Review: "Operation: Livecrime" by Queensryche (1991)

With this package, borrowed from my brother-in-law, Seattle's Queensryche, the "thinking man's metal band", released a live VHS/CD of their Operation: Mindcrime concept album which was originally recorded in 1988. Filmed live on the band's "Building Empires" tour across Wisconsin in May of '91, the Orwellian political thriller is performed in its entirety and captured by director Wayne Isham.

The plot goes as follows: Nikki, a heroin addict, is brainwashed by the mysterious Dr. X into carrying out assassinations of X's political enemies, however, he falls in love with stripper-turned-nun Mary along the way. Just as Nikki is starting to question his mission, Mary ends up dead. Nikki is arrested for the crime and is sent to an asylum, where he retells the saga for the listener.

The band sounds amazingly crisp, melodic, and passionate here. Vocalist Geoff Tate hits all the high notes and the drumming of Scott Rockenfeld is simply amazing, especially on "Revolution Calling". In fact, they sound so good that they have to have redone some parts in the studio to get the mix just right. Considering that I watched this on VHS, it's even more impressive.

Live, "Mindcrime" becomes much more majestic than the story would suggest, due in no small part to the orchestration of Michael Kamen. Admittedly, it does become a little laboured about 2/3 of the way through but the 'Ryche picks things up again with "Eyes of a Stranger" and "I Don't Believe in Love" which are both shining examples of metal at its best.

On April 4 of this year, Queensryche is releasing "Operation: Mindcrime II", which will conclude the tale. Hopes are high for this album, and I imagine are even more so for those fans who have seen "Livecrime". However, after a series of lacklustre albums following 1990's superb "Empire", Tate's own addiction to heroin and the departure of original "Mindcrime" co-writer, guitarist Chris DeGarmo, I would advise that low expectations are probably best.

Queensryche's music has nothing in common with hair band, cock-rock contemporaries like Poison and is much more structured than the at-times-veering-off-into-pointlessness wanking of Dream Theater. (Both of those styles of metal have both their merits and their place but are very much not for everyone.)

On the whole, if you are looking for some clean-sounding, intelligent and technically virtuosic live hard rock (which is more than I can say for most bands from the Pacific Northwest), get this. (Thankfully it was released on DVD in full 5.1 surround sound back in 2001. I have a copy ordered from Amazon.)

It is excellent.

Overall rating: 8/10