One of the great unknown facts of '90s metal was Queensryche's consistently intriguing, satisfying output.

Although the mainstream left them behind after grunge, they never totally revamped their sound, in hopes of regaining a wide audience.

They kept on with their ambitious, layered fusion of metal and prog rock, turning in albums that were distinctly different from each other yet tied together by a signature sound.

Their decade-capping Q2K is no different.

Yes, it does suffer from their worst title ever, but this, their first effort for Atlantic Records, is an assured effort that trims away some of their excesses, replacing it with a slightly heavier, harder approach.

As a matter of fact, the album feels like a concept album but appears not to be one, which is unusual for Queensryche.

But by concentrating on just the music, it becomes apparent how subtle and nuanced their interplay has become, and how their musicality keeps growing stronger with each year.