a headlining slot or, at the very least, more than an hour to present one of the richest catalogues in American heavy metal. But the band's history since its commercial peak has been complicated. The acrimonious departure of Geoff Tate in 2012, several divisive stylistic detours and a few uneven records have gradually transformed Queensrÿche into a legacy act. They are hardly alone in that predicament. Accept, who occupy the same stage later in the day, have travelled much the same road.
Consequently, this Hellfest appearance feels both welcome and faintly bittersweet. The setlist is beyond reproach, with heavy emphasis placed on Operation: Mindcrime and all the expected classics present and accounted for. Todd La Torre, who has fronted the band since 2012, remains a formidable vocalist, while guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson provide a direct link to the group's glory years. Musically, and even philosophically, the approach makes perfect sense. In a festival setting, concentrating on the core heavy metal repertoire is the right call.
And the songs themselves lose none of their power. Hearing "Eyes of a Stranger," "Warning" or "Queen of the Reich" in the open air is hardly something to complain about. Yet one cannot entirely shake the feeling that these musicians are capable of more than a sixty-minute victory lap. There is nothing wrong with revisiting the past, especially when the past is this strong. But for those who know what Queensrÿche has accomplished, and what it remains capable of, the set carries the unmistakable scent of formaldehyde.
TesseracT @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, setlist)
Point Mort @ Warzone (Photo)
Queensrÿche @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Stoned Jesus @ Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Bloodywood @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, setlist)
Accept @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Sepultura @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, review, setlist)
Helloween @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Opeth @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, review, setlist)
Iron Maiden @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
DAY FOUR
Scour @ Temple Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Eyehategod @ Valley Stage (Photos, review)
Six Feet Under @ Altar Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Corrosion Of Conformity @ Valley Stage (Photos, review)
Possessed @ Altar Stage (Photos, setlist)
Agnostic Front @ Warzone - (Photos, setlist)
Acid Bath @Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Marduk @ Altar Stage (Photos, setlist)
Napalm Death @ Altar Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Down @ Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)