Amazon.co.uk Review
Long dubbed "the thinking man's metal band," Queensryche have always been difficult to classify; somewhere between Iron Maiden and Pink Floyd.
Mindcrime was their breakthrough album, garnering the band commercial and critical success. Arguably their best release, this is a complex, ambitious effort, with top-notch music and a complicated storyline (a disillusioned fortune hunter of the Reagan era joins an underground movement to assassinate political scumbags) that flows smoothly from start to finish. The combination of experimental, progressive music with shorter, more radio-friendly songs works well, and enabled the band to release singles from the album while keeping the story intact. These shorter songs provide the album's most exciting moments; "Revolution Calling", "Eyes of a Stranger", and "I Don't Believe in Love" are some of the best metal songs out there.
--Genevieve Williams
CD Description
The album that preceded this release, RAGE FOR ORDER, came as a surprise to some fans because of the group's appropriation of electronic sound-generating techniques. Undeterred, the band composed its most challenging work yet, the epic concept album OPERATION: MINDCRIME. Originally issued in 1988, the hard-edged album slowly worked its way up the charts andbecame the band's first gold-certified release (an opening slot on Def Leppard's sold-out HYSTERIA tour certainly didn't hurt, either). The story-line centres on a drug addict whofalls in love with a former prostitute turned nun. Together, they uncover a dangerous underground movement and try to stop it before it's too late.
OPERATION: MINDCRIME remainsQueensryche's best and most consistent release--most of thetracks can be enjoyed out of the context of the storyline on the strength of their songwriting and instrumental performances. Individual standouts include the two popular MTV hits"I Don't Believe in Love" and "Eyes of a Stranger", as wellas the lesser-known "Anarchy X", "Revolution Calling", the title track, "Speak", "Spreading the Disease", and the more than 10-minute long epic "Suite Sister Mary". For fans of metal with a prog-rock edge, OPERATION: MINDCRIME is definitely one of the '80's best.
