OPERATION : MINDCRIME II

it's really difficult to me to do this review. as i see it, operation:mindcrime is the best album ever. my favourite among all. when i heard they would record the sequel i felt a mix of excitation, frenzy, joy but also so much fear... and now here it is. and i have to admit that i spilled some tears while listening for the first time to this one. obviously the peaks of the first part remain over the top but in many moments this album is not that far from the intensity and pathos of the first chapter. i'm talking about the deadly strike of "i'm american", of the reprise of "breaking the silence" in "the hands" (one of the best songs of the whole album). absolutely incredible the duet between geoff and ronnie james dio in "the chase". so many shivers whenever the voice of pamela moore/sister mary comes in, one above all the closing "all the promises". and if you like me have waited so many years to know who killed her, well know that here it is said, not so clearly but perfectly understandable. but i'm not gonna spoil the surprise to find out how the concept evolves, that's up to you. what i can say is that this is without doubt the best queensryche album since promise land and to be honest i prefer it as a whole also to many moments of empire. bow down to the gods once more!