Operation: Mindcrime

Product Information

Ultratop.be – Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 7, 2022. The frightening thing about the album is the sheer number of different melodies at different places, and how different the songs sound from each other. There are no two songs that you couldn't tell apart, and there is not one moment when this would remind you of someone else, at least not if you're not one of those reviewers whose critique consists of "which band sounds like which earlier band". The reason for that is the unbelievable musicianship and creativity that the band possesses. The guitars are magnificently done, and the great thing about them is that the guitar as an instrument here is not necessarily a "lead instrument". It's a team player, and it allows a great deal of space for the vocals to take over most of the time.

We had to try to figure out in our heads what his voice would’ve been like,” Tate explains. “Guys would come in, and in their best Shakespearian delivery would say [adopts plummy, Donald Sinden-like tones]: ‘Kill her, that’s all you’ve got to do.’ It was just too over the top. Next!” Just about everyone who remembers progressive music before Dream Theater was a thing could tell you what Operation: Mindcrime did for the genre as well as what it did for Queensryche’s reputation. While the following release was the one that truly pushed the band into the mainstream consciousness, this album paved the way for its success and for the fortunes of many groups that sought to follow in its footsteps. But with that said, there are several ingredients to Queensryche’s legendary concept album that its imitators never got quite right and a few more that seemed to have never crossed their minds… a b c d e "RUDY And ROBERT SARZO Discuss Recreating 'Operation: Mindcrime' With TATE's QUEENSRŸCHE". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. September 12, 2013 . Retrieved May 21, 2023. If there was something like a perfect album, "Operation: Mindcrime" would be very close to that status.....VERY VERY close.Nikki lands himself in trouble with the law once again. During his trial, his pleas for mercy and leniency are lost on a judge and jury still remembering his past crimes. This only deepens his disdain for the world around him, with Nikki mulling over the government, the legal system, and Dr. X as he blames all three for all of his problems. After Nikki escapes and finds himself yet again on the run, his own need for revenge coupled by a vision of Mary's ghost (it is initially unclear if this spectre actually exists or is merely a product of Nikki's mind breaking with reality) turns his thoughts toward killing Dr. X. This is a concept album, but it takes awhile to realize that for the unknowing listener. It took a summary I found on Wikipedia for me to get the gist of it, and I wish I hadn't. I story is thoroughly depressing, and driven by protagonist Nikki's facepalmingly bad mistake of agreeing to assassinate politicians in exchange for... heroin? However, the poor storyline can be brushed aside because of the incredible instrumental work. Suite Sister Mary" opens with samples and the female vocals really add a lot to the song. You can hear it's raining and the

LA Weekly (December 9, 2011). "TOP 20 HAIR METAL ALBUMS OF ALL TIME: THE COMPLETE LIST". LA Weekly . Retrieved November 5, 2020. a b c "QUEENSRŸCHE Guitarist: GEOFF TATE Spat In My Face, Punched Me And Called Me A 'Pussy' ". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. July 11, 2012 . Retrieved December 27, 2014. Q Prime were capable of putting us on any stage in the world,” Tate says now. “And that’s what they did. [Company boss] Peter Mensch was an interesting person to work with. He was always very forthright with his opinions, but he and his company taught us to keep an eye on business, which was a valuable lesson.” As stated before, the album's production took place during a moment of deep tension and frustration between the band's members. The rest of the band felt reluctant to add to the original story of Mindcrime and disagreed with the idea of a sequel. [5] [14] With producer Jason Slater at the helm, the work received only a small amount of contributions from the band members aside from Tate and Mike Stone, with Wilton calling the production process "haphazard". [14] A great deal of material was recorded by studio musicians rather than by the group. [5] The album was recorded from February 28 to December 3, 2005. [15] [16] The lead single, titled "I'm American," was performed by Queensrÿche during their 2005 tour, which they took in support of the group Judas Priest. After a series of interludes and the song "I Don't Believe in Love", all with deeply pessimistic lyrics detailing Nikki's loss, his insanity and subsequent hospitalization, the song "Eye of a Stranger" begins. The song is 6 and a half minutes in length, and details Nikki remembering the past and wondering how he got into this particular situation, alone in a mental hospital. It ends as it began, with Nikki saying the words "I remember now..."The brainwave of introducing a hooker-turned-nun character to the tale dawned upon Tate in, of all places, an Amsterdam nightclub. a b Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p.275. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5. Geoff Tate: 'A New Reality' Is Operation: Mindcrime's Last Album". Loudwire. November 27, 2017 . Retrieved February 20, 2018. queensryche.com:: news". queensryche.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2006 . Retrieved December 28, 2022.

Divita, Joe (January 25, 2017). "The Best Metal Album of Each Year Since 1970". Loudwire. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019 . Retrieved June 24, 2020.

Notes

As this is my first review, I thought it was only fitting that I write it about the greatest album ever: Operation: Mindcrime. Usually music has a "shelf-life" for me; even if I still appreciate the music, after a certain period of time I lose taste for bands/albums that I used to like. For instance, the album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was a constant on my playlist circa 2004-2007, and even though I still like the album and the band, I never listen to that album. Nor do I listen to Painkiller anymore, nor Under a Funeral Moon, nor the Keepers of the Seven Keys, nor Imaginations From the Other Side. However, I still listen to Operation: Mindcrime, despite the album having been on my playlists for years.

Geoff Tate's Operation: Mindcrime Detail Their Debut Album, 'The Key' ". Music Enthusiast Magazine. July 2, 2015 . Retrieved July 2, 2015. a b "Queensrÿche celebrate "Operation: Mindcrime" anniversary". SoundSpike. November 28, 2012. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. This album is the perfect example of how to not only do a concept album but also tell a coherent story through music. The band is completely at the top of their game in terms of musicianship, vocals, lyrics, song writing, etc. For me, there isn't any filler on this album at all. Every song stands on its own while also adding to the larger narrative.

Companies, etc.

queensryche.com:: news". April 23, 2006. Archived from the original on April 23, 2006 . Retrieved December 28, 2022. Michael Kamen (who would play an even more crucial role on the band’s subsequent album, Empire) displayed the arrangement skills later used by Metallica when he directed the choirs and atmospheric use of cellos that so effectively decorate Suite Sister Mary. Electric Requiem - It is another scene setter as Nikki finds Mary dead in her room apparently she’s committed suicide and again this is incredibly atmospheric. This is as I said a scene setter but it contains a short display of vocals, which are once again incredibly impressive and softer than others in this album! Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album on tour in 2023. The European leg of the trek will include a nine-show run of dates in June.