Roads To Madness

Queensryche · The Art Of Live [2004]

Most of this is memory now

I've gone too far to turn back now

I'm not quite what I thought I was but

Then again I'm maybe more

The blood-words promised, I've spoken

Releasing the names from the circle

Maybe I can leave here now and, o

Transcend the boundaries



For now I'm standing here

I'm awaiting this grand transition

The future is but past forgotten

On the road to madness



Times measure rusts as it crawls

I see its face in the looking glass - stop

This screaming laughter hides, the pain of its reality

Black, the door was locked I opened

And now I've paid that price ten-fold over

Knowledge - was it worth such torment, oh

To see the far side of shadow



And still I'm standing here

I'm awaiting this grand transition

I'm a fool in search of wisdom

And I'm on the road to madness

Yes, I'm on the road to madness



I'm awaiting endlessly

Pounding rhythms echo me

Won't you take me somewhere far beyond the void



And still I'm standing here

I'm awaiting this grand transition

Maybe one day, oh I'll meet you, and we'll

Walk the roads to madness

Yes, we're on the road to madness



Oh, I think they've come to take me

I hear the voice, but there's no-one to see

I can't scream, too late it's time



Stay on the course to pass

You'll never find the answer

To a place where darkened angels

Seemed lost and never found

Scream to see the light of

Forming figures fast behind you

Lay the past in the wind to spin

And your fate will sail beyond the open plains

Sail with angels onward

Live or die for the chosen one said

Saber sights cast a spell behind you

And they lock in all around



Free the scene insider

Never looking back to find why

Ride a course till the end of time

And you'll stand atop the gate

Laying waste in a path recited

Fighting force won't avenge the guided black wing

Oh, electric might poses fright inside me

Seeing light at the end of sight reminds me

I've passed away

Roads To Madness

Queensryche's "Roads To Madness" stands as a defining track from their 2004 live album, The Art Of Live. Released during the band's peak era of technical proficiency and theatricality, the song exemplifies their signature blend of progressive metal and symphonic elements. Featuring the distinctive vocal range of Geoff Tate, the recording showcases the group's ability to construct complex, layered arrangements that drive the listener through a journey of intense energy and melodic resolution. As a staple of their live performances, the track remains a testament to the band's evolution from their early thrash roots to their mature, operatic sound, cementing their legacy in the progressive metal genre.