Unattainable milestone of Prog Metal

Have MINDCRIME Queensryche also in 1988 the most important album of their career to date and published grandest work in Progressive Metal - - perhaps until now and forever: with surgery. Operation: Mindcrime is an ingenious concept album, with the band has proven its inimitable creativity. The story revolves around four people. Main character is the young Nikki, who lives on the street and has no prospects for his life. He falls into the clutches of Dr. X, who wants in his underground organization to bring about political change in a violent manner. He tampered with Nikki Psycho tricks and brainwashed so he murdered political and spiritual leader of the city on his behalf. Dr. X supplies the dependent Nikki with heroin. Nikki soon learns Sister Mary know, a former prostitute who was brought by Father William from the street. But it will not only be exploited and raped by the priest, but also fall into the clutches of Dr. X on him. Dr. X has Mary set out to help Nikki to cope with his actions. But when Mary becomes dangerous, wants Dr. X that Nikki kills. Nikki is no longer cope with all the plans and instead, Dr. X kill to free themselves and Mary. Mary is murdered - by whom remains open. Nikki, who realized that he was in love with Mary, is at the end and is mistaken as if hypnotized by the night streets (Breaking the Silence). As the world collapses for him, he is arrested by the police (I DO NOT BELIEVE IN LOVE). Alone Nikki thinks again about Mary's death after (WAITING FOR 22), finally panics (MY EMPTY ROOM) and falls into delirium.
The story of the album closes like a big circle: Nikki wakes up in the hospital on (EYES OF A STRANGER), sees himself on television and hear about the crimes he has committed. Slowly he recalls again - the words "I Remember Now" are his last and his first on the album.
Musically OPERATION: MIDCRIME, as well as the written almost exclusively by Geoff Tate lyrics and the brilliant story about corruption, dependency and social ills, above everything. The mutually driving guitars of Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton with ingenious double solos and power chords and DeGarmos typical Clean key modulations have defined the style of Queensryche. For the perfect bass groove of Eddie Jackson is the flawless sound of all instruments. The entire production of Operation: Mindcrime is crystal clear - the perfect sound. These Geoff Tate sings in the form of his life. The feeling that he brings to the songs - the enormous expression in REVOLUTION CALLING for example, where Dr. X spread his philosophy and Geoff Tate with his singing brings across this ecstatic persuasiveness perfect - guaranteed goosebumps listening. The album features highlights churning, by endlessly grooving OPERATION: MINDCRIME- title track, about the tough oppressive THE MISSION where Nikki realized for the first time, what he did, the up-tempo number THE NEEDLE LIES to I DO NOT BELIEVE IN LOVE, the prime example of extraordinary vocal melodies à la Queensryche in verse and chorus.
The dramatic climax of the story provides SUITE SISTER MARY. This is the place to come together at the Nikki and Sister Mary. Mary has its own voice - it is sung by the vocally perfectly Geoff Tate matching Pamela Moore. The song lasts 10 minutes, from the mysterious intro over dramatic choral arrangements and the highly emotional parts of Geoff Tate and Pamela Moore to breathtaking instrumental parts.
The best song on the album presents probably represents the final track EYES OF A STRANGER, which by its construction of the quiet, yet verse driving through to infinitely expressive, energetic chorus, distinguished.
Operation: Mindcrime is a unique milestone in the progressive metal - an opus, which has lost none of its impact. The album is infinite guitar-heavy and heavy. In addition, a brilliant song and a memorable production. One highlight follows the next. All parts of the music and the story fit perfectly into each other, some with short cutscenes, flying the images of the dramatic history of the listener in mind. Over the 60 minutes original game time shines Operation: Mindcrime with captivating tension.
This remastered version comes with two bonus tracks on a good 68 minutes. The fascinating live versions of THE MISSION and MY EMPTY ROOM are from 1990 and 1994. Especially MY EMPTY ROOM has a relation to the album version greatly varied quiet version with interesting percussion.