Eyes Of A Stranger
Finally my month long tribute to Queensryche has come to an end, this post's title is the last title from the brilliant Operation: Mindcrime album that they released in 1988. Today a new era dawns for one of the best bands on the planet because today Queensryche finally released the highly anticipated sequel, Operation: Mindcrime II and now metal heads all over the world can rejoice.The band had a listening party last weekend for the cd and streamed the album in its entirety (which I must have listened to about 20 times or so while they had it up) to stir up the hype a bit more for its release. In my extensive listening to the album I had formed many opinions on it but I was holding out until its official release today to give them just incase I might spoil any of the story for anyone who might be interested.
Review time:
I have waited over 18 years to hear this sequel and with all of that build up Queensryche not only did not let me down but they delivered an amazing experience that is on par with the first Mindcrime and that in my mind is a truly awesome accomplishment.
The album is nothing short of a marvel. When the first Mindcrime was released in '88 it broke new grounds and set a level of expectation for the band which quite frankly has not been reached again... until now. The album pushes one of the most innovative bands ever to a new level and the story telling here is absolutely stunning.
The first Mindcrime story was about a down on his luck junkie named Nikki who is recruited by a manulipative anarchist named "Dr. X". "X" uses Nikki to carry out a series of assinations of powerful political and religous leaders. In the process Nikki falls in love with a prostitute turned nun "Mary". When the story ended last Mary was mysteriously murdered and Nikki was locked up in an aslyum being set up by Dr. X and left to rot for all of the murders including Mary's.
Pick up 18 years later with Mindcrime II and now Nikki is finally released and absolutely hell-bent on revenge. When the first song (I'm American) starts Nikki reveals that he has a plan to "terminate" Dr. X and the stage is set for the whole cd. Mary also returns (in spirit) to guide Nikki and in the stand out song The Hands Nikki sings of guidance from out of nowhere, he does not realize that it is Mary watching over him until the end of the cd in the song An Intentional Confrontation where the two finally "meet".
Some of the amazing highlights of the album include the two climactic songs Re-arrange You and The Chase. In these songs Nikki hunts down and confronts Dr. X for the final time and in The Chase the voice of Dr. X is sung by metal legend Ronnie James Dio and I have to say that the song sends chills up my spine, it is two the the best metal voices ever on display as Dio and Queensryche front man Geoff Tate verbally duke it out in one of the coolest duets ever recorded.
I can go on and on about how amazing the cd is but in its just my opinion... but if you like rock/metal I am TELLING you that this cd is ESSENTIAL, it does not disappoint trust me.
The Queen is back and she has never sounded so F'n good.
posted by Antek on 4/04/2006
3 Comments:
You know, having not heard the gunshot or the killing blow at the end of the Nikki/X confrontation, I have to wonder what really happened.
As Nikki came to realize that true freedom was not had in killing X, but rather in freeing himself from the anger and hate which X cultivated in him and drove him to seek revenge, I have to wonder if he let X live.
In any event, it might have been more fitting if the final confrontation was not followed by gunshots, but rather police kicking in the door and taking X to a lifetime in prison, a fate which he always felt he would never have to fear.
We also know that Nikki was pushed to the edge of suicide, but again, never know what really happened.
I'm eager to see what the concert performances show us - I'm betting these questions will be answered on the road, across America, for their fans.
OM1 = 10
OM2 = 7/8 (with room to move up)
Considering OM1 is, as they say, one of my deserted island cd's, OM2 has to be out of this world to match it. They came close, but not close enough. Excellent work by the 'Ryche none the less...
What did you do?............
If ya haven't heard mang, Tates' touting that the first Mindcrime has been written for the big screen, with the sequel in the works as well!!
I'm super excited to see this show! Hell, I wish I could head up there and see the shows with you and Ram! That would rock!!
In any case I'm snaggin tickets for the shows down here. Their opening the tour up in Orlando and I may just have to see that one as well!
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