OPERATION: LIVECRIME

This is the full concert experience where Queensryche play every track from the masterpiece 'Operation Mindcrime'. The great thing about watching the live show is that you discover so many nuances and perspectives on the album that you have grown to love over the years. As I stated OM is a definite masterpiece so it would be difficult to go wrong with watching the live concert. I expected great things having grown to adorre the studio album and I was not disappointed. Tate's vocals on the DVD are as excellent, sometimes better, than the studio versions.

The live concert begins with a screen that the audience would see. It depicts a nurses shapely legs walking in a hospital towards the door of the main protagonist, Nikki. The crowd cheer becasue they immediately recognise they are about to hear Revolution Calling. The animation is well drawn and effective. She says to her patient , 'sleep well... you bastard...' casuing the crowd to cheer loud again. Then the voice over drones 'I remember now'... Everyone screams because they also remember.

Soon Chris De Garmo hits the stage and pounds out the 'Anarchy-X' riff. The lights are excellent throughout the concert with shades of blue, red and green. Rockenfield's drums absolutely dominate live and the band move very well, never posing, but cool as ice. Tate grabs the mike and powers out 'Revolution Calling'. The audience sing in synch and seem to know every word of every song. It is an exhilirating experience to see them enjoying the music so much and Tate performs and acts every song wonderfully. Eddie Jackson on bass stands rock solid for the most part but they all look great and dress up in typical 80s metal regalia.

I had chills when Pamela Moore sang with Geoff Tate the epic 'Suite Sister Mary'. She looks ghost like as the wind blows her hair back and she stands in a vision of white. Her raspy vocals are as heartfelt as the album version. The acting is great too and its all performed so sincerely, never pretentiously. Even the death scenes work.

We see more entertaining images of the animation on screen as the story progresses.

The concert breaks for a half time and Tate actually tells the audience that some of them probably don't know what the heck is going on, but he states this is Operation Mindcrime, and of course the crowd go wild in appreciation. The second part of the show is not as good as the first but still great. They blast gems such as 'The Needle Lies', 'Breaking The Silence', 'I Don't Believe In Love' and 'Eyes Of A Stranger' and then its all over after a mind blowing collage of nasty images of death and destruction.

Features on the DVD include a breakdown of what the story is about, and some galleries of albums and the band's bio. 104 minutes of pure prog heaven. This is as good as it gets. One of the greatest concert experiences you will see.