It is obvious early on that while the EP had been packed full of the kinds of riffs and solos that set the mouth watering, The Warning does not go down that same metal path. This is a much more progressive kind of album than straight out heavy metal. There is a greater variety of tunes here, with the band not afraid to put in parts that are much softer and quieter than a traditional metal band would do. And while there are some great riffs and solos here they don't really match that initial fury of what was produced on that four track starter. Now that is not to suggest this album therefore doesn't cut it. In fact there are some great songs here. But as a fan, I guess I was looking for more songs that could be directly attributed to those first songs that what we find here on this album.
"No Sanctuary" would be a good example of this kind of conflict for me and The Warning. It is very much in a progressive, almost power ballad category, where Geoff Tate's vocals dominate a song as he and his backup singers croon over clear guitars and keyboard infused music, which slow down to almost a stop within the middle of the song itself and rendering the drums almost superfluous. It isn't a bad song as such, but it does not drive from the kind of song I was looking for here. It was indicative of a movement in a slightly different direction from what had been promised by their EP release, and for a long time that really threw me when I listened to this album.
The harder and faster songs are the ones that I enjoy most here, and the remainder of the first half of the album fit well enough into this category. Kicking of with "Warning" into "En Force", the songs most definitely have a more progressive element but come across well. "Deliverance" is a good, sharp, short jolt, bringing the best out of an excellent riff underlying the song. "N M 156" closes out the first side of the album, and combined the experimental aspect that the band was using along with a more traditional twin guitar and drums song that utilised those instruments to their full advantage.
"Take Hold of the Flame" is offset by Tate's excellent vocals, but take the time to listen to Scott's drumming underneath this throughout the song. He's got all of the tricks happening, and it is a master class for any aspiring drummers. Most of it would get lost by the average listeners, but the stuff he is doing here really makes the song. "Before the Storm" and "Child of Fire" are both average songs, likeable in their own way without standing out from the crowd. "Roads to Madness" is the lengthy power-ballad-like song that has a little bit of everything, enough to both enthral and bore the best of fans. It is the most progressive song on the album, running through the gamut of emotions for its almost ten minutes in length, using both the clear and slow with the fast and electric.
Sitting as it does between the Queensrÿche and Rage for Order, I can honestly say that it is rare for me to reach for this album if I'm heading to the "Q" section of the CD cabinet. Both of the other mentioned albums are ones that I will go for if I am in the mood for this vintage of the band, and that is purely for the faster, heavier songs that they possess. As a starting point for the band, it is still quite listenable with good songs that perhaps serves as the first stepping stone for the future.
Rating: Now social control requires population termination. 3/5
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