A perverted priest, a teenage prostitute masquerading as a nun, drug dealers, a crooked evangelist, dirty politicians, a confused young man with a crisis of conscience... no it's not a new show on the CW, it's Queensryche's classic album, Operation: Mindcrime.
Operation: Mindcrime is a rock opera, meaning the album tells a story as it progresses. Other examples of this type of album are Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Who's Tommy. This is not the same as a concept album which have a theme but no specific story line. Examples of concept albums are Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare and Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar. Operation: Mindcrime will never be above The Who or Pink Floyd on any list that matters when it comes to the greatest albums ever, but for me it is one of my all time favorites.
The story of Mindcrime is told through flashback as the main character Nikki is under sedation in a hospital after being arrested on homicide charges. To the outside world is is the only villain. He is a psychopath. And after the nurse administers his night time shot, his she whispers what became t-shirt slogan for the band: "Sweet dreams...you bastard!". Then the story begins.
I don't want this to turn into a complete review of the album. Let me just say Mindcrime has not lost anything since it's release in 1988. It delivers a fast-paced story and fantastic prog-metal from the original Seattle band. (And in my opinion, still the greatest from that city.) However, don't get me started on the dreadful Operation: Mindcrime II, released in 2006. I like to pretend it doesn't exist. But back to my original point, I can't talk about this album without some aspects of a review present.
The story is what really drew me towards Mindcrime. Nikki is an impressionable young man upset with the times. He is drawn into an anti-establishment movement (clearly a left wing group considering when this album was released.) headed by Dr. X. The song "Revolution Calling" details Nikki's thought process as he decides to join the movement. Through the use of drugs (detailed in the album's title track), Dr. X's manipulation and the priest's promised services of Sister Mary (a teenage prostitute masquerading as a nun) to Nikki ("Spreading the Disease"), he becomes the group's assassin ("The Mission"). For the first time in his life, he feels he is someone and his life has purpose ("The Mission"). But when Mary questions Nikki's motives and agenda, the order is given to kill her also. Nikki's conscience kicks in, but is it too late? How many people did he kill? Did he kill Mary? What will happen to him? Where is Dr. X?
Let me say I am not unhappy a perverted, corrupt priest was offed in this story. Nor am I upset by the killing of a Robert Tilton-esque evangelist. Actually, I'm not unhappy about anyone's death, even Mary's. Did she really want a way out of the movement? Or did she just want a way out?
When Nikki awakens in the hospital, he has zero recollection of his actions. The song's "I Don't Believe in Love" and "Eyes of a Stranger" explain what's inside his mind as he is sedated in the hospital. Both tracks have a theme of despair and self-loathing but thankfully never reach the level of melodrama. And I will be honest, I can relate to some of the lyrics in "Eyes of a Stranger".
Mindcrime is still my favorite Queensryche album of all time. It doesn't have the musical maturity of Empire or Promised Land but it still captures my attention from beginning to end like no other album can. And I still find it funny they band made the villains a radical left-wing group. But, dig this album out of your collection and listen. Again.
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