Operation: Mindcrime – Resurrection – Album Review

Source // Operation Mindcrime Resurrection

Following on quickly from last years The Key, Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime return with Resurrection, the second of a trilogy of albums the band plan to release. Tate is of course best known for fronting Queensryche – from their inception and through their glory years – but sadly is as equally well known for the messy split and alleged mistreatment of his one time colleagues. He also takes himself very seriously as a musician and comes across as quite the despot but fuck it, it’s his band so he can do as he pleases! The man obviously remains well respected as he has been able to call upon an impressive collection of friends and associates such as David Ellefson (Megadeth), Simon Wright (AC/DC, Dio) and Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens (ex Judas Priest) amongst others to guest on Resurrection, although how much actual input they had in the creation of the album remains to be seen.

So, with musicians of that calibre you’d think this is an album that has everything going for it. Production wise, it sounds great and has a nice full sound and the playing throughout is indeed immaculate but the problem with Resurrection is the songs….or maybe that should be lack of them! There are fourteen tracks on this album, the first four of which are mood pieces for the want of a better term and don’t do anything or go anywhere. When the songs do kick in they are simply ok, nothing more, nothing less. Considering the talent at hand, this is a crying shame. The likes of “Invincible”, “The Fight” and “Live Fom My Machine” are all interchangeable and generic and as for Tate’s vocals, considering the power house he once was it’s quite sad to experience his frankly monotone delivery.

Obviously Geoff Tate is going for some sort of grand concept with this trilogy, however so far he’s falling well short. Coincidentally he even mentions “one brick at a time” on the last track. This invariably brings to mind The Wall by Pink Floyd, the heights of which he cannot and will not reach. Resurrection is anything but a second coming for Geoff Tate and this album ends up being the rock equivalent of elevator muzak; safe and bland.

Operation: Mindcrime? Operation: Mind numbing would be more appropriate. 4/10