QUEENSRŸCHE Frontman Says 'Mindcrime II' Will Be More Experimental Than Predecessor

QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Geoff Tate recently spoke to Bergen.com about the group's current tour and their forthcoming CD, the next chapter to the 1988 ground-breaking concept album, "Operation: Mindcrime", tentatively titled "Operation: Mindcrime II". The question-and-answer session follows:

Bergen.com: Seventeen years is a long time to wait for a sequel. Why didn't you make "Mindcrime: II" years ago?

Geoff Tate: "After we did the first 'Mindcrime' I really wasn't interested in doing a sequel. I was interested in other topics. Then I got involved in writing a [movie] treatment for the story a couple of years ago and in doing so realized that there were quite a few vague areas in the story that you could fill in. I think that sort of led to the sequel idea."

Bergen.com: What became of the screenplay?

Geoff Tate: "We've been in talks lately with a company about making it into a film. They seem to have a passion for it. We'll see if it works out."

Bergen.com: Does "Mindcrime: II" pick up where the story left off, or is it set in present day?

Geoff Tate: "It's a bit of a catch-up and what's happened 15 years later. It works in flashback. The idea is, what would you learn about life if you were sitting in a cell for 15 years? I think you would probably analyze every aspect of your life and relive every move."

Bergen.com: QUEENSRŸCHE today isn't nearly as heavy a band as it was in 1988. Will you try to recapture your old sound for "Mindcrime: II"?

Geoff Tate: "This record won't be the first one. We don't want it to be. Musically that record is very simplistic. This new one is going to be quite a bit more grand and experimental. It's going to have more moods that are indicative of the characters in the story growing up. 'Mindcrime' was written from the life experience of a band of 30-year-old young men. This record is written from the experience of 45-year-old men."

Bergen.com: Guitarist Chris DeGarmo, a key contributor on "Mindcrime", left the band in 1997. He co-wrote several songs on your recent studio album, "Tribe", but did not rejoin the band. Is he involved in "Mindcrime: II"?

Geoff Tate: "Not yet, but that doesn't mean he won't fly in at any moment. The offer is out there. He's sort of a strange cat. You never quite know what he's going to do."