In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, ex-Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate opened up about Operation: Mindcrime III, the third and final chapter in the classic album series, due in May. The first single, "Power," arrives next week.
Tate explained why he returned to the Mindcrime universe a third time, pointing to a character the story had never fully explored.
"It's a subject I've always been interested in, the 'Mindcrime' saga, the story of these three characters, really: Nikki, Dr. X, and Sister Mary," he said. "A fascinating triangle there of… Oh, it's an interesting relationship between all three of them.
"And Nikki's story has really been kind of chronicled on Mindcrime I and Mindcrime II, and nothing has really been written about Dr. X. Like, who is he? What's he all about? Why is he the way he is? What got him to this place he's at?," Tate elaborated.
For Tate, the project took on a more personal dimension as well. "Especially at the age I'm at now, where I'm probably very close to Dr. X's age, I'm looking at life differently now, and [I have] different goals, [and I have] a different reason to be, really, which I think probably happens with people as they age and get older," he said.
"You've had past accomplishments, you've had things that you've done that you've really been interested in, and you've followed your dreams, you followed your muse, and now you're at a different place where those wants and needs kind of change. So Dr. X is a character study, really, of where he is and how he got to where he is."
As for where the new album fits in the timeline, Tate described it as a parallel perspective rather than a sequel or prequel. "It's kind of a — hmm, I'd say it's in the same universe, but a different perspective," he said. "It's X's perspective. It's happening in time at the same time as Mindcrime I."
On the sonic side, Tate put Operation: Mindcrime III at least on par with — and possibly heavier than — the original. "The new one is probably, I guess, in the same realm. It's heavier than Mindcrime I," he said. "I don't know. I'd have to go back and listen to it again, Mindcrime II, to see where it compared in the heaviness [laughs] scale."
The album was produced by John Moyer, bassist for Disturbed, and Tate had high praise for the results, particularly the low end.
"John did an amazing job putting it all together, and the sound, especially of the rhythm section — oh, it's phenomenal. It's really, really crunchy, punchy, big," he said. "I think it's miles above Mindcrime I — absolutely. Especially the bottom end — the bass and drums, rhythm section. It's so modern, so huge."
He also pointed to how far recording technology has come since the late '80s. "If you listen back to the Mindcrime I album, it sounds like… I think it was one of the three first digital recordings made, and so it has a brittleness to it that you just don't hear anymore, 'cause the technology has gotten so much better now," Tate said.
"The analog-to-digital converters are so much more sophisticated now. So, yeah, it sounds miles above that. I'm very happy, very happy with it."
Tate closed with a simple ask for listeners: "I just hope everybody can give it a spin, check it out. And especially with headphones. It's a wonderful headphone album. Absolutely. We spent a lot of time dialing in all the details that I find to be very important with the record; it's gotta sound good on headphones. And it really sounds great with the mixing and the engineering on it."
