UMUR "Operation: Mindcrime II" is the 9th full-length studio album by US heavy metal/hard rock act Queensrÿche. The album was released through Rhino Entertainment in April 2006. It´s the successor to "Tribe from 2003 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Mike Stone has now become a permanent member of the lineup (Stone recorded some parts on "Tribe (2003)" but wasn´t a permanent member of the band on that album). "Operation: Mindcrime II" is a concept album and a sequel to "Operation: Mindcrime" from 1988. An album which is widely considered the band´s crowning achivement, although "Empire (1990)" was the more commercially successful release.

Turmoil within the band meant that most of the album was written by lead vocalist Geoff Tate and new guitarist Mike Stone, while the rest of the band only contributed small parts to the album and didn´t record much either. Many parts were recorded by session musicians. The concept story starts where "Operation: Mindcrime (1988)" left off, only 18 years down the line, with protagonist Nikki being released from prison after serving his time for the murder of Sister Mary (who we know was actually murdered by Dr. X). The album goes through a wide range of Nikki´s emotions and actions, from anger, despair, and him questioning his own sanity, to another arrest, and him being on the run. Finally he gets his revenge over Dr. X when he kills him, but finds no solace in his deed, and ends up committing suicide. The story ends with Nikki´s spirit being reunited with Sister Mary´s in the afterlife (maybe in heaven?).

So the stage is set for another epic concept story like the original from 1988 and in some ways the concept works well. Musically though "Operation: Mindcrime II" has a hard time competing with "Operation: Mindcrime (1988)", as it predominantly continues the hard/heavy rock trend of the last couple of albums, which means the quality is alright, but there are only few standout tracks, and quite a few less remarkable ones. When they occassionally touch heavy metal territory they shine a bit more, and it becomes even more apparent what the less remarkable tracks on the album lack, and that´s attitude and heavy metal power. "Operation: Mindcrime II" is their most heavy metal oriented release in years though, and Queensrÿche should receive some praise for that.

Not surprisingly the musicianship is on a high level, and Tate was still a skilled and powerful singer at this point. The performances may be delivered by seasoned professionals, but it´s not instrumental performances dripping with sweat and raw emotion. It all sounds rather cold, flat, and calculated, and if it´s true that the other members didn´t contribute many parts to the album, that´s probably a good explanation, because however lacklustre some of their mid to late 90s releases are, they were always clearly performed with the right amount of passion and conviction.

The flat and compressed sound production does not make things better, and especially the drum sound is a bit of an abomination. Sometimes I´m in doubt if the drums are actually programmed rather than played by a human drummer. It´s safe to say it doesn´t sound like Scott Rockenfield playing. Of course even a world class drummer like him can have his performance ruined by a drum sound like the one on this album, but I´ll be very surprised if I learn that it´s him playing here.

So much is ruined by the sound production and the somewhat lifeless instrumental performances, but "Operation: Mindcrime II" is still relatively well written and enjoyable to some extent while it plays. It´s not the triumphant return to form that some fans may have expected/hoped for, when it was revealed that the band was working on an "Operation: Mindcrime (1988)" sequel, but it´s not completely redundant either. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

siLLy puPPy OPERATION MINDCRIME II is the sequel to the the 1988 classic and the ninth studio album by QUEENSRYCHE. The story picks up where the first left off where Nikki is arrested for the murder of his favorite prostitute turned nun Sister Mary. The story picks up faithfully 18 years later as he is released from prison and seeks the ultimate revenge on none other than Dr X who single-handedly flushed his life down the big crapper. We get a reprise from Pamela Moore as Sister Mary and even a cameo from Ronnie James Dio who takes on the unflattering role of Dr X. The band was in the midst of all the 2000s drama at this point. Chris DeGarmo, who briefly reunited with the band on “Tribe” butted heads with Geoff Tate and left for good. Due to diminishing sales the band retreated to one of their most respected albums and decided to make a sequel. Well not really. This seems to be a Geoff Tate project with the other members in name only. This was a studio musician affair with Rockenfield and Wilton's tracks being re-recorded by others and it sounds like it.

I have to admit that I was excited when this was released and even liked it at first, however even upon first listen it is immediately apparent that this is far inferior to the 1988 classic. The story is the best part as it explains a lot about what happened to the characters and even some of the individual tracks are pretty good. Even now I still find this an ok listen, but after repeated listens this definitely loses some of its luster. I find it safe to say that disappoints despite my overwhelming desire to want to like it. I love tracks like “I'm American,” “If I Could Change It All” and “Fear City Side” and a few others are ok-ish, but many of these are really not that great and the charade of how it was made becomes more apparent upon every spin. I really wish this could have been made in the 90s perhaps after “Empire” when the band was still at their peak and DeGarmo was on board but as history has unfolded it was not to be and in the process this is a very mixed album for me. OK but not great. Does it diminish the original? Hell no. I can still listen to that at any given moment and be floored and this only becomes weaker and weaker YET it isn't a total waste of time either.

Kingcrimsonprog Operation:Mindcrime II is the ninth full-length studio album by the Seattle-based Progressive Metal band Queensrÿche. It was released in 2006 and was a sequel to the band’s popular 1988 concept album Operation:Mindcrime.

The lyrics and sound effects on the album tell the story of the protagonist Nikki from the first Operation:Mindcrime album 18 years later, after having being released from prison. They discuss the state of the country now (modernizing `Revolution Calling’), how he fails to adjust to life outside prison, his decision to get revenge and his feelings for the late Sister Mary. It may sound like a cheesy or silly story to an outsider but it is actually remarkably tasteful, intelligent and well done.

It is easy to be cynical about this record. A lot of people feel that it should never have been made and that following up on a beloved classic album is a bad idea. Some things just don’t need sequels after all. It is also easy to be cynical about it when considering it was an oasis in the sea of diminishing returns that bucked the trend of reduced sales for the band.

Considering that the album actually was made however, and judging it on its own merits and not just on the idea of its existence, I feel that Operation:Mindcrime II is not only better than the last few Queensrÿche albums which preceded it, but also a damn good album, straight up. Its not as if it is just good for a late-era Queensrÿche album, it is a good album with no caveat.

Musically, the album is very strong indeed. It isn’t just a rehashing of the original with new lyrics or an unnecessary re-recording of old songs. There are tasteful nods here and there, such as choral chants reminiscent of `Suite Sister Mary’ and similar dialogue/sound effects segments, but so much more as well. The direction of the album is varied, mixing Alternative moments (`The Hostage’ `Speed Of Light’) Metal moments (`Murderer?’ `Sign Says Go’ `The Chase’ `Fear City Slide’) and quiet moments (`Circles’ `If I Could Change It All’ `All The Promises’). The music is slightly arty and progressive but still relatively instant and accessible. The concept drives it album a lot, but still at least half of the tracks would work well as stand alone tracks.

There are interesting moments here and there where you think, “That would fit on Tribe” “That riff is a little reminiscent of Rage For Order” “That’s the fastest song they’ve written in four whole albums” or “Geoff hasn’t used that style since Promised Land.” It does a good job overall of taking bits and pieces from the band’s entire career and tying them together into a cohesive whole.

Importantly however, It would still be a good album even if it had most of the same music but no link to Mindcrime. It is admittedly especially good when little bits are reminiscent of the original Mindcrime album, such as when Pamela Moore sings as Sister Mary, but these elements are icing on the cake, rather than the only thing it has going for it like you may expect if you were feeling cynical.

The only problems I can find with the album are small niggles. It is slightly overlong and could have done with loosing two or three tracks so as to come across as a tighter affair, the mix could have been a bit sharper and a few more guitar solos wouldn’t have hurt.

Excluding those niggles however; I really, really like the album. I think it is the most varied, vital and energetic album they have made in a while, the songs are mostly memorable and entertaining and it just grabs me in a way their earlier work did and Q2K didn’t. Its a grower and the more you listen to it, the more you get out of it. Tracks like `The Chase’ featuring Ronnie James Dio, the single `I’m American’ and the ridiculously catchy rhythmic number `Murderer?’ are great and make the album a real worthy addition to your collection.

Overall, as long as you can get over the fact that the album has been made in the first place, as long as you don’t mind it containing parts of the styles of other less popular Queensrÿche albums too and not just totally sounding like Mindcrime, and as long as you can give it a fair enough chance to allow it to grow on you properly, then I absolutely and whole-heartedly recommend this album to you. I like it an awful lot.

Time Signature Signs say go...

Genre: progressive metal

I think that this release has received more criticism than deserved. A lot of people dislike it simply because it is a sequel to a masterpiece. "Operation: Mindcrime II" may not be a masterpiece like "Operation: Mindcrime" (or "Empire" for that matter), but I think it is a pretty good album, and probably Queensrüche's best release of the 2000s.

"Operation: Mindcrime II" has a more modern sound than Queensrÿche's masterpieces of the 80s, but still recognizable as a Queensryche release. I mean it has all the drame and social commentary, and almost the same level of sophistication, as "Operation: Mindcrime", and a lot of the tracks are very solid rockers with Geoff Tate returning to form vocals-wise. There is also a guest appearance by Ronnie James Dio, who provides the voice of the villain Dr. X.

This is an underrated heavy metal album and, for my money, a more that worthy sequel to "Operation: Mindcrime".

Conor Fynes 'Operation: Mindcrime II' - Queensryche (7/10)

Here we are, after two decades of waiting (that's twenty two years!) we finally have the companion to Queensryche's magnum opus, 'Operation: Mindcrime.' I truly love the first 'Mindcrime,' and even though this album certainly doesn't match up in terms of brilliance or complexity, and the storyline isn't even worth comparing to the first one, 'Operation: Mindcrime II' is a very enjoyable record that I've gotten quite a few listens out of.

The main difference between this album and it's prequel is quite possibly the departure of songwriter/guitarist Chris DeGarmo, who alongside Geoff Tate composed the center of the band. While it's a real shame someone as talented as he left, Queensryche was starting to slip in DeGarmo's later years with the band, and this is certainly better than most of Queensryche's 90's material.

It's foolish to expect a classic as worthy as the original 'Mindcrime' but there are some amazing parts here, including the duet with Ronnie James Dio in 'The Chase.' A great album, and it doesn't dissapoint.

AtomicCrimsonRush The operation was a success but the patient was put to sleep

Queensrÿche followed up their masterpiece “Operation Mindcrime” with this offering and I eagerly awaited to hear it like every other Queensryche fan. There is good news and bad news. The good news is it is not half as bad or mediocre as some of the bands discography, the bad news is it doesn’t hold a candle to the original. I love the way though it faithfully continues where the first album left off continuing the sage of the assassin who is being mind controlled by deviants. But it does not have the same surprises or star material.

Tate is in full voice and the guitars are excellent at times but overall it does not deliver the goods. There is a great deal of mediocrity on this and there should not be. If you are going to make a sequel of a masterpiece you can at least try to match the excellence of the first album but I feel there is a lot of throwaway filler material such as Murderer?

There are some great moments making this a worthwhile purchase. The intro is dynamic and full of innovation. I'm American is a killer track and memorable. Freiheit Ouvertüre, Hostage, If I Could Change It All and Fear City Slide are wonderful proggy songs with great hooks and fret melting lead breaks, the drums and bass are an effective rhythm machine throughout. Other songs are only half decent such as One Foot In Hell, Speed Of Light, Re-arrange You, The Chase and An Intentional Confrontation.

So I was left a little disappointed, and even Pamela Moore does not measure up, it is forgettable apart from a few shining moments. It grew on me more after a few listens but lacked the power of the original that was mindblowing. Yes, it was a real letdown, but I found the best way to hear this is with the first album and as a rather lengthy conceptualisation the two work together very well. I would love to see a DVD of these two albums performed live as an intriguing project. 3 stars for the excellent moments.

ydewata After 16 years or so of persisting not to continue the story of their epic Operation: Mindcrime saga, Queensrÿche finally gave what most of their fans wanted, the sequel of Operation: Mindcrime. At first I was somewhat skeptic about it, but then I realized that this output might shed some lights to their journey. Judging by the fact how their music had changed during these years, I didn’t put too much hope and expectation in regards to the release of Operation: Mindcrime II in 2006. This would be no comparable to the original Mindcrime to name one, of course.

To much surprise, this album to my opinion marks that Queensrÿche is starting to return to their form, after being somewhat directionless during their 1999’s Q2K and 2003’s Tribe (I like Tribe though). The band really shines throughout the album. Guitar-duo Michael Wilton and Mike Stone are running hot with their duel guitar solos (yes, you read it correct! There are guitar solos!). Geoff Tate also shines bright here. He touched those high notes that he had left since Q2K.

This album comprises of heavy metal tracks with touches of progressive rock elements here and there. Also it has some musical connection to the original Mindcrime that would help you to connect to this new effort. Out of 17 tracks provided, most probably “Signs Say Go” is the only filler. It only fits as a bridge to the following track “Re-arrange You”, an example of heavy metal track with progressive rock element (and orchestra!). “The Chase” is one of the highlights where Geoff had a vocals-duel with Ronnie James Dio. The Devilish Dio plays the role of Dr. X while Geoff takes role as Nikki. Pamela Moore was also given more roles here as Sister Mary, appearing as a ghostly form in several tracks (“If I Could Change It All” and “All The Promises” to name two).

They also beautifully blended their old-school elements with their Tribe musical style in “One Foot In Hell” and “Hostage”. While “The Hands” seems to be a much re-fined work of their Tribe era. I think Tribe would have been a very great record if Geoff could let loose his voice as in “The Hands”. Another highlight is their first single “I’m American”, running fast in the vein of Mindcrime’s “The Needle Lies”.

This is a recommended to any Queensrÿche fans as well as to new fans that would like to explore their music. I intentionally not discuss their lyrics here. It is for you to find out the surprises there. If you are aware of Operation: Mindcrime, please put out that hat so you can have a fresh mind when get into this record. It is not to compare to the original Mindcrime as this record (I am sure) can stand on its own, musically.