Operation Mindcrime – ‘The Key’ Album Review

It seems to take less, year on year, for a public to turn, in the blink of an eye, from idolatrous fans into implacable foes. The case of Geoff Tate and Queensryche has been a particularly pernicious example, and even though the former bandmates (eventually) managed to settle things in a civilised manner, the forums and blogs have been alight with salacious gossip, innuendo and downright vitriol. It is disheartening, to say the least, for whilst the Queensryche that many of us grew up with may have run its course, we are left with two distinct bands to enjoy, and whilst there are those who will always feel that personal insults and veiled threats somehow enhances their stature, I am of the belief that if you are not interested in continuing your support of an artist, then that should be the end of the matter, not the start of a life-long crusade to incite hatred.

However, whilst I may find the behaviour of a vocal few intolerable, Geoff Tate has remained remarkably unfazed by an experience that would have caused lesser artists to retreat into exile, and he has, if anything, come back stronger than ever. Signed to a new label (the well-respected Frontiers who are also home to Joel Hoekstra’s 13 and Whitesnake) and with a complex trilogy planned with the newly christened Operation Mindcrime, Geoff Tate’s legendary confidence is riding high and, if ‘the key’ is anything to go by, deservedly so. Having learnt from the mistake of rushing out the ‘Frequency unknown’ album (a move which resulted in a hasty remixing and a somewhat muted reception), Geoff has put all of his experience and skill into making sure that ‘the key’ delivers the goods from the off, and this the album consistently does, demonstrating once and for all that Geoff remains a vital songwriter and peerless vocalist in the world of hard rock.

Opening with the subtle, probing, ‘choices’, Geoff and his band reference David Bowie (circa ‘Earthling’) on a prologue that sets a contemplative tone for the album. It’s a brave start, and it is not until second track ‘burn’ that the band segue into more familiar hard rock territory. A slow burning rocker with a sensuous groove to it, Geoff’s layered vocals are strong and varied, if a little lower in pitch than might have been expected from the Geoff of old, and there are elements of the Beatles and Soundgarden shot through this new band’s darkly melodic sound. Next up is the previously released single ‘re-inventing the future’, a fine track that mixes up the sort of keyboard embellishments that saw ‘Empire’ propelled to the highest commercial peaks with scything hard rock guitars and Geoff’s trademark vocals. The track neatly segues into the taut, atmospheric ‘ready to fly’, another track that hints at Bowie influences and there’s no question that the heavy metal histrionics of old have been toned down here for a much more progressive sound that is far more interesting than any attempt to recapture past glories might have been. The ghost of Pink Floyd abounds on the ambient segue track ‘discussions in a smoke filled room’, a dark, fascinating piece that would not sound out of place on ‘the wall’, and then ‘life or death’ slinks into view with its throbbing, sensuous bass line and echoing guitars. Geoff employs a more strained vocal style than we’ve heard from here before on the verse before the track explodes into a huge, melodic chorus that sits somewhere between classic Queensryche and a James Bond theme with its lush strings and refrain of “I don’t want a price on my head”. It’s a multi-layered song that looks both forward and back, referencing Geoff’s impressive back catalogue but also embracing modern technology to add different elements to the mix.

One of the album’s heaviest songs, ‘the stranger’ has a huge, pulsing riff at its heart, whilst stuttering electronica jabbers away in the dark recesses. Geoff uses his voice here rhythmically, spitting out the lyrics over the industrial-tinged backdrop and it’s a track that offers both an instant adrenalin rush with its grinding guitars, and a deeper experience when you take a second look and start to peel away the many layers that it comprises. Segueing from the previous track, ‘hearing voices’ is another track built around huge guitars and a stuttering, syncopated aspect that gives the song a potent, progressive edge. With Geoff’s twisted harmonies on the chorus and a blistering solo, ‘hearing voices’ is a highlight and, together with ‘the stranger’ forms a potent centrepiece to the album. The album takes a step back on the mellow, atmospheric track ‘on queue’ which juxtaposes the swirling guitars of vintage prog with oddly phased electronic elements. It’s a very different sound, and one that is liable to be musical marmite to fans, with listeners either embracing the technological elements or loathing them as gimmicks. I think it works well in context, and for traditionalists there is a suitably soaring solo to enjoy. A short, beautiful instrumental, ‘an ambush of sadness’ is a stunning piece of music, awash with feeling and hidden depths, leading to the mid-tempo progressive rock of ‘kicking in the door’, an exploration of the protagonists many doubts. Again, the feel here is classically progressive with hints of Genesis and Floyd rather than full-on metal, although the closing track, ‘the fall’ draws the album to a close with a crunchy, metallic number that leaves the listener eager for the second part.

With ‘the key’, Geoff Tate and Operation Mindcrime have crafted a mature, fascinating album that builds an impressively real world around the listener. There is no hint here that Geoff wants to revisit the glories of Queensryche, instead, like the artist that he is, he has moved on, recruiting a band of talented musicians and working with them to create an album that is varied, intelligently arranged and well-recorded. There are, of course, those who will refuse (on whatever spurious grounds) to listen to this album, but that is their loss, for this is a powerful and endlessly re-playable progressive rock album. There’s plenty of tough riffs and soaring solos, but there is also a good deal of experimentation as Geoff and his cohorts utilise a variety of instruments to build a suitable backdrop for Geoff’s epic story. If any mistakes were made, it was naming the band ‘operation mindcrime’ – Geoff needs no such tether to the past, and whilst I have no issue with his right to use the name, perhaps Geoff should have faith in his audience to follow him whatever banner he might be under. That aside, Geoff has proved once and for all (as if any proof were needed) that he can not only survive without queensryche, but that he has the talent and ability to continue to explore the musical form with which he made his name. ‘The key’ is a hugely impressive opening gambit in an ambitious trilogy and part two (which is already recorded) cannot arrive soon enough.