I just picked up the remastered version of Queensryche’s “Operation: Mindcrime” disc. For those who are not familiar with this band, Queensryche is an accomplished heavy metal group that formed in the early 80s–one can definitely hear a strong Iron Maiden influence in their early material–but they developed a unique sound and voice and eventually became what one reviewer called the “thinking person’s heavy metal band.”

Released in 1988, Mindcrime was their breakthrough album. It was a heavy metal concept album–one of the first–and it is still viewed by many as a masterpiece, especially by those in the bourgeoning “prog-metal” community.

While reading the linear notes to this newly remastered album, I was intrigued by lead singer Geoff Tate’s short essay about how the idea of this concept album came to him. Here is an excerpt:

“The idea for Operation: Mindcrime came in a flood one night as I sat on a well-worn wooden bench in the back of a Catholic church. I had stayed behind in snow-covered Montreal at the end of the previous tour and the city and its people were my muse.”

There are several themes present in this concept album, but one that stands out significantly is the theme of religious hypocrisy. I was a senior in high school when this album was originally released and Mr. Tate’s lyrics about, “all the shady preachers begging for my cash, Swiss bank accounts while giving their secretaries the slam” resonated loud and clear. Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart had recently been caught soliciting a prostitute, which delighted me and some of my adolescent friends–any signs of hypocricy among authority figures (esp. religious ones) aided our argument that the Swaggarts, Falwells and Roberts’ of the world were all abusing religion just to get rich.

But besides giving the televangelists a good tongue-lashing, Mr. Tate employs a good deal of Catholic imagery as well in Operation: Mindcrime, and rakes Mother Church over the coals. One character, a priest named Fr. William, takes in a young teenage prostitute named Mary and abuses her. Mary later becomes a nun–although how this happens is unclear and, frankly, most young head-bangers probably don’t care!

Organized Christianity definitely takes a few on the chin from Queensryche, along with the U.S. government and terrorist evil-geniuses! That Christianity is criticized in rock is nothing new–and from my perspective, it is a healthy and important role for rock. What I really find interesting, however, is the fact that the idea for this rock-musical story came to Geoff Tate while he was sitting in a Catholic Church.

What brought Tate to a Catholic church on a snowy evening in Montreal? Did he stop in to admire the architecture, get warm, or to pray? And if it was to pray, can we interpret his moment of inspiration as the calling of a rock prophet–one who speaks truth to power and corruption through music? Did the hypocrisy Tate saw in organized Christianity stand in stark contrast to the beauty of the edifice in which he sat? Interesting questions to ponder–and while doing so, enjoy this concert footage of Queensryche performing the opening 2 songs from Operation: Mindcrime.

Dave Nantais
Detroit, MI

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