Queenryche Villan Dr. X Unmasked!
By Diana DeVille, Rock Goddess
Friday, December 16, 2005 @ 10:50 AM
The secret voice behind Operation Mindcrime II is...
It's official. The voice of Queensryche villan Dr. X will be played by none
other than...the legendary Ronnie James Dio!
Ronnie will be singing the part of Dr. X on Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime
II,the long-anticipated sequel to 1988’s acclaimed concept album Operation:
Mindcrime. Praised by critics and certified platinum, the original remained on
Billboard’s album chart for more than a year and its dynamic music and powerful
message still resonate today. Operation Mindcrime II is due in record stores
March 14, 2006.
Ronnie recently headed up to the Bay Area to record his part on the record, and
commented on being chosen to play Dr. X: "I was flattered to be asked to be part
of the Operation Mindcrime II project, and it was truly great to work with Geoff
Tate again."
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.
Tate says the current political and social climate inspired him to revisit the
storyline. "I left the original open-ended with the intent to come back with a
sequel to finish the story up," he says. "Considering where we are today and how
little things have changed, it was too ironic not to continue the story."
Operation: Mindcrime’s intriguing and complex plot revolves 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, Operation: Mindcrime II explores Nikki’s fate
after being released from prison and reveals the identity of Mary’s killer. "I
tried to put myself in Nikki’s shoes and imagine what it would be like for him
to come back to society after spending 20 years in jail stewing about what
happened to him," Tate says. "I became fascinated with the concept of revenge
and what that would do to a person like Nikki. The story is ultimately about how
Nikki wrestles with his conflicted emotions. On one side, his base instincts are
pushing him to kill those who wronged him. On the other side, his
conscience–represented by the spirit of Sister Mary – urges him to learn from
his past mistakes and find salvation."
Operation: Mindcrime II will feature the following tracks: 'I'm American', 'One
Foot In Hell', 'Hostage', 'The Hands', 'Speed Of Light', 'Signs Say Go (Will I
Surrender?)', 'Re-Arrange You', 'The Chase', 'A 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'.
For more information:
www.queensryche.com
www.ronniejamesdio.com