QUEEN II
In one regard,  does indeed provide more of the same thing as on the band's debut. Certainly, of all the other albums in 's catalogue it bears the closest resemblance to its immediate predecessor, particularly in its lean, hard attack and in how it has only one song that is well-known to listeners outside of their hardcore cult: in this case, it's "Seven Seas of Rhye," which is itself more elliptical than "Keep Yourself Alive," the big song from the debut. But these similarities are superficial and  is a very different beast than its predecessor, an album that is richer, darker, and weirder, an album that finds  growing as a band by leaps and bounds. There is still a surplus of ideas, but their energies are better focused this time around, channelled into a over-inflated, pompous rock that could be called prog if it wasn't so heavy. Even with all the queens and ogres that populate , this never feels as fantastical as  or , and that's because  hits hard as a rock band here, where even the blasts of vocal harmonies feel like power chords, no matter how florid they are. Besides, these grandiose harmonies, along with the handful of wistful ballads here, are overshadowed by the onslaught of guitars and pummelling rhythms that give  majesty and menace.  is coiled, tense, and vicious here, delivering on their inherent sense of drama, and that gives  real power as music, as well as a true cohesion. The one thing that is missing is any semblance of a pop sensibility, even when they flirt with a mock  production on "Funny How Love Is." This hits like heavy metal but has an art-rock sensibility through and through, which also means that it has no true hook in for those who don't want to succumb to 's world. But that kind of insular drama is quite alluring in its own right, which is why  is one of the favourites of their hardcore fans. At the very least, it illustrates that  is starting to pull all their ambitions and influences into a signature sound, and it's quite powerful in that regard.
Track listing

All lead vocals by  unless noted.

White Side (Side one)No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength1."Procession"instrumental1:122."Father to Son"May 6:143."White Queen (As It Began)"May 4:344."Some Day One Day"May4:235."The Loser in the End"4:02Black Side (Side two)No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength1."Ogre Battle" 4:102."The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke"Mercury 2:403."Nevermore"Mercury 1:154."The March of the Black Queen"MercuryMercury with Taylor6:335."Funny How Love Is"Mercury 2:506.""Mercury 2:50