Queensryche - Operation:Mindcrime II

transplant

I bought it yesterday, stared at the thing for 15 minutes, got my nerve up and put it in.

It is great. I mean really good. It is such a huge relief. I don't think they will pick up new fans with this, though I can argue it isn't a bad starting point, but I think they will regain those that thought they lost it....like myself.

I would like to add a thank you to both Tate and Dio for still delivering. Their voices are still great and can blow the roof off those 1/3 their age.

I guess with their tour they will play both Mindcrimes back to back? I am fired up. Show isn't until September though.

burnin-candle

Hey transplant, I've always thought about getting into these guys, but never knew where to start. What do you recommend?

A critic I personally know reviewd the album and said it was great also. Should I start with this baby, or maybe the earlier stuff?

Cheers.

transplant

Holy cow burnin, my eyes just lit up!

The original Mindcrime and I kid you not has not left my top 3 greatest CD's of all time since 1988. I wouldn't hesitate to tell you to get this first since I have some backround on your musical tastes and your willingness to dive into a CD like this. It is a monster musically and lyrically.

I would say their most accessible is Empire. Yeah, it has Silent Lucidity on it, but it was still a great great CD.

Their most experimental and my second favorite is Rage For Order. It is out of this world however it is a little unique.

Ok I can go on for days, here is my order of my favorites. I can't really rank this new one yet other than to say it is great. This was my favorite band for a LONG time.

Operation:Mindcrime I
Rage For Order
Promised Land
Empire
The Warning
Queensryche EP

The others, Hear in the Now Frontier, Q2K, and Tribe don't bother.

Atomic Punk

I totally forgot it came out already. I wanna get it after work today now. Operation Mindcrime is one of my favorite albums of all time.... I am hoping that II comes a little close. I too was worried that it would ruin the legacy of the original, but hearing a good review is very easing to my mind...

DocChicago

transplant, thanks for the review. i'm still a bit nervous about hearing this for the first time, since the first Mindcrime is sacred to me. but i will pick it up later this week and hope for the best. your words allow me to be a bit more optimistic.

transplant

Atomic Punk wrote:

Operation Mindcrime is one of my favorite albums of all time.... I am hoping that II comes a little close.

It won't really come close. I think of it more in the Empire vain where most Queensryche fans consider that a pretty solid CD considering what it followed. What I take out of it is that II is very respectable. I would be a little surprised if those that love the original don't come out of listening to II with a smile on their face followed by a Thank God.

I wouldn't mind reading yours and DocChicago's thoughts on it once you get the chance to hear it.

UKDave

Not out in the UK til end of April........ can't wait!!

rbrianj

This cd is KILLER. I can't stop listening to it. I had it in my car's cd player for over a month. The more you listen the more you like it. There's so much going on musically, and lyrically that you have to listen to it quite a bit to really judge how you feel about it. I have to say that the guys stepped up to the challenge on this one. When I first heard they were going to do this I was like "NO" please don't, but damn if they didn't deliever.

My Favorite Songs are Murderer?, Fear City Slide, Hostage, Re-arrange You, The Chase, The Hands, If I Could Change It All

Anybody else think that Nicki blows up the city at the end or do you think he just shoots himself? I guess this will be the question that everyone will ask, kinda like who killed mary in the first one.

Atomic Punk

you can hear it for free at q1043.com

transplant

rbrianj wrote:

Anybody else think that Nicki blows up the city at the end or do you think he just shoots himself?

I think he will shoot himself.

I am on day 3 and I still feel the same way. This CD is great. I'm American gets it started right. MUCH quicker on disc than it was live last year. Re-Arranger, The Hands, yeah, I am beyond fired up. An amazing accomplishment.

gusturtle

i saw them on their mindcrime I tour (which was when they were opening for (gasp) def leppard on their hysteria tour). i never heard of queensryche before that night. hopefully (for Q's sake), people would still be interested in a mindcrime sequel coming nearly 20 years after the original.
i kind of left Queensryche alone after their 'Empire' album...

UKDave

Aaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!! 23 days and counting!!

rbrianj

frogwater wrote:

i saw them on their mindcrime I tour (which was when they were opening for (gasp) def leppard on their hysteria tour). i never heard of queensryche before that night. hopefully (for Q's sake), people would still be interested in a mindcrime sequel coming nearly 20 years after the original.
i kind of left Queensryche alone after their 'Empire' album...

You should listen to Promised Land. It's probably one of my favorites, but it came out in 1994, when PJ, Soundgarden, AIC, Nirvana were all over the radio. So most people didn't really get the chance to appreciate it. Ryche was just another 80's band at that point.

transplant

rbrianj wrote:

You should listen to Promised Land. It's probably one of my favorites, but it came out in 1994, when PJ, Soundgarden, AIC, Nirvana were all over the radio. So most people didn't really get the chance to appreciate it. Ryche was just another 80's band at that point.

agreed. I think Tate peaked vocally with Promised Land. He sounded incredible.

UKDave

Promised Land is a great album, as is Empire & Rage For Order, original Mindcrime was mind blowing though!!

When they toured Empire in the UK they played the whole Mindcrime album through, awesome...

DocChicago

I listened to it for the first time today. My initial impression is that this simply doesn't stand up to the original Mindcrime, but it doesn't dishonor it either. I thought it got really good and intense when he confronts Dr X and Tate and Dio are singing to each other.

Overall I'm pleased. I'm gonna have to sit down with some headphones and the lyrics before I can render a complete review. But thanks for prompting me to go buy it, transplant. Good shit.

barcoach

Got it last monday... I haven't bought a QR release since Promised Land, but this I just needed it, I mean the first Operation album meant too much for me at the time, so I just knew I would get this one no matter how good or bad it'd be... Fortunately I started to listened and found a really tight album, yeah, I don't think it hits you as deep as the first Operation, but this is a really solid effort on its own merits... Though I can't name any especific songs yet (have tons of music to listen and I've only gave this one a couple of spins so far) I was pleasently surprised with this songs because even they keep the Queensryche sound, they're plaid like with a different approach, this is not prog metal, and that's just good, I went to see Dream Theater a few weeks ago and it was the most boring concert I've ever been to, it isn't heavy metal either, this is just a band in control of their own game, a band that sounds contemporary without forgetting their roots. Yeah, the album, I think is far from being a classic or anything like that, but it blew my soul away... this was just like meeting with an old friend again (yeah, I'm stealing the metaphor, transplant) I really thought QR couldn't make records as good as this anymore.

burnin-candle

transplant wrote:

Holy cow burnin, my eyes just lit up!

The original Mindcrime and I kid you not has not left my top 3 greatest CD's of all time since 1988. I wouldn't hesitate to tell you to get this first since I have some backround on your musical tastes and your willingness to dive into a CD like this. It is a monster musically and lyrically.

I would say their most accessible is Empire. Yeah, it has Silent Lucidity on it, but it was still a great great CD.

Their most experimental and my second favorite is Rage For Order. It is out of this world however it is a little unique.

Ok I can go on for days, here is my order of my favorites. I can't really rank this new one yet other than to say it is great. This was my favorite band for a LONG time.

Operation:Mindcrime I
Rage For Order
Promised Land
Empire
The Warning
Queensryche EP

The others, Hear in the Now Frontier, Q2K, and Tribe don't bother.

Alright! Thanks for a detailed recommendation, transplant!

I like a little experimentation in my metal, so I'll go and check out the ones you mentioned. Cheers!

rbrianj

All I've got to say is just keep listening to it. It will grab you. You will have a different opinion, I say more positive one, with each listen. Songs that didn't stand out at first, will later on.

transplant

DocChicago wrote:

I listened to it for the first time today. My initial impression is that this simply doesn't stand up to the original Mindcrime, but it doesn't dishonor it either. I thought it got really good and intense when he confronts Dr X and Tate and Dio are singing to each other.

Overall I'm pleased. I'm gonna have to sit down with some headphones and the lyrics before I can render a complete review. But thanks for prompting me to go buy it, transplant. Good shit.

I remember it took me a couple months before the original became legendary in my mind. Funny, I have turned more people on to the original by plopping them down with a set of headphones. You really do have to concentrate at times to get the full effect. I also need to do that with II but haven't had the time.

Sounds like you are in the same mindset as myself. I am really interested to hear what people think of this so I hope to read a complete review. It will take time but I hope to do the same.

Barcoach, didn't know you were a fan of the original! I should have known better!

burnin, hope you enjoy, let me know what you think of them when you get a chance.

Atomic Punk

frogwater wrote:

i saw them on their mindcrime I tour (which was when they were opening for (gasp) def leppard on their hysteria tour). i never heard of queensryche before that night. ...

Thats my story exactly. Queensryche blew Def Leppard away and I went out and bought Mindcrime the next day.