Mindcrime II released today...

I searched the forum and only found some early threads on the fact that Q was doing a sequel.  There were a lot of negative comments, and I also thought it was going to be horrible.

I'll say that I was pleasantly surprised at how Queensryche seems to have remembered that they used to play progressive metal instead of the travesty that were the last 3 releases.  The songs are heavy (but not devoid of what made Queensryche famous), and the music doesn't borrow from the previous album and ride it's coattails thoughout.  They come out with a bang continuing the story...  The songs have a very similar feel to them as the original album but never revisit the old album.  There are some more modern sounds and several interesting vocal arrangements.  The biggest complaint is the mix, and it isn't really that bad.

I honestly think that most naysayers I've seen to this point in other forums are just too jaded (or too much of a Dream Theater fan).

I haven't heard it yet, but with the bad albums they released over the last years, they better come up with something better.

Compared to the last few albums Queensryche have released,OMII is pretty good.I hear shades of early Queensryche in some of the tunes.

But it still doesn't compare to Operation Mindcrime.QR just isn't the same without DeGarmo.