OPERATION: MINDCRIME

For a long while this metal masterpiece was in PA's top 100 progalbums of all time. And I say METAL masterpiece and not PROG masterpiece. Because even though OM has progressive leanings it demands some imagination to call this one really progressive. If I compare it to a true prog metal masterpiece like DT's Scenes from a Memory you will probably know what I mean. On the other hand you could call this proto prog metal if you feel real prog metal started with DT's Images and Words.

So much for the introduction, now the album. I always felt this is more a metal than a prog metal masterpiece because first of all Queensryche was always meant to be a heavy metal/hard rock band and that's exactly what I hear when I listen to this album. Within the heavy metal world this is indeed a masterpiece because in that world an ambitious concept album like this is more or less unique. And that's why I have a bit of a problem when Queensrÿche is called prog metal. Maybe they slowly evolved into one but overall their career it certainly isn't a downright example.

The album is no doubt carefully crafted and flows very nicely. By the way for the decade in which this is made you can easily call this one of the greater albums. But seen in 40 years of prog history I don't think this is an essential record. Hence my opening lines. So instead of the 5 stars it would be in plain metal world or in the eighties decade I consider this more a four star effort in prog metal world. And for prog in general it would even be rounded up (3,8).