OPERATION: MINDCRIME

I'm going to say I'm level 3 with this album. I know it pretty well, but not expert level. I got to see Queensryche perform this album in its entirety on the Empire tour. It was quite a show! I like this album, but for whatever reason, I've always preferred Empire over it. Let's see if that changes upon a good listen?.

(Note: I am not going to copy it all here, but the Wikipedia article on the album, has a nice story summary. It might be helpful to read the summary prior to my review or listening to the album.)

Track 1 - I Remember Now

The introduction to our rock opera begins with ambient sounds of a doctor being paged in a hospital and a nurse deciding a patient needs another "shot", as the TV plays, she says "Sweet Dreams, you bastard?" Then the patient tells us he remembers now?doing what they told him to do.

Track 2 - Anarchy X

We start with a moderately fast beat with harmonized dual lead guitars over a rhythm bed. This leads us into the first true song on the album?

Track 3 - Revolution Calling

Geoff Tate's strong and unique voice kicks in. What a range! We have a strong heavy rhythm over which he sings the beginning of the story. The chorus is quite catchy! At about 3:10 the feel changes for the guitar solo break. This is a very signature Queensryche sound.

Track 4 - Operation: Mindcrime

The phone rings?after a few rings, the protagonist answers "Hello" first he hears the guitar riff on the phone, and then after another ring the guitar riff kicks in with bass & drums backing it up. Excellent tight 80s metal sound. Queensryche never ventured into thrash/speed metal territory. Most everything here is in 4-4 time with pretty standard song structures, but the playing and singing is at a very high level.

Track 5 - Speak

Nice quick guitar riffage here, boosting the excitement. Remember to "Speak the word?the word is all of us." I like the rhythm change at the end of the song but would have loved them to have done more with it.

Track 6 - Spreading the Disease

Excellent Tate vocals, with an 80s style palm-muted eighth note chugga chugga rhythm. It opens up to power chords on the chorus. The bridge is pretty interesting with panned percussion sounds and a whisper-sung vocal part. I like the drums on the outro, too.

Track 7 - The Mission

We have a televangelist appealing for money, with Nikki (the protagonist) coming in saying "Bless Me, Father, for I have sinned" and the sound of breaking glass. This one is at a mid-tempo and continues the 80s metal sound, but with a bit of synth in the mix. As with the rest of the album, the guitar solos are excellent.

Track 8 - Suite Sister Mary

We start with Dr. X telling Nikki to kill Mary & the Priest. At 10:40, this is by far the longest track on the album. I like the haunting guitar riff joined by a gothic choir and power chords. The tempo increases at about 3:15. There is a female singer, Pamela Moore, who joins in and sings the part of Mary. She joined them on the Empire tour when they performed the whole album, and she has reprised the role at other events and on the sequel album in 2006. The choir returns at around 6:20 and it becomes very dramatic. Moore is a perfect vocal foil for Tate who sings with just as much power and drama. The song closes with the sound of a thunderstorm.

Track 9 - The Needle Lies

Nikki wants out, but Dr. X says he can't walk away. We get an up-tempo rocker with awesome guitar fills and solos. Don't ever trust?don't ever trust the needle. I love the riff at the end of the guitar break and the end of the song.

Track 10 - Electric Requiem

This one reminds me of the sound of the previous Queensryche album, Rage for Order. Dark synths and atmospheric guitars with big drums. It's over too quickly.

Track 11 - Breaking the Silence

A moderately fast rocker. As with the rest, great playing & singing. It sounds like the 2 guitarists trade licks in the solo. It ends with overlapping echo vocals saying, "we know you did it, why'd you do it?"

Track 12 - I Don't Believe in Love

The big hit single from the album. Moderately fast tempo. Clean guitars on the verses, heavy on the chouses. Key change for the guitar break. Nice harmony dual lead guitars. Clean guitar arpeggios at the end of it.

Track 13 - Waiting for 22

The clean arpeggios continue here with different chords, then lead guitar over the top. (brief instrumental?)

Track 14 - My Empty Room

A continuation of Waiting for 22 with vocals and a ticking clock, also very brief?it builds in intensity leading to the big finale?.

Track 15 - Eyes of a Stranger

At just under 7 minutes, it's the second longest track. An ominous keyboard part leads to the heavy guitars. Clean chords under the verse that get heavy in the choruses. Fantastic vocals from Tate. Synths filling out the sound again. Big drum fills around the 5:00 mark. We end with a callback to the beginning of the album ? "I Remember Now."

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Impeccable production from Peter Collins (who would work with Rush in the near future after this). Top notch playing. Degarmo and Wilton's guitar work is superb and Jackson and Rockenfield are a solid rhythm section. Tate's vocals are stellar. But here's my issue. It all starts to blend together on most of the songs. Individually, each song is wonderful. But there's not enough diversity to keep it fresh. So, with acknowledgement of the great performances, I give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I'm sure many will disagree. But that's how I feel about it. (Gotta give it a 4 on the stars here though)