It has been nearly two decades since Operation: Mindcrime hit the top of the charts in 1988. The saga is now complete - in 2006 QUEENSRŸCHE released the much anticipated sequel, entitled Operation: Mindcrime 2.

In 2006, Queensrÿche also embarked on one of the most important tours of their career. In their hometown

of Seattle, Queensrÿche capture their theatrical stage performance and surreal sound, and all the intensity of both Operation: Mindcrime and Operation: Mindcrime 2 in a new double disc and double DVD with,Mindcrime At The Moore on Rhino Records available now.

Queensrÿche has also released a cover album of their favorite hits called Take Covers. Singer Geoff Tate takes on the challenge of many different vocal styles on the classic cover album, including a riveting remake of PINK FLOYD’s, 'Welcome To The Machine'. A song that the band recently performed on their tour with HEAVEN AND HELL.

You may ask, why did Queensrÿche wait twenty years to unveil the powerful sequel to Operation: Mindcrime? In retrospect, it may not be 1988, but the climate of politics, and certain state of the world surely reflects in the current sequel, as it if were 1988 over again. Geoff Tate has brilliantly embellished the torment of Nikki, and the sinister Dr. X. to perfection, delivering a heart wrenching performance of emotion and politically correct ambiance.

Hot off the heels of a sold out tour in support of Heaven And Hell and ALICE COOPER, the Seattle rockers are getting ready to embark on a headlining tour that will feature all of the classic hits plus dig deep into the classic

Queensrÿche catalog that kicks off on January 22nd with support act DON DOKKEN.

Queensrÿche's tour itinerary can be found at this location.

2008 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years of Queensrÿche career. Over the years, the band has garnered a whole new generation of fans. In this exclusive interview, Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate discusses the upcoming tour with Don Dokken, Take Covers, the state of our nation, news on the upcoming Queensrÿche album and working with RONNIE JAMES DIO.

Q: Geoff, Thank you for checking in. Happy New Year. Actually, Queensrÿche just recently got off the road touring with Heaven and Hell and Alice Cooper. How important was this tour in retrospect that it opened the door to a lot of Queensrÿche fans that haven't yet seen the band perform? Actually, it was kind of a like a whole new audience. Would you agree?

A: "Well, yeah know we were actually not planning on touring at all this summer. Because we are making a new Queensrÿche record now. We got the invitation to go on the tour, so we dropped everything and did it because of

course, how many times do you get asked to tour with Black Sabbath? That particular line-up with Ronnie in the band was incredibly influencial for us when we were first starting out. The first three albums that they did together were albums that we referenced and talked about when we were first getting together and writing our own music back in the early 80's. So we jumped at the chance to tour with the guys. It was an incredible tour and we had a great time. We got to expose our music to a a lot of their fans too. It was really a unique situation for us."

Q: Yes, it was an amazing tour. Actually you do a tribute to Black Sabbath on the Queensrÿche,"Take Covers" album with the song, 'Neon Knights'. How did this transpire?

A: "Well, we knew we were going on the tour and we thought we wanted to play a Sabbath song. One of our favorite songs, and in fact it is one that we use to play when we were starting out together called 'Neon Knights'. So it

was kind of fun to kind of revisit the past."

Q: Queensrÿche is getting set to embark on a headlining tour. It kicks off January 22nd in Aspen, CO. What can the fans expect to see on this tour? Will you be performing selections from Operation: Mindcrime and Operation: Mindcrime ll and also the new Take Covers CD?

A: "We are going to be playing a lot of selections from a lot of our records. It is really sort of a revisit tour of the past. We have been rehearsing songs from all of our records. Particularly ones that we haven't played in many, many years. Some of the songs on the set list are songs that we haven't played since the early 90's, and late 80's. It will kind of give our fans a wide variety of our music. Plus, we are going to be interjecting some of the cover songs nightly into the set and changing those around making it different for each show."

Q: Geoff, it sounds like it is going to a gem of a tour. Actually, you have Don Dokken opening doing an acoustic set. How did this transpire? Actually, you both go way back, and in my opinion two of the most versatile singers from the 80's.

A: "Don is a real nice guy. Last year, Michael and Stone and I did an acoustic show in Los Angeles for a benefit and we saw Don play on that same event. We really liked his solo show. So we invited him on a tour and this thing with us".

Q: How long is your set going to be and tell me a little bit about your stage production?

A: "I think it is going to be 90 minutes probably depending on the audience, we can go longer. We have an interesting stage show. It is kind of a classical side with curtains and props and stuff like that. It is not a theatrical presentation like Mindcrime was. It is more focused on the music."

Q: For the upcoming UK tour that begins in June, that will be more of a theatrical production. Is this correct?

A: "For the first time, we are going to take our full Mindcrime production to the UK. It is a very similar show, as to what you see on our DVD, Mindcrime At The Moore and the show that we performed in North America last year. This

time the UK will see it for the first time."

Q: What inspired Queensrÿche to release a covers album? It has so many of the bands influences. It ranges from Crosby, Stills and Nash to Pink Floyd and actually you even do Opera too.

A: "Yes, well that is kind of our range from inspiration really. If you looked at all of our record collections, you would be surprised at how many different genres that are covered and how many different musical styles, we all like. That actually was kind of a problem, when we were putting together the record; we had to figure out what we were going to play. Some of the songs were hard to pick. We kind of came up with this rule that each person would pick two songs, and bring them in and do them no questions asked. We just had to follow one criterion that is they had to present a different musical arrangement of the song, or change the instrumentation somehow and make it interesting, and sort of give it our twist and interpretation of a great song."

Q: How important a role, being that it is a political year, did that play in the completion of Operation: Mindcrime 2? Would you say that everything just sort of just fell into place with the right political climate? Actually, George W. Bush's father was in office back in the day of the release of the debut Operation: Mincrime.

A: "It was definitely an influence for us to finish the story and present the album and the sequel to it. The current administration is very similar, to as it was when the first Mindcrime album came out and a lot of the same issues are there and have resurfaced. We have always been a band that is influenced by the times and the things that are happening around us. I think it was the right time for the finishing of the story."

Q: Was it hard as a songwriter to approach the songwriting and theme for Operation: Mindcrime 2? I know you said you have evolved so much since the debut release.

A: "Well in some ways, we approached it in a very similar way. We really wanted to first and fore most to capture the mood with the songs. We wanted the songs to have a certain sound that was reminiscent of the first album. We looked at the sound as being sort of a sounds cape or a backdrop to what the story was doing. We rented a lot of vintage equipment and brought it into the studio and kind of relearned how to use it all. We tried to dial up a similar sounds cape so that we could set the story in it. We put together a story outline. We would sit around, and I would say this song is a bout a chase. It is about these two characters Dr. X and Nikki, who are having this argument. The argument is of course being sung, as a musical figure. The music needs to sound real energetic and needs to have sort of a conflicted feel. Everyone would throw out examples of how he or she felt and how the piece should sound like. We chose what we liked the best and developed it into a song. We did that for each piece."

Q: As a songwriter and performer, you have the luxury of voicing your opinion in music. How important is that to you being able to communicate your thoughts in politics and the situation that the world is in today, and to be able to convey this all in music and voice your opinion through music?

A: "To me that is what it is all about. That is why you make music to reflect on the times and to talk about it and to share your ideas and ideals and your thoughts. That is what art is all about. We have this vehicle in which to that and we take it very seriously."

Q: Will the political climate affect the songwriting of the upcoming Queensrÿche album? The feel the choice of candidates reflects on the diversity of our nation. We have a woman running for office; from Boston we have Mitt Romney. It is exciting.

A: "I am sure it will probably touch on it. Our next album is a concept album, and it is a social commentary based on current American social issues. I agree with you, I think the next upcoming election is an incredibly important one and fascinating to watch the early stages of it. I am very excited about the array of candidates and I think it is kind of is probably stacked a little heavily on the Democrats side with two strong candidates Hillary and Obama. I am with you, I really hope that America picks a leader that can do the job and isn't just going to be towing the line of the current administration which I think has sunk our country into the probably one of the lowest lows I have seen in my life worldwide. Our image has really suffered and the opinion of America has really plummeted through the depths. Due to the fact that the way the administration has handled things Overseas and our foreign relations. Also on our home front our economy is terrible especially in the middle class area. I think that is something that really needs to be

addressed. Also, the fact that we are back in trillion dollar debts, I think that is an awful place to be. I hope the leader is one that can take care of business. Right now I am very heavily leaning towards Hillary. I think that she has the background to do that. Her husband's administration was a wonderful time in the country, we were out of debt, business was good, and people had money in their pockets. There were a lot of social problems active and helping out people in the lower incomes and it was a good time to be in America then. I think that she will spearhead a return to that. Also, I like the fact that she is a woman and I think that you need a woman's perspective in government now more than ever. I think we need to get away from sort of the way we have been doing things and look to more of a more global sense of how to take care of global issues. I think she is very aware of that and I think she would be a good leader in that respect."

Q: Yes, I agree. What is the status of the upcoming Queensrÿche album?

A: "We just finished up the writing for it. The plan is when we get off this short tour in that we are doing in March; we are going to go into the studio to record. So I would guess sometime around Christmas, we are looking for

a release."

Q: Any plans to do Rocklahoma this year? It must have been so inspiring to be part of such a huge 80's event.

A: "It was a really good festival. I hope they continue doing it. We were very happy to play it, and would love to play it again."

Q: Geoff, is there anything else that you would like to say about the upcoming tour? I want to thank you for your time, and I look forward to see the band out on the road soon.

A: "I would like to say that I think the people are really going to enjoy this particular tour. It is going to be a fun night with Queensrÿche and Don Dokken. It is going to be fantastic to see, I think people should come out and spend the evening with us. It is going to be fantastic."

Q: In closing, I know you recently sang the 'National Anthem' at the Seahawks game in October. Any Super bowl predictions?

A: "I hope the Seahawks will be in it. I guess it all depends this weekend with Greenbay.That will tell a lot."

Note: Seahawks lost to Packers.