Queensryche ready to make "OPERATION:MINDCRIME II"!

[Mr Badguy]

According to Queensryche.com, the bands autumn tour will include a preview of songs the band are working on for a follow up to 1988`s breakthrough "Operation:Mindcrime" concept album.

The album has long been lauded as one of the great concept albums and turned Queensryche from struggling hopefuls to international superstars.

I`m not sure if this is a good idea, personally.

The band have always said they would never make a sequel and this smacks of a band who don`t know which direction to take.

It is a hell of an album to live up to.

Also, do they go back to making the sort of old school metal that was so much a part of the original or will they continue with the style they currently play?

Will they get help from Chris DeGarmo, who co-wrote many of the standout tracks like "Suite sister Mary", The mission", "I don`t believe in love" and "Eyes of a stranger"?

I`m a big fan so I hope it`s good, because if it`s not it could mean the end for the `Ryche.

[Mezro]

This is a huge gamble to take and could end them if the result is shitty.

I don't think they can pull it off unless Chris becomes a full time member again. So far, they plan on recording this with Mike Stone.

Queensryche are one of my favorite bands from back in the day; I hope it all clicks and OM:II kicks ass.

Mezro...come on Chris...get your ass back in the fold and beat those strings like a horny mime...

[Diver Down NJ]

This looks like the end of QR. :(

Which isn't a horrible thing. I really enjoyed Geoff Tate's solo album and hope he'll release another.

[WACF]

Sequels usually suck...hopefully not in this case.

[Mr Badguy]

Originally posted by WACF
Sequels usually suck...hopefully not in this case.

I don`t know where they can go with it.

It could be about Nikki escaping from prison and going after Dr X, if Dr X was a real person and not just a story Nikki made up as an alibi for the murders he commited.

One of the best things about the original was that the end was really vague and left a lot of unanswered questions.

I hope they don`t spoil the original with some crap story filling in the spaces or what happened afterwards.

Somethings should be left the way they are as ill conceived follow ups can ruin them in your mind.

Like "Terminator 3".

[monkeythe]

Hopefully they don't go the Star Wars route and make it a prequel.

[Panamark]

Interesting !! Looking forward to hearing the results.. I hope it dosent suck. But sequels are always hit or miss. More frequently miss.

[Panamark]

They have to get the exact same lineup for this to have any hope.

[ELVIS]

It's gonna suck...

[freak]

Originally posted by ELVIS
It's gonna suck...

It probably will. They should just leave well enough alone. They were lucky enough to have written one classic concept album. Trying to do it again without their best songwriter doesn't make sense.

I hope I'm wrong, though.

[Mr Badguy]

The only one that ever worked and had credibility was "Bat out of hell II : Back into hell" by Meatloaf.

But even that is still dwarfed by the original.

[bueno bob]

Queensryche gets worse every album. Hopefully, this will be the nail in the coffin that's so richly deserved. Keeping my fingers crossed! They were a hell of a good band at one point, but man, everything since Empire has been a downhill slide.

[horty07]

I hope they can pull it off, the original kicked ass.

[Mr Badguy]

Originally posted by bueno bob
Queensryche gets worse every album. Hopefully, this will be the nail in the coffin that's so richly deserved. Keeping my fingers crossed! They were a hell of a good band at one point, but man, everything since Empire has been a downhill slide.

I don`t know about that.

Apart from "Q2K", their albums since "Empire" have not been total rubbish.

93`s "Promised land" is an amazing album and my favourite, although it may be too dark for casual listeners.

"Hear in the now frontier" had some great songs and would have done better if it wasn`t a Queensryche album as it alienated the fanbase with it`s sudden change in direction.

"Tribe", IMO, was another good album although it was nearer to "HITNF" sound wise than 80`s Queensryche.

"Q2K" sucked big time.

I don`t want this to be the end of Queensryche as I still enjoy their music, even if it is different from their classic albums.

If you don`t like it, don`t buy it.

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by Mr Badguy
I don`t want this to be the end of Queensryche as I still enjoy their music, even if it is different from their classic albums.

If you don`t like it, don`t buy it.

No worries, I don't plan to.

Queensryche, to me, parallels Van Halen in one significant way - the further back into their catalog you go, the better off you're going to be. On a personal note, from my own standpoint, I think the band's over and their day is long behind them. Like I said, in my own opinion, Promised Land and everything after has been a big let down and not even worth picking up out of cut-out bins (which is where I've found everything since Empire...I got the double live CD a few years back for $4.50 and still thought it was overpriced, mostly that was due to Kelly Gray, though...).

[Mr Badguy]

I don`t think Queensryche have ever made a really bad album except by their own standards.

They write good songs and are great musicians to a man.

I think the only thing they have ever had a problem with is direction.

They want to be like Rush and not be pigeon-holed, but are too associated with metal to get away with it.

And hardcore metal fans won`t embrace them because of their changing sound.

[badhorsie]

No hope without Chris.

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by Mr Badguy
I don`t think Queensryche have ever made a really bad album except by their own standards.

They write good songs and are great musicians to a man.

I think the only thing they have ever had a problem with is direction.

They want to be like Rush and not be pigeon-holed, but are too associated with metal to get away with it.

And hardcore metal fans won`t embrace them because of their changing sound.

Well, again, it's a personal preference thing. I have no problem at all with progressive music with a harder edge...in fact, anything progressive at all...go through my CD collection and you'll find Leviathan, Shadow Gallery, Yes, ELP, Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Opeth, Kansas, Camel, Rush, Blind Guardian, Angra, Savatage, and yes, Queensryche too...the list just goes on and on...

I still consider myself a hardcore metal fan, but I haven't evolved with Queensryche because I don't think they've evolved well. On the other hand, I've been riding with Savatage since 1985/1986 and that band has absolutely NOTHING even remotely close to a metal sound anymore, but the difference is that I think they've aged very well and haven't lost their direction in the attempt to find a new one. And Savatage, at their beginning (say, Sirens/Dungeons Are Calling era) were a LOT more metal than Queensryche ever dreamed of becoming...of course, almost nobody remembers that anymore, but the point remains.

Still, I can see what you're saying and acknowledge it.

[Kermit The Frog]

I just saw them in Spokane, WA last weekend. They did a regular set of greatest hits then the whole Mindcrime show with actors on stage, the video of Mindcrime and some TV news footage on large screens. It was very cool. The club they played in fairly intimate so the sound was really good and the band was as tight as I can remeber and sounded fantastic. If they are in your area I recommend seeing them. :cool:

[Diver Down NJ]

Who is their 2nd guitarist?

[Kermit The Frog]

Some bald guy ( I think he was bald? ). I'm sure they intro'd him but I had too much to drink and I dont remember.

Sorry bald dude.

[Mr Badguy]

Mike Stone.

Not a full band member but a hired gun.

However, he plays better than Kelly Gray.