IN BRIEF: : <i> Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to five (a classic). : </i>

** 1/2 Queensryche, “Empire,” EMI. A critic’s dilemma: Seattle’s Queensryche is a politically correct heavy-metal band, non-sexist, anti-oppression, anti-drug, involving its huge teen audience in its relatively sophisticated analyses of social problems. Yet here the band is absolutely mainstream, with the kind of bombastic power ballads, sappy hooks and screeching Dio-esque vocals-- waaaaaah!!! --that tend to inspire anybody but the converted to snap the radio to an all-talk station. But someone is listening. The album only took two weeks to break into the national Top 10.