The first QR album, good though it was, had clear Maiden / Priest overtones that made one think: "Are they the real deal, or are they just good copyists?"

The unit in itself was wonderful. In Tate they had a vocalist arguably better than anybody else in the genre. The band with De Garmo and co were tight technical and talented. The song-writing potential was there.

BUT when Rage came out the first thing I thought was: "Shoot the stylist!" - my word, fashion faux pas to the nth degree. They looked so STUPID. Then I put it on the turntable:

Jaw hits the floor ....

There is not one weak track on here. Not one ....

They had progressed beyond the good Maiden / Priest copyists into something all their own. Dynamic, inventive, technical and ... METAL! Yes, they could do subtlety (London & I Will Remember), but it was the intensity of the tracks, lyrically and musically which just pinned you to the wall. The vision and talent required to make the leap from 1st to 2nd album was immense, and it showed they were no one-trick-ponies. Screaming In Digital pummels. Gonna Get Close is creepy. Infra-Red is slow and epic. Chemical Youth fist pumping angst. Neue Regal is just good metal!

This led onto Operation Mindcrime. Nuff said!