"Operation Mindcrime II" full album in streaming audio!

[SeaStorm]

Damn, I'm envious of you guys. You can really tell how good something is after one listen? Not me. I think most CDs are under-whelming the first time I hear them. I've learned that I have to listen to most ablums five times before I can even start to appreciate the music.

That said, I'm passing on listening to the stream and will buy it. Even the QR albums that everyone hates (HITNF, Q2K, and Tribe) have some good stuff in my book. In fact, I think HITNF is quite good.

It sure seems like Chris DeGarmo might have been the real creative power behind Queensrÿche, eh?

The only problem with this argument (and I've observed this debate many times) is that HITNF was DeGarmo's baby and it's the one that seemed universally hated as the start of the slide. So you can't give DeGarmo credit for the good stuff and not the bad stuff.

I'm not saying I agree, just playing devil's advocate

 

[Kenneth R.]

I've heard some of the tracks before, such as "I'm American" and the others they let out... I also am a big fan of Tribe, if that says anything. I just really think this album is a snooze, and other bands' recent releases have scored me in one listen (see Vanden Plas, Mind's Eye)

 

[DreamNeonBlack]

Well I'm glad most people feel like I do, I've heard alot of " OOH IT IS RYCHE BACK TO FORM "

But.....I'm not hearing it, there are a few parts, occasional pieces that were cool. Those parts are few and far between and not enough to save the CD.
The lyrics seemed slightly forced at times and is it just me or is Tate trying to slip in some really out of place blues vocals?

I thought Tribe was a step in the right direction, albeit a small step.

Degarmo wrote his share of crap also, HITNF was alot of his songs so don't give him all of the credit for the good stuff.

I really really wanted to like this CD, I have been listening to it for a while now but overall it is OK at best.

 

[Greykiller]

Awesome album. I think it lives up to its promise. Has somewhat of the 'older' metal sound, but mixes in some newer elements to give it a unique feel.

Maybe it is because of the way it was streaming. But I thought it sounded like shit.

 

[Cheiron]

I agree the sound quality was poor. But I was putting that into how I was listening to it. I guess I figure that on an album at much better compression rates it will sound clearer and fuller. Maybe I'll be wrong.

 

[dargormudshark]

Wow...I made it about half way through before getting bored with the mediocrity. Nothing I've heard was in any way memorable, especially Tate's vocals. I'll give it a few days and listen again, but it's not looking good.

same here, by like the 5th track I said fuck this and gave the new evergrey another try, that let me down to. So i threw on slaughter of the soul

 

[lady_space]

Damn, I'm envious of you guys. You can really tell how good something is after one listen? Not me. I think most CDs are under-whelming the first time I hear them. I've learned that I have to listen to most ablums five times before I can even start to appreciate the music.

That said, I'm passing on listening to the stream and will buy it. Even the QR albums that everyone hates (HITNF, Q2K, and Tribe) have some good stuff in my book. In fact, I think HITNF is quite good.

I wouldn't use the phrase "quite good," but HitNF does have several quality songs on it, IMO, so there may be some vailidity to the argument that DeGarmo took the best part of the creative process with him.

However, I think that's only a small part of the issue. I think the bigger issue is, as someone pointed out long ago, in a nutshell and way simplified, Geoff isn't pissed off anymore. I mean, come on, it's the better part of 20 years since Mindcrim, and their lives have changed. It sucks that they haven't been able to put out but maybe an album's worth of decent songs over the past decade, but it's not entirely surprising either IMO.

Shaye, who listened to it more than once

 

[TXHOSER]

This was shaping up to be a bad week. I handed in my Dallas Cowbows fan card earlier this week(Damn you Jerry Jones!!!) and was gearing up to do the same with my Queensryche card. I'm only a couple of songs in and so far I think it's the best they've done since Promise Land. That's not saying much. The guitars are way thin but there have been some cool riffs here and there. It's still a little flat for some reason I can't put my finger on.

What can I say? My expectations were nil and so far they have been exceded. I'll buy one more Queensryche album but if it sucks...that's it
Tate. You're on the list w/ Jerry Jones, George Lucas and the James Bond franchise.

Seacrest out.

 

[aztattooedsean]

same here, by like the 5th track I said fuck this and gave the new evergrey another try, that let me down to. So i threw on slaughter of the soul

you decided to throw on a very overrated cd and not even the best ATG cd
?

 

[Everonn]

This album took a few listens, but...

Mindcrime II fucking rocks! There are so many interesting things going on in the music that, once I started to know the songs, it just sinks its teeth into me and drags me along for the ride.

I think more people would dig it if Mindcrime I wasn't such a legendary record. MC II doesn't sound like MC I...it's not quite as straightforward heavy as MC I, and it's certainly not as flawlessly executed. I think that turns people off. But I think those who are able to absorbe MC II on its own merits are in for a real treat. There's some very cool writing on these songs.



- Chris

 

[General Zod]

However, I think that's only a small part of the issue. I think the bigger issue is, as someone pointed out long ago, in a nutshell and way simplified, Geoff isn't pissed off anymore.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's amazing to me that more people don't recognize this, as the primary driving factor behind the decline of most Metal bands, especially those who began with a sound born of aggression and/or intensity.

Metal needs to be written by intense/angry individuals, not guys driving a Mercedes, 20 pounds over weight and banging a supermodel. It doesn't work. If you're familiar with Mindcrime's story (and if you’re not, shame on you), it's clear that Geoff was pissed at the world. His lyrics are a seething indictment of our government, our media, our religions and our lifestyle. Now he's a 50 year old Republican, simply trying to firm up his nest egg for his golden years. I'm shocked to think anyone was expecting a sequel deserving of the Mindcrime moniker.

As Britt pointed out, if “Mindcrime II’s” driving force was artistic, and not financial, than Mike Stone and Jason Slater would not be two of the primary creative forces behind this disc.

Zod

 

[dargormudshark]

you decided to throw on a very overrated cd and not even the best ATG cd
?

What i've heard of all the previoss ATG albums was absolutely horrible. The sound quality was fucking awful, and most of the songs were pretty boring

 

[Cheiron]

I listened to the full album again, in CD quality... and here is my review (I started off doing a song by song review, but quickly I started to say similar things)



Overall: I give it a 6/10. I think that its a decent album for progressive metal fans. The problem is we just expected so much more. We know what QR is capable of, and this album doesn't fulfill that. I can't say they are selling out, because honestly, I don't know who is going to buy this album, and it won't get airtime. However, it might be good live, considering the effort that QR puts into their live shows. Nonetheless, I think I'll listen to it a few times here and there, with some skips on the dry songs.

All to often the guitar riffs are very boring and repetitive. In most songs you get a treat with some lead guitar work at the latter third of the song. But even then, most of these leads are basic. And as people said Dio is a fine singer, but with Geoff Tate it can be difficult to distinguish as their styles are similar.

One Foot in Hell is a strong QR song, and one of the best on the album. Murderer? has a good lead at the end, but the rest of the song is laughable. The songs are often about the story, with seemingly little focus on the quality of the lyrics, nor the quality of the music. Several of their songs including "I'm American" and "the Chase" seemed like QR took some lessons from some of the alt-metal groups that got airtime. Its a bad thing.

If you make your way to the end of the album, "An Intentional Confrontation" is a pretty good song. And "A Junkie's Blues" makes you really feel that its a concept album, and is an enjoyable track. At this point of the album I started to get back into it. "Fear City Slide" has a feel of the old (without the intricate guitar work), but overall it has a groove that is fun to listen to, and Tate's vocals are better on this song than the previous songs. "All the Promises" is a quality slow prog rock/metal song. Its production seems a little off, but the guitar work and vocals give the song some movement and energy. If the whole album had the quality of the last 4 songs, it would have been a strong album.

If you've taken anything away from this review. If you skip the first half or 2/3rds of each song... you get a shortened enjoyable album. You just won't have a clue what is going on. <grin>








---

 

[etherealsoul]

Well said SeaStorm, well said!

Damn, I'm envious of you guys. You can really tell how good something is after one listen? Not me. I think most CDs are under-whelming the first time I hear them. I've learned that I have to listen to most ablums five times before I can even start to appreciate the music.

That said, I'm passing on listening to the stream and will buy it. Even the QR albums that everyone hates (HITNF, Q2K, and Tribe) have some good stuff in my book. In fact, I think HITNF is quite good.



The only problem with this argument (and I've observed this debate many times) is that HITNF was DeGarmo's baby and it's the one that seemed universally hated as the start of the slide. So you can't give DeGarmo credit for the good stuff and not the bad stuff.

I'm not saying I agree, just playing devil's advocate

 

[edgeofthorns]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's amazing to me that more people don't recognize this, as the primary driving factor behind the decline of most Metal bands, especially those who began with a sound born of aggression and/or intensity.

Metal needs to be written by intense/angry individuals, not guys driving a Mercedes, 20 pounds over weight and banging a supermodel. It doesn't work. If you're familiar with Mindcrime's story (and if you&#8217;re not, shame on you), it's clear that Geoff was pissed at the world. His lyrics are a seething indictment of our government, our media, our religions and our lifestyle. Now he's a 50 year old Republican, simply trying to firm up his nest egg for his golden years. I'm shocked to think anyone was expecting a sequel deserving of the Mindcrime moniker.

As Britt pointed out, if &#8220;Mindcrime II&#8217;s&#8221; driving force was artistic, and not financial, than Mike Stone and Jason Slater would not be two of the primary creative forces behind this disc.

Zod

I agree with you in one sense, but not in Queensryche's case. Geoff is still pissed off at politics, government, etc., so I don't think that's the problem. IMO, Geoff tries too hard to be "modern" , so the signature Queensryche sound has suffered for that. It's pretty much like stripping the sound of Pink Floyd or something...it just doesn't work! Untill he gets that through his freakin' thick skull, the music will never be any better than it is! The bottom line? Geoff has kids and he listens too much to them and not his core fanbase from the 80s. I remember him telling a story about his daughter giving him a hard time about the tight leather pants he wears during the first Mindcrime tour. He said that she was embarrased at school, etc. Ever since he's spent his time trying to be whatever he thinks is approved by today's youth.

As for the new Mindcrime, I think it's mostly boring. There's some decent elements of it, but not enough for me to say it's a very good album. IMO, I don't think it's really any better than Q2K to be honest, with the exception of having RJD sing a few lines.

 

[General Zod]

I agree with you in one sense, but not in Queensryche's case. Geoff is still pissed off at politics, government, etc.

And religion? OMc is an serious indictment on religion. Now he's born again. Quite the switch. Regardless, he isn't the same person he was when he penned the original (and I wouldn't expect him to be).

Zod

 

[Greykiller]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's amazing to me that more people don't recognize this, as the primary driving factor behind the decline of most Metal bands, especially those who began with a sound born of aggression and/or intensity.

Metal needs to be written by intense/angry individuals, not guys driving a Mercedes, 20 pounds over weight and banging a supermodel. It doesn't work. If you're familiar with Mindcrime's story (and if you’re not, shame on you), it's clear that Geoff was pissed at the world. His lyrics are a seething indictment of our government, our media, our religions and our lifestyle. Now he's a 50 year old Republican, simply trying to firm up his nest egg for his golden years. I'm shocked to think anyone was expecting a sequel deserving of the Mindcrime moniker.

As Britt pointed out, if “Mindcrime II’s” driving force was artistic, and not financial, than Mike Stone and Jason Slater would not be two of the primary creative forces behind this disc.

Zod

It is amazing how Zod can scan the ether and come up with exact definitions of people's behaviour. I would love to hear his thoughts on ethnic groups.

That said, I believe that you can write incredible metal lyrics without being angry but it probably helps to be pissed off when you get creative. There are a lot of upbeat metal songs out there that have no connection to anger. Does that mean you draw from anger to make an upbeat song? I don't think so.

Personally I could not care less what the driving force is behind the creation of music. Trying to pick apart the motivations that make an album good or bad seems like an incredible waste of time.

All I know is when I hear something good, I like it. When I heard MCII, I wanted to vomit. I do not care about Tate's politics, his religion, or his motivation. All I know is that the album sucks elephant balls.

 

[lady_space]

It is amazing how Zod can scan the ether and come up with exact definitions of people's behaviour. I would love to hear his thoughts on ethnic groups.

Zod, like many others including myself, has read a lot on what Geoffy has had to say both in the past and more recently and can therefore make some pretty educated guesses on his motivations IMO. When you're talking about politics, which Mindcrime undoubtedly does, then the songwriters' politics are certainly a valid discussion topic. Certainly he is not the first, even in these thread, to address WHY Queensryche "lost it."

I honestly don't see where the comment on "ethnic groups" comes in, other than trying to be infammatory. Generalizations based on ethnicity are one thing, talking about the general type of a certain poilitical sway is an entirely different one.

Shaye

 

[Pellaz]

Geoff "don't drink milk because it's all a plot by the Evil Dairy Industry" Tate is now a Republican? I'd be shocked if that were the case.

 

[General Zod]

I honestly don't see where the comment on "ethnic groups" comes in, other than trying to be infammatory.

Nor do I. I didn't think what I said, drew any conclusions that couldn't be logically drawn, from reading what Geoff has said throughout QR's career. Whatever.

Zod