🎵 The Albums of My Life

Revisiting the albums that became part of my story.

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🎵

Artist: [Queensrÿche - Operation Mindcrime]
Release Year: [1988]
Genre: [Rock, Progressive Metal]
Cover Image:

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I. Introduction

Queensrÿche – Make the Revolution!

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II. First Impressions

Queensrÿche is a band that defined an era with heavier sounds that were equally melodic and enjoyable. With an outstanding vocalist, their theatricality combined with the quality of the other musicians quickly brought them into the spotlight of a style I deeply appreciate — Progressive Metal. Their compositions are perfect symmetries in a Bauhaus-like style and quite introspective. At the time, the lyrics were groundbreaking and revolutionary. Simply delightful to listen to…

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III. The Context

Queensrÿche began as The Mob in 1981, founded by guitarist Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield, guitarist Chris DeGarmo, and bassist Eddie Jackson. Without a singer, they recruited Geoff Tate to perform with them at a local rock festival. At the time, Tate was in another band called Babylon. After Babylon disbanded, Tate performed a few shows with The Mob but left the group.In 1981, The Mob raised enough funds to record a demo tape. Once again, they asked Tate—who was then in another band, Myth—to record vocals, and they recorded four songs: “Queen of the Reich,” “Nightrider,” “Blinded,” and “The Lady Wore Black.”Since the name The Mob was not available, they decided to name the band Queensrÿche, after the first song on their demo tape, “Queen of the Reich.” In 1983, Queensrÿche released this demo tape as a self-titled EP, Queensrÿche. After the EP gained international acclaim, receiving heavy airplay and selling an unusually high number of copies for a small independent release, Tate agreed to leave Myth and become the permanent vocalist of Queensrÿche. With their first full-length album, “The Warning” (1984), and its follow-up “Rage for Order” (1986), Queensrÿche continued to establish themselves globally as one of the most respected and creative bands of the 1980s. The band received worldwide acclaim with the 1988 album “Operation: Mindcrime,” often considered one of the greatest concept albums of all time. The 1990 follow-up album “Empire” was also highly successful and included the hit single “Silent Lucidity.” The band received three Grammy Award nominations for songs from both albums, and Rockenfield also received a Grammy nomination outside of Queensrÿche. In 1997, guitarist and primary songwriter Chris DeGarmo left the band for personal reasons. Over the years, his replacements included Kelly Gray, Mike Stone, and Parker Lundgren, in that order. During a band meeting on April 12, 2012, which Tate did not attend, members discussed outsourcing the fan club and merchandise, resulting in the dismissal of Tate’s stepdaughter Miranda from running the band’s fan club. Wilton, Rockenfield, and Jackson also dismissed the band’s manager, Susan Tate, citing ongoing “arguments and division” over decisions and feeling that she was not acting in the best interests of the entire band. On April 14, 2012, before soundcheck at the HSBC Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, Tate confronted Wilton, Rockenfield, and Jackson about firing his wife and stepdaughter, while the other band members questioned him about an agreement with Zoetifex Studios. Following this incident in São Paulo, Tate was dismissed from the band and replaced by Todd La Torre of Crimson Glory. On June 12, Tate and his wife filed a lawsuit in Seattle against his former bandmates, claiming he had been illegally dismissed from the band. They also requested a preliminary injunction to prevent both parties from using the name Queensrÿche. On July 13, 2012, the Washington State Superior Court denied this motion, as well as a motion for preliminary summary judgment filed by the defendants. The court ruled that both parties could use the Queensrÿche name until the next court date. As a result of the preliminary ruling, there were two versions of Queensrÿche until the court or a settlement determined who would officially hold the name and associated trademarks. The Geoff Tate–fronted version of Queensrÿche released the album “Frequency Unknown” on April 23, 2013. It was made public on April 28, 2014, that Rockenfield, Wilton, and Jackson were granted exclusive rights to the Queensrÿche name, while Tate received rights to Operation: Mindcrime (which by that time had produced two albums). The Queensrÿche lineup consisting of Todd La Torre, Michael Wilton, Parker Lundgren, Eddie Jackson, and Scott Rockenfield released their new self-titled album on June 24, 2013. The album “Queensrÿche” sold around 13,500 copies in the United States during its first week, landing at No. 23 on the Billboard 200.

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IV. How It Aged

I love every song on this album, and its sound will always be a reference point for the genre. Here I’ll focus on the lyrics, which make more sense today than ever. We’re going through a turbulent period in which many heinous tyrants want to take control of humanity on a global scale. The lyrics on this album point to the criticism of political power, media manipulation, and extremism. They feel extremely current and remind us that humanity does not learn from history.

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V. Favorite Tracks

Track	Impression
Revolution Calling	it is a call for Global Peace
Suite Sister Mary	Novella
Eyes Of a Stranger	Those are mine too....

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VI. Legacy & Personal Impact

For me, this album was—and still is—the lens through which I observe the world. With every new listen, small layers are uncovered and savored. Perhaps the most impactful concept album in my journey through heavier music. An immersive experience from which one cannot break free.

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Links: YouTube — Listen on YouTube

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