OMII DEBUTS @ #1 ON JAPAN'S INTERNATIONAL CHARTS

:: 10:58 ::

QUEENSRŸCHE's new Operation: Mindcrime II album was the top seller by international acts across Japan on March 28th, landing the album at #1 on the International Daily Album Chart on it's shipping date in that country.

As previously reported, Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate will be speaking with KNAC.com tonight (March 30th) at 8:15pm (PST). Disc Jockey Mike Vogel will chat with Tate about all things Queensrÿche, including the process of bringing Operation: Mindcrime II to life, and his next solo album. Be sure to tune in early and log into the KNAC.com chatroom to issue any questions you'd like Mike Vogel to ask.

In conjunction with the April 4th release of Operation: Mindcrime II, the long awaited sequel to their 1988 magnum opus, Queensrÿche has planned a full summer/fall tour for 2006. The tour, presented by VH1 Classic, will feature a full stage show, including surround sound, new video imagery and actors playing out both parts of the Operation: Mindcrime saga. Tickets for all tour dates go on sale April 1st.

Operation:Mindcrime II contains a 15-song story and is performed by the Seattle-based quintet—singer and chief songwriter Geoff Tate; guitarists Michael Wilton and Mike Stone; bassist Eddie Jackson, and drummer Scott Rockenfield.

"Operation: Mindcrime II is about revenge and what it does to people -- their emotions and the situations they find themselves in," says Tate, who conceived the sequel's direction last year while working on a screenplay based on the original album.

"The character of Nikki has now been in prison for 18 years. I thought, 'What would I do?' I'd be analyzing every move I ever made, especially the wrong ones. I'd want to get the guy who put me there. Nikki's revenge is about getting out, getting him and getting even."

'I’m American', the first single from Operation: Mindcrime II, is exploding at radio and is available now at iTunes. The video for 'I’m American' debuted exclusively at Yahoo! Music on March 16th.

Also featured on the tour will be a unique charity auction. Erik Buell, of Buell Motorcycles, has offered to donate two custom Queensrÿche motorcycles for Geoff Tate and Mike Stone to ride throughout the tour. They will be inviting others to come out and ride with them and at the end of the tour, both motorcycles will be auctioned off for VH1’s Save The Music Foundation.

For all the latest news, including updates on Queensrÿche's summer/fall headlining tour, visit: www.queensryche.com and www.rhino.com
Current summer/fall Queensrÿche tour dates include:

August
25 - Lake Buena Vista, FL at House of Blues
26 - Lake Buena Vista, FL at House of Blues
27 - Fort Myers, Florida at Barbara B Mann
29 - Atlanta, GA at Tabernacle
30 - Mobile, AL at Saenger Theater
31 - Clearwater, FL at Ruth Eckerd Hall

September
1 - Pompano Beach, FL at Pompano Amphitheater
2 - Jacksonville, FL at Florida Theater
3 - Myrtle Beach, SC at House Of Blues
6 - Kansas City, MO at Uptown Theater
7 - St. Louis, MO at Pageant
8 - Madison, WI at Orpheum Theater
9 - Minneapolis, MN at Myth
11 - Milwaukee, WI at Potawatomi Casino
12 - Milwaukee, WI at Potawatomi Casino
14 - Chicago, IL at House Of Blues
15 - Chicago, IL at House of Blues
16 - Chicago, IL at House of Blues
17 - Mt. Clemens, MI at Emerald Theater
19 - Verona, NY at Turning Stone Casino
21 - New York, NY at Nokia Live
22 - New York, NY at Nokia Live
23 - Atlantic City, NJ at House Of Blues
25 - San Antonio, TX at Majestic Theater
26 - Houston, TX at Verizon Theater
27 - Dallas, TX at Nokia Live
29 - Denver, CO at Fillmore Auditorium
30 - Salt Lake City, UT at The Depot

October
1 - Albuquerque, NM at Kiva Auditoruim
3 - Phoenix, AZ at Dodge Theatre
4 - San Diego, CA at Humphrey's
5 - Los Angeles, CA at Gibson Amthitheatre
6 - Las Vegas, NV at House Of Blues
7 - Temecula, CA at Pechanga Resort
8 - Kelseyville, CA at Konocti
10 - Anaheim, CA at House Of Blues
11 - San Francisco, CA at Warfield
12 - Portland, OR at Roseland
13 - Seattle, WA at Moore Theater
14 - Seattle, WA at Moore Theater
17 - Reno, NV at Reno Hilton Theater
18 - Boise, ID at The Big Easy
19 - Spokane, WA at Big Easy Concert House
20 - Missoula, MT at TBA
21 - Billings, MT at TBA

Rhino Records (www.rhino.com) are streaming Operation: Mindcrime II in it's entirety in Real Player, QuickTime and Windows Media formats at this location.

Operation: Mindcrime II will be released on April 4th by Rhino. The final track listing is as follows: 'Freiheit Ouvertüre' (the infamous intro fans have been chattering about) and 'Convict'. The tracklist is now as follows: 'Freiheit Ouvertüre', 'Convict', 'I'm American', 'One Foot In Hell', 'Hostage', 'The Hands', 'Speed Of Light', 'Signs Say Go (Will I Surrender?)', 'Re-Arrange You', 'The Chase', 'Murderer?', 'Circles', 'If I Could Change It All', 'An Intentional Confrontation', 'A Junkie's Blues (Everything Will Be Alright)', 'Fear City Slide', 'All The Promises'.

In related news, it has been revealed that the vinyl version of Operation: Mindcrime II will be available on April 11th (details to follow).

Also, two release parties have been scheduled in celebration of the new album for April 3rd.

One will take place at Neo Nightclub in Chicago, IL (10 PM - 4 AM - Rock/Metal night hosted by DJ Dann - Pre-release, will play record in its entirety - No cover charge - In cooperation with Tower Records & Rhino Records for midnight sales - Giveaways: Posters and stickers all night and three signed booklets).

The other is will take place at Maple Grove Tavern in Cleveland, OH (7 PM - Presented by Rhino Records, 92.3 K-ROCK's The Metal Show,WJCU, WRUW, WCSB, Free Times Magazine and The Exchange - Music by NE Ohio's premier Queensrÿche tribute band - DR.X and FROM THE ASHES - Queensrÿche karaoke contest with Chryse Emig from Kick Ass Karaoke. Cool prizes. Special Release Party Exclusive: Free Queensrÿche Operation: Mindcrime tour t-shirt with purchase from The Exchange of the new Operation: Mindcrime II CD at the party. CD available at midnight).

QUEENSRYCHE OFFERS A NEW PIECE OF "MIND"

:: 05:43 ::

SOURCE:  http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/feature/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002236456

YAHOO OFFERS PRE-RELEASE DOWNLOAD OF OM2

:: 04:30 ::

Yahoo is now offering an exclusive pre-release download version of the new album Operation: Mindcrime II to all of their subscribers.  To sign up, please visit:

http://music.yahoo.com/musicengine/

RHINOCAST INTERVIEW WITH GEOFF TATE

:: 13:19 ::

Rhinocast interview with Queensryche frontman Geoff Tate!  Geoff talks about the band's new album, Operation Mindcrime II, the Queensryche live experience, and flirtations with detuned guitars.  Click here for the "Extended (42 minute)" interview via MP3!  (right click and SAVE TARGET/LINK/FILE as)

GT SPEAKS THE WORD ON KNAC.COM

:: 13:12 ::

With the release of Queensryche's long-awaited Operation: Mindcrime II coming April 4th, frontman Geoff Tate has a lot to talk about and he's going to do it Thursday night at 8:15pm (Pacific Time) on KNAC.COM.  KNAC.COM Disc Jockey Mike Vogel will chat with Tate about all things Queensryche, including the process of bringing Mindcrime 2 to life, and his next solo album.  Be sure to tune in early and log into the KNAC.COM chatroom to issue any questions you'd like Mike Vogel to ask. 

For more information, please visit: http://knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=4465 

QUEENSRYCHE DEBUTS @ #1 ON INTERNATIONAL CHARTS

:: 13:01 ::

Guess which album, by international acts, sold most across Japan yesterday (March 28)?  Yes!  It's Queensryche! "Operation: Mindcrime II" was shipped yesterday and shot straight in at #1 on the "International Daily Album Chart" on its shipping date! 

QUEENSRYCHE TO BE ON ROCKLINE

:: 10:56 ::

The band will be the featured guests on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" airing Wednesday, March 29. The live show begins at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET, and fans are encouraged to call in with questions during the program at (800) 344-ROCK (7625). To find a station near you, check out www.rocklineradio.com. 

OPERATION: QUEENSRYCHE (GT INTERVIEW w/ ROADIE CREW)

:: 06:41 ::

GEOFF TATE
Operation: Queensryche
By Mitch Lafon

Roadie Crew: You’ve revisited Operation:Mindcrime – how did that come about?

Geoff Tate: “There’s always a series of different reasons why you do things and you never really know why you’re doing it at the time. You try to figure it out in retrospect. We don’t plan things out. We just find ourselves in situations that feel right and just go with it and that was the case with this project. The first one was written in ’88 with a sequel in mind. We had left the story open ended with Nikki (the main character) being committed to an insane asylum and then prison. We left it with the ability to take the story another place, but for various reasons over the years we’ve taken on other projects and ideas that pushed this to the back burner. Still, people kept asking about it (especially the fans). What happened to Mary? What happened to Dr.X ? Are you ever going to do a sequel?”

RC: And for years you said “no!”

GT: “Yeah. I had lost interest in it and was on to other ideas. I just found myself leaning in this direction a few years ago. Like with everything I started with a computer file called ‘Nikki’ and started going to it every now and then. I kept adding to what was there – character sketches, what would Nikki be like now, what’s he been doing, what’s going through his head and that kind of thing. About a year and a half ago, I went to that file and noticed I had quite a lot of stuff written and it was starting to make sense... I had a story. So, I took it to the band and said ‘I think I’ve got something here. We might want to tackle a sequel. What do you think about it?’ Everyone was real excited about returning to the story and musically seeing where we could take it and how we could keep the music somewhat like the original and re-learn that style of playing, delivery...”

RC: I was going to ask you about that. The drum sound sounds a lot like the first album. Was that deliberate or...

GT: “It was deliberate. It’s an audio story, so we tried to give it some similarity to the first story. When the listener plays one and two together, they’ll be transported to this world... that sounded a certain way and had a certain feel to it. Music affects people emotionally, so you have to capture that emotional feel again which is very challenging. We had to go against evolution (so to speak).”

RC: It must have been hard because in the last decade you’ve done albums that sound anything but like Operation:Mindcrime...

GT: “I wouldn’t say it was hard, but it was challenging. To rethink yourself and how you did things then... Musically, it became very simple after we discovered the little secrets. In the last decade we’ve been experimenting a lot with different tunings of the guitar – tuning up, tuning down, tuning sideways and all the ways to string the instrument so it plays in a different vibration. So, we found that by going back to A four forty (which Mindcrime was written in) really helped. It opened up the instruments to a whole different way of playing. Melodically, Mindcrime used a lot of melodies voiced in half-steps... so we brought that back in as a theme and I think we captured the era very well. On the sound side of things we tried to use the same recording gear and electronic equipment that we had used in the ‘80s to make this record. We re-enlisted certain reverbs from the Mindcrime album...”

RC: Was it refreshing to re-learn those things or was it like ‘ugh, here we go again’?

GT: “From a sound standpoint it was very fascinating. You get on... technology changes and you start getting on the treadmill where every year you’re working new sounds, new technologies into what you do and experimenting with it... It’s quite inspirational. You can get a new keyboard or computer program and play around with it for a couple of hours and next thing you know – you’ve written a song.”

RC: Another thing that can affect the sound is the line-up. You’ve got a new guitarist (Mike Stone) onboard. How was it for you and for him to go do this part two?

GT: “Mike was always a Mindcrime fan and the way we went about it was kind of odd. When we decided we were going to do this record – we hadn’t written a note yet. So we started experimenting with the original. We learned all the songs again then re-learned them and taught them to Mike... and toured on it (for six or eight weeks). It really helped get the spirit of the record back in everybody’s head. We learned the scale progressions, learned what is was to be in Mindcrime musically... so we took a break after the tour and Mike and the producer (Jason Slater) moved into my house for four months. We worked incessantly on the record – we didn’t shower, we didn’t shave our beards. We just lived and breathed it for four months. It was a great period of time where we just wrote and wrote and wrote the record.”

RC: It was a great period of time yet the album is a darker tale...

GT: “I find drinking helps (laughs). When you have a story driven record, it’s easier than creating song ideas out of thin air. You have a theme and I can tell the guys I need musical examples of apathy... give me five choices of something that makes you feel apathetic or melancholy or angry or... just match the music to the emotion and that was great. I’d get all these different versions of apathy to choose from and could pick which one moved me the most and I could write a lyric to it.”

RC: Both Mindcrimes have a story. You mentioned the first one was open ended. Is this one as well? Could we see a part three in five, ten, fifteen years...

GT: “I really love working with themes and concepts when writing a record. It’s very satisfying and challenging. Half our records are theme or concept records, so I’m very comfortable working in that area. So, possibly our next record will be a theme record. I really don’t know at this point, but I’ve got a couple of ideas. However, I think the actual Mindcrime story is finished.”

RC: I ask because the last time we spoke you had mentioned that you had written a Mindcrime screenplay. With the end of Mindcrime two – is that the end of the screenplay? Or is there more?

GT: “The screenplay is finished and being shopped around Hollywood...”

RC: Is it based on I and II?

GT: “It’s based on I and it ends with a hint towards two. So, we wrote in the ability to do a separate film based on Mindcrime II. It’s really a strong screenplay. I co-wrote it with a fellow named Mark Shepard (who’s a professional screen writer). He taught me a lot about the process and the art of creating this story. When you’re making a record, you can use music to tell part of the story, but with a film you really need to visualize every part of the story and the motivation of the characters... how they develop and all that stuff. I had to fill in a lot of blanks that I had left for the music to interpret. So, that was challenging and fun and it’s being shopped now...”

RC: Do you want to see it only on film or would you be open to seeing it on stage (a Broadway stage)/ play?

GT: “I think it’s a story that can be adapted a number of different ways and mediums. The Broadway styled musical is obviously not too much of a stretch for it. I’m working in that direction too. I’ve been talking to a few people over the last year that are interested in developing it for that, but we’ll see. I don’t know which will come first – the film or the musical.”

RC: Well, coming first is the Operation Mindcrime I and II tour...

GT: “Yes! It’s I and II together – ‘an evening with’ presentation. We’re going to create it with actors portraying characters in the story. We’ve got a set that changes throughout the show... video screens that become the dimension walls of the set creating... Nikki’s warehouse with a table, lamp, chair, telephone (which is an integral part of the story)... the walls of the warehouse are film screens. You can change the lighting, etc... There’s the scene of Sister Mary’s death... It’s pretty dramatic. The new show will have a chase scene between Nikki and Dr.X...”

RC: It’s I and II sequentially. You’re not skipping any songs?

GT: “Oh, no. It’ll all flow and make sense as one live.”

RC: wow – that’s 27 or so songs...

GT: “It’ll run two and a half hours.”

RC: That’ll take a lot of preparation in a gym before the tour. You don’t want to be panting by song twenty...

GT: “Yeah, really (laughs)”

RC: DR.X –rumoured to be Rob Halford ends up being Ronnie James Dio. How did you find him – how did you choose him?

GT: “He’s a legend. I worked with him years ago on Hear N Aid and that was a real treat. He’s amazing and had treated me very well – very courteous and respectful. I was a new young kid and he was really a gentlemen. I appreciated his approach and the way he handled people. When I was writing this record, I needed a voice – the voice of Dr. X and Ronnie’s name and a voice just popped into my head. It’s got to be Ronnie. That voice is so huge and commanding. When he speaks in a song – you get shivers up your back. Maybe it’s because he’s pure evil – I don’t know (laughs). I called him up and he was very intrigued, so I sent him a copy of the song and he called back two days later and said ‘oh, yeah – this is going to be great. I’ve got to do this.’ He came up right away and we spent the afternoon in the studio doing the song. There’s always an uneasiness when a new musician comes into the studio, but he’s just so confident. He walked into the microphone booth and right off the bat hit it.”

RC: Will he do a show or two on the tour?

GT: “He’s expressed interest in doing that if we can co-ordinate our schedules.”

RC: Mindcrime II, you had once mentioned, was written because of the current political climate...

GT: “As long as I’ve lived (47 years), I keep track of what goes on in society. I love the social sciences and what makes us tick as a species. We go in these cycles... this circular motion. Things come into the consciousness then go out and in time come back in. To me, we’re in a very similar situation to the late ‘80s. We have a very right-wing Christian funded government in place and they are working very diligently to change things in their favour and in their world view... which is in direct opposition to the way a lot of other people feel... who worked diligently to provide Americans with freedoms and...”

RC: Equality, stability...?

GT: “Yeah, and all those things people have suffered and died for... It’s just an amazing time to watch... all these freedoms being taken out. One by one and it’s interesting to see the polarization of the country. Nobody knows what to do and here we are again at war in the middle east. Ironically, when Nikki was first conceived – George Bush was in power and he gets out of jail twenty years later and George Bush is in power (laughs). I couldn’t stay away from that irony. The time’s are similar in a lot of ways. So, it felt right to be visiting the story again.”

RC: I gather you won’t be watching FOX NEWS on the tour bus?

GT: (laughs) “We watch Fox News to ridicule it and to remind ourselves that the media isn’t telling us the truth and that it’s biased and paid for.”

RC: Anything else to plug... add?

GT: “www.queensryche.com”

THE QUEEN IS ISN'T DEAD

:: 18:31 ::

BLOOD AND THUNDER: The Queen Is Isn't Dead
http://www.popmatters.com/columns/begrand/060316.shtml
[16 March 2006]

Fearing an embarrassing failure on the scale of the Star Wars prequels, Begrand braves Queensryche's new sequel to its 20-year-old masterpiece Operation: Mindcrime.

I remember now. I remember how it started. I can't remember why they wanted to make a sequel. I just remember hoping they'd do so without sucking...sucking...sucking...

It was around the time when the nurse sneered, "Sweet dreams...you bastard," that we all started to realize Operation: Mindcrime was going to be a hell of a lot more than your average concept album.

In the spring of 1988, it had been two excruciatingly long years since Queensryche's last album. In the weeks before Operation: Mindcrime's release, word of mouth was generating serious momentum; claims were being made that the new record was going to stand alongside such seminal works as Rush's 2112 and the Who's Quadrophenia. In a genre where bombast, theatrics, and melodrama was commonplace, nobody (save for King Diamond) had really attempted something on this grand a scale, but if there were one young band with both the talent and the ambition to pull it off, it was Queensryche.

Personally, the idea of concept albums and rock operas had become a fascinating one. I began gravitating to such classics as Pink Floyd's The Wall, the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and even Kiss's disastrous fantasy epic Music From the Elder. By April of 1988, Iron Maiden had whetted my appetite for a great metal concept album by releasing the least-great album of its decade-long domination, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. By the time I took off to the local mall during lunch hour a month later to grab that new Queensryche album, I was primed for some good old theatrics and bombast, but what I and every other young Queensryche fan was not expecting was an album that would turn our little metal-centric world upside-down.

Seventeen years after Operation: Mindcrime's release, it's now considered one of the finest rock operas ever recorded and universally regarded as one of the greatest metal albums of all time. When Queensryche announced in early 2005 that it was going to record a sequel, it's no surprise at all that many who grew up with that album greeted the project with great cynicism. Coming from a band of 40-somethings who, despite their perseverance and best efforts, had failed to successfully follow up a masterpiece written during their mid-20s, a belated sequel was such an obvious last-ditch attempt to recapture their former glory that it could be nothing but a sure-fire recipe for disaster, right? Theoretically, this crazy idea should be an unmitigated catastrophe. Then again, what does Queensryche have to lose?

* * *

For those of us who experienced the '80s metal explosion during our teens, Queensryche's musical evolution throughout the decade seemed to mirror the growth of our own tastes: every album sounded more mature, bolder, more assured. Queensryche's formative years, from 1983 to 1986, found it feeling its way around and trying on various guises. While that early period was not without its share of bumps (can we ever forgive singer Geoff Tate for his "Bride of Frankenstein" look in 1986?), the sheer ambition of the music made for some thrilling moments. Directly inspired by the burgeoning metal movement in the early '80s, the 1983 Queensryche EP was a furious, decidedly British-sounding album that belied the fact that these kids were from Seattle, highlighted by their exuberantly flamboyant early signature tune "Queen of the Reich" and the more theatrical "The Lady Wore Black", both of which served as showcases for Tate's multi-octave vocals.

1984's The Warning, the band's first for EMI, continued in that beefed-up UK metal vein. In direct contrast to the majority of young metal buzz bands of the era, it brazenly slowed things down to an ambling pace with heavy emphasis on the rhythm section of bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Scott Rockenfield; the dual guitars of Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton were mixed down to a warm, smoldering mush by producer James Guthrie. Despite the sonic quibbles, not to mention a handful of pedestrian songs ("Deliverance", "Before the Storm"), signs of the quintet coming into its own were evident. The title track carried itself with a swagger, aided greatly by Tate's ornate vocals, which made the undeniably bombastic song seem more dignified and less silly than it actually was. "N M 156" delved into William Gibson-esque science fiction, more specifically the relationship between machine and man; the epic "Roads to Madness" had the band flex its prog-metal muscles (complete with orchestra); and the album-stealing centerpiece, "Take Hold of the Flame", made up for Triumph-esque self-help lyrics with the band's stirring performance.

Thanks to those strong first two releases, expectations were high among the metal set in 1986. Queensryche responded by pulling the rug out from under everyone's feet with the bold, not to mention polarizing, Rage for Order. Much maligned for its focus on hooks, slick production, and synthesizers, it remains, two decades later, the band's most misunderstood album. Brilliantly produced by Neil Kernon, Rage for Order features the band combining chilly, arch tones with a Rockenfield-Jackson rhythm section so tight it's almost mechanical, all accented by sumptuous, classy melodies. The overtly stylish photos of the band on the album sleeve had many cynics hollering, "hair metal!", but no band of poodleheads could have come up with songs as gorgeous as those on this record, which was divided into two distinct halves. Side One focused not on the usual cock rock fixations of the Aqua Net set, but on unhealthy obsession: songs like "Walk in the Shadows", "I Dream in Infrared", "The Whisper", and "The Killing Words" took the conventional pop metal formula and added a decidedly progressive musical tweak and dark lyrical twist. It all climaxes with the astounding, near-gothic stalker tune "Gonna Get Close to You", a song originally recorded by Canadian new wave artist Dal Bello.

One of the most audacious covers of the '80s metal era, "Gonna Get Close to You" would serve a precursor to the first-person melodrama of Operation: Mindcrime. The album's second half ranks as the most challenging work in Queensryche's catalog, as "Neue Regel", "Chemical Youth", and "Screaming in Digital" teetered dangerously on the precipice between credible and pretentious, while the ballads "London" and "I Will Remember" showcased Tate's increased emotional range.

* * *

By the time the '90s rolled around, Queensryche's career would veer rapidly from mainstream acceptance to a serious decline in musical quality, relegating the band to the periphery of progressive metal while younger, much more imaginative bands were foisted with the "cutting edge" label. Arriving just after mainstream interest in metal had peaked and as the grunge fad was beginning to build steam, 1990's multi-platinum Empire, which became the band's biggest-selling album, was rife with enough flaws to leave longtime fans disillusioned. Sure, there were some bright spots, such as the superb "Anybody Listening?", the admirable Pink Floyd knock-off "Silent Lucidity", and the lush harmonies of "Another Rainy Night", but much more so than Rage for Order, it was all flash and little substance.

Unlike the first-rate songwriting of the first half of Rage, Empire headed more toward the middle of the road, its pop-oriented songs padded out to five minutes and given just enough prog rock touches to make the album appear more innovative than it actually was. Heavy-handed, token "serious" lyrical themes such as gun control, policing, and the plight of the homeless were tossed off, interspersed with much more shallow, cliché-ridden fare, from the tired "Resistance" to the embarrassing "One and Only", which could have passed for a Slaughter tune with lines like "Treat me to your sense of taste and style / Together we can walk the miles". The popular single "Jet City Woman" was a good microcosm of Empire's plight: a brilliant, thrilling build-up with absolutely no payoff, just a weak chorus that left the song flaccid.

From that point on, Queensryche's decline was swift. Between the long four-year period between Empire and its follow-up, Promised Land, the rock landscape had undergone a massive overhaul. Grunge had come and gone with Nirvana and Pearl Jam winning over audiences; alternative rock from independent and major labels was breaking new ground both artistically and commercially; industrial rock had become mainstream; and irony was in, sincerity out. By the time Promised Land finally hit the shelves, there were still plenty of people interested in what the band would do (it peaked at #3 on the Billboard album chart), but what fans got was a band that sounded completely out of step, simply locked in a drab, midtempo groove. Tate, one of the best vocalists around, had no good melodies to work with (save for "I Am I" and "Bridge"), and the guitars sounded just as muddy as they did on The Warning. One positive aspect was that Promised Land was a considerably more focused album than Empire, but ironically, this overproduced record was ultimately too bland musically to care very much about.

Much more forgettable, though, was 1997's Hear in the Now Frontier, as the increasing sense of malaise in Queensryche's music became disturbingly obvious. Veteran bands "stripping down" their sound and claiming they're "going back to their roots" is always a bad sign, and this album's back-to-basics approach, while decidedly more raw, laid bare the cold hard fact that by now Queensryche was incapable of writing compelling music, coming off as third-rate post-grunge in the process. After DeGarmo, the band's primary songwriter, retired from performing, his former mates continued to soldier on, 1999's Q2K and 2003's Tribe ardently attempting to sound re-energized with only marginal results. While both albums were marked improvements on Hear in the Now Frontier, in the eyes of many, Queensryche had used up all its chances to return to form. The band members were reaching their 40s, and that one classic album they made when they were a bunch of ambitious 25 year-olds had become their own albatross.

* * *

1988 was not as groundbreaking a year for heavy metal as 1983 was, but like 2004 and 2005, it was more a case of many young bands reaching their peak at the same time. In a year dominated by Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Slayer, Voivod, and young upstarts like Testament, Death, and Crimson Glory, however, Operation: Mindcrime stole everyone's thunder. Built around a storyline that would be ludicrous if it weren't so darn engaging (disenchanted young man joins subversive group, becomes political assassin, falls for a hot nun, nails the hot nun, becomes a heroin addict, and is seemingly framed for the hot nun's murder), Mindcrime had Queensryche testing its limits, both musically and lyrically.

"Revolution Calling" was a scathing critique of late-'80s America, as Reagan was about to give way to Bush Sr., and "Spreading the Disease" is an eloquent examination of media manipulation by both politicians and religious figures ("Selling skin, selling God / The numbers look the same on their credit cards / Politicians say no to drugs / While we pay for wars in South America"). The one-two punch of "The Mission" (arguably the best song the band has ever recorded) and the ten-minute epic "Suite: Sister Mary" brought a sense of high drama to the record; the album's final third, highlighted by three of the band's catchiest compositions, "Breaking the Silence", "I Don't Believe in Love", and "Eyes of a Stranger", kept the its wild ambitions from becoming too progressive, offsetting highly theatrical pieces like "Electric Requiem" and "My Empty Room" perfectly. Despite a mix that tended to be on the thin side (which has since been remedied somewhat on the 2003 remastered version), it remains the band's career zenith and was an eye-opener for both its fans and mainstream music critics that year.

Which leads us to 2006 and the release of Operation: Mindcrime II, an album that's been dreaded as much as it's been anticipated. In fact, aside from the band's small but loyal remaining fanbase, most of the interest surrounding this sequel is purely out of morbid fascination. Queensryche hasn't put out a good album in the last 15 years, its musical direction over that time period has alienated many who expected more from a band who delivered such consistently challenging music during the '80s, and quite frankly, it should have run out of second chances years ago. Yet here it is, bruised but not broken, all but admitting the only way it can revive its career is by presenting a touring production of Mindcrime (complete with actors) and recording a follow-up, an idea as potentially embarrassing as the surviving members of the Who writing Revenge of Tommy. And to the great surprise of yours truly, Queensryche has gone and pulled off the unthinkable.

To put it bluntly, Operation: Mindcrime II is the band's best album since 1988, a dark, brooding piece of work that makes up for its lack of polish with its fiery passion. It's the sound of a band who, after a painfully long period of coasting, seems to finally have a raison d'etre; for once, Queensryche dared to truly challenge itself, and to its great credit, rose to the occasion.

Granted, Operation: Mindcrime II is nowhere near the classic record that Operation: Mindcrime is, and anyone would be a damn fool to think otherwise. Since Queensryche no longer has a large record label behind it, the overall scope of the new album is diminished, the production much more robust and claustrophobic than the slick 1988 version, the orchestras replaced by string synths, and massive choirs replaced by a small number of guest vocalists. DeGarmo's absence is also very noticeable; the original Mindcrime story was his and Tate's baby, and it was DeGarmo who either wrote or co-wrote unforgettable songs like "The Mission" and "Eyes of a Stranger". There are no songs on the sequel that match the majesty of the original's many highlights.

Somehow, though, the quintet of Tate, Wilton, Jackson, Rockenfield, and DeGarmo's replacement Mike Stone pulls everything together just well enough to make it all work. The storyline is as enigmatic as one would expect, focusing on the protagonist's return from prison after 18 years, his unquenchable thirst for revenge on the eee-vil Dr. X, and his struggle to accept the consequences of his own murderous deeds in the past and present. As compelling as the story is (and kids, you're in for a fun little twist), it would be useless if the music didn't hold up, which for the most part, miraculously does.

"I'm American" is an oddball selection as lead-off single, but it's the most propulsive track we've heard from the band in eons, lampooning today's America in the process ("I am free, I deserve everything I can get / 'Cause I'm American"). Heavier midtempo fare like "One Foot in Hell" and "Hostage" get down to business, as Tate begins to carry the album, launching into the kind of charismatic, emotive vocal performance that fans have been clamoring for. It's proof that he's at his best when singing in character, which forces him to inject some much-needed passion into his vocals. "The Hands" is the closest the band gets to equaling the commercial-friendly sounds of the first Mindcrime, and is aided greatly by dual guitar harmonies by Wilton and Stone that hearken back to the late '80s. Of course, we get plenty of songs dedicated to plot exposition; "The Chase" will be the one song that will have folks talking, thanks to a superb cameo appearance by the great Ronnie James Dio (in the role of Dr. X), who trades barbs with Tate in a deliciously bombastic vocal duel. "A Murderer" returns to the prog metal/electronic fusion of Rage for Order's "Screaming in Digital", but as in 1986, the band is able to keep the last half of the album grounded with a couple of pleasant surprises in the groove-oriented "A Junkie's Blues" and the careening "Fear City Slide".

"If I Could Change It All" and "All the Promises" come perilously close to Andrew Lloyd Webber territory, but especially in the case of the latter (a duet between Tate and Pamela Moore, reprising her Sister Mary role), the emotion conveyed is convincing enough for us to buy into it. In an attempt to achieve a sense of consistency with the first Mindcrime, Operation: Mindcrime II was recorded in the same key as the original, and the band adds a couple of nifty touches, slyly incorporating the intro from "I Don't Believe in Love" into "The Hands", and slipping the sweeping conclusion to "Breaking the Silence" into "A Junkie's Blues". Instead of sounding blatant, the familiar melodies are brief and tasteful enough to work well.

Nearly two decades after turning the metal world on its ear by exceeding everybody's lofty expectations, Queensryche's primary goal this time around was simply to save face. It has done so with a subtly contagious record that carries itself with dignity. It's not a classic, and there will undoubtedly be a couple dozen hard rock/metal albums that will be much better, but Operation: Mindcrime II will still go down as one of the year's most pleasant surprises. It's a small triumph, but a triumph nevertheless, and it's great to have this band back.

GEOFF TATE TO SING NATIONAL ANTHEM

:: 18:31 ::

Geoff Tate has been confirmed to sing the National Anthem at the Mets/Nationals game on April 5th at 7:10pm.  The Anthem will be aired live during the radio broadcast and after the anthem, they will mention the new album Operation: Mindcrime II.

WIN A GUITAR FROM STONE & SPENCERS GIFTS

:: 18:19 ::

Enter to win 1 of 6 autographed ESP guitars from Spencers Gifts!  One member from each of the following bands is giving away an autographed guitar: Chimaira, Queensryche, The Mercy Clinic, Dry Kill Logic, Brand New Sin & Devil Driver.  Your only chance to win is by visiting any local Spencers Gift store(s) or by going to their website @ http://www.spencersonline.com.  Click the image for more details!

LISTEN TO THE OM2 IN IT'S ENTIRETY - FREE!

:: 18:27 ::

Rock, Revenge, Redemption... the long-awaited sequel. Queensrÿche’s 1988 opus Operation: Mindcrime is a musically adventurous rock opera revolving around Dr. X, a political puppet master who brainwashes Nikki, the story’s main character, to assassinate corrupt public figures. The story also includes Nikki’s lover, Sister Mary. A former teenage prostitute who becomes a nun, Sister Mary is murdered mysteriously, leaving the cliffhanger, “Who Killed Sister Mary?” Set 20 years after the original, Queensryche’s new 2006 studio album, Operation: Mindcrime II, explores Nikki’s fate after being released from prison and reveals the identity of Mary’s killer. 

CLICK HERE TO PUT ONE FOOT BACK IN HELL..... 

MINDCRIME II RELEASE PARTY INFO

:: 07:58 ::

MINDCRIME II VINYL OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE

:: 06:41 ::

April 11th, 2006!

SAVE THE MUSIC AUCTION

:: 06:35 ::

YAHOO POSTS AMERICAN VIDEO A DAY EARLY

:: 18:11 ::

Yahoo was set to debut the "I'm American" video tomorrow, but good news for us... click here:

http://music.yahoo.com/ar-262066-videos--Queensrche

I'M AMERICAN SINGLE NOW ON ITUNES

:: 06:12 ::

iTunes has the exclusive "I'm American" single now online for purchase!  Use this link to order a copy for only $.99!

Buy the I'm American off of iTunes now!

YAHOO TO EXCLUSIVELY  DEBUT AMERICAN" VIDEO

:: 09:19 ::

Yahoo is set to debut the first video off of Operation: Mindcrime II,  "I'm American", on March 16th.  It's a worldwide on-line exclusive and can be found via this link:

http://music.yahoo.com/promos/premieres/

QUEENSRYCHE TO BE ON ROCKLINE

:: 09:09 ::

The band will be the featured guests on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" airing Wednesday, March 29. The live show begins at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET, and fans are encouraged to call in with questions during the program at (800) 344-ROCK (7625). To find a station near you, check out www.rocklineradio.com. 

PAMELA MOORE TO BE IN "THE HANDS"

:: 17:36 ::

As the video shoot wraps up for "I'm American", work has already begun on the next video: "The Hands".  This time look for a special appearance from Pamela Moore (aka Sister Mary). 

The "I'm American" Single will be available for purchase off of iTunes on March 14th (next Tuesday).