Album Review: Queensryche - "Operation: Mindcrime II" (2006)

This sequel to 1988's "Operation: Mindcrime" concept album is, in a word, disappointing. The production is at times razor thin (no bass). Vocalist Geoff Tate's range is about a third of what it once was. A few good leads and licks as well, but they are outnumbered by the ones which are non-descript and seemingly half-hearted in their execution. Other irritations include poor placement of backing vox (more often than not, they just don't fit). I find that on some tracks, the band is trying to do too much, while on others, it's not trying hard enough and is selling the whole effort short.

As far as the story goes, it's confusing at best. For fans like me who were hoping that the band would rediscover its soaring, challenging '88-'90 era, this album isn't a great effort, despite some interesting moments. However, who knows? I may return to it in a few months and have it grow on me.

One positive thing are some of the comments Tate is making as he does press rounds for this disc ... here's a quote:

In 1991, there was a shift in the music industry when all the corporations fired all the music people and replaced them with Harvard-educated law school business people that we considered bean counters. They were not into music; they were into charts and figures and had a sports-team mentality to music that really sank the music business.

And we see the effects of that. It’s a conveyor-belt process that bands are on. They sign up a zillion bands now or the songs are about the same things and they throw it on the wall and see what sticks. There’s no long-term plan. .

Overall rating: 5.5/10 ... in the meantime, here's hoping for the next great metal concept album. (Bonus for Priest fans: after seeing this, you have to wonder what would have happened if Priest had replaced Halford with Sebastian Bach.)