Operation: Mindcrime

Product Information

In 1988 there was released a masterpiece of progressive/power metal, one that demanded to be listened to in one sitting, one that grabbed one's attention from the beginning and refused to let go until a good five minutes after the end... Q Prime were also able to up the stakes, putting Queensrÿche onto a tour of Europe with their stablemates and the hottest band of the year, Metallica. Then, more significantly, came a 48-date, coast-to-coast tour of the US by the same pairing. Before that Queensrÿche played support to another red-hot Q Prime band, Def Leppard. Anarchy X - The mood continues in the short instrumental “Anarchy X” this also sets the scene especially of the political side of this novel as crowds are heard screaming for revolution. I Remember Now - We open with a scene setter “I Remember Now.” Here we hear a half dazed patient confused as the nurse puts him to sleep. His words are haunting and this is incredibly atmospheric and is a perfect to set the mood.

Then Suite Sister Mary happens, and I honestly get jitters throughout the thing, both musically and due to the lyrical interplay between the two lead characters. After that, it's basically just excellence-ville throughout -- brilliant songs stitched together with perfectly mood-setting story-relating interludes of varying musical value. Needle Lies is verging on thrash metal speed, with heart-breaking lyrics about the desperation of drug addiction (something that, if you've personally experienced it, might get you to shed a tear... and this is a very fast song, mind). Then we get the trio of brilliant mid-tempo singles -- Breaking The Silence, I Don't Believe In Love, Eyes Of A Stranger. It's a bleak trio lyrically but musically basically an aural orgasm, with restrained riffing, blazing leads, deep bass, and perfectly enunciated verses with soaringly catchy choruses.

Recommendations

in Montreal for a while. It was there in a church where the ideas came for the concept that would be "Operation:Mindcrime". I was at Nikki and Mary are essentially the masculine and feminine incarnations of the primary victims of both the drug pusher and the idiot-philosopher, the impoverished and the socially rejected. Both of them are alienated and easy to manipulate, and also believe themselves to be completely unable to control what is going on around them. The very premise of "Operation Mindcrime" is the ability to control the minds of others, and the result is a very dark story. Although such stories don't further any positive philosophical causes, as was the case with George Orwell's 1984 (which unlike Ayn Rand's Anthem did not offer solutions to the dilemma of the tyranny of the government/majority), they do entertain quite effectively. LA Weekly (December 9, 2011). "TOP 20 HAIR METAL ALBUMS OF ALL TIME: THE COMPLETE LIST". LA Weekly . Retrieved November 5, 2020. The guitars, by contrast, sound heavenly all the way through. They are the driving force behind this entire album, as they flow in tandem with each other, smothering you in monstrously catchy hooks and, crucially, conveying emotion in a way that Tate's vocals cannot. In fact, the guitars sound so expressive that they basically do Tate's job for him. "Breaking The Silence" and "I Don't Believe In Love" are perfect examples of this, and my favorites on here. During "The Needle Lies", the music even goes through the pop cliche of moving the final chorus a few notes higher, and it actually works, the result being a creepy escalation of the song's mood that greatly compliments the whole "struggle with drug addiction" theme.

Pamela Moore, who had come to Chris DeGarmo’s attention via a local radio commercial, took on the Sister Mary role for the album and tour, and still sometimes makes the occasional appearance with the band. DeGarmo would later admit that Queensrÿche had “teetered on the edge” of extinction in 1986. Similarly, Tate later said that the follow-up to Rage… needed to “recapture the street-level feel” of the debut EP that had catapulted them to fame half a decade earlier.The production is likely one of the main reasons behind this album's monstrous popularity. Everything sounds very loud, very clear, and absolutely drenched in that echo/reverb effect that was so common in the 80's. There's cutting vocal lines, bombastic drums and a very audible bass tone, which is coupled with lots of catchy hooks to create an album that will stay in your head for a long time. Despite this, the production actually puts the vocals slightly above everything else, which would be a good thing with such a great vocalist, but it's really... not. In 2006, Operation: Mindcrime was re-released as a deluxe box set, containing the 2003 remaster, a live CD with the album played in its entirety at the Hammersmith Odeon on November 15, 1990, and a bonus DVD containing the 1989 Video: Mindcrime and bonus clips.

Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine), Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant." Tate was allowed, according to the settlement, to perform with his own line-up under the name 'Queensrÿche' until his tour concluded on August 31, 2014, after which his group announced to adopt the official name 'Operation: Mindcrime'. [4] The La Torre-fronted Queensrÿche has retained the right to perform material coming from and related to the two Operation: Mindcrime albums live. This legal set-up is somewhat similar to that of Pink Floyd and their former bandmate Roger Waters, in which both artists have performed songs from The Wall live. The third and final album of the trilogy, The New Reality, was released on December 1, 2017. During promotion of the album, Tate announced that the album would be the last for the band, saying "This group of musicians was put together specifically for this project...this is the last album of the trilogy and the last album for Operation: Mindcrime." [6] Band members [ edit ] Frontman Geoff Tate performing in 2004 Current [ edit ]

Credits

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. a b c d e "Guitarist ROBERT SARZO Talks QUEENSRŸCHE, HURRICANE And Brother RUDY (Video)". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. January 3, 2014 . Retrieved May 21, 2023.