Queensryche Starring Geoff Tate Changes Name To ‘Operation: Mindcrime’
The long-running saga for the name rights between Geoff Tate and Queensryche appears to have taken its final, albeit logical, step. Tate revealed today (July 30) that, beginning in September, the band he now fronts will be known as 'Operation: Mindcrime.'
"It is so refreshing to be able to concentrate on the many stories and ideas that I have been working on with no boundaries or restrictions," Tate said. "With the newly named band, I think fans will continue to enjoy the music we create and perform together and hope they share this new musical journey with us."
Back in April, the feuding Queensryche factions reached an agreement that allowed their former lead singer to use the name "Queensryche Starring Geoff Tate" for one last tour, after which he would have to relinquish all rights to the name. That series of dates begins tonight in Hermosa Beach, CA and concludes a month later in Bolingbrook, IL.
But rather than continue as a solo act, Tate has chosen to reboot and rebrand under the moniker of the name of his 1988 platinum-selling concept album. As part of the settlement, Tate won the exclusive rights to perform 'Operation: Mindcrime' and its 2006 sequel. The move now gives Tate the opportunity to move forward with a new project, a trilogy, which they will begin recording in September.
“I tried to reduce the story and eventually got it down to 37 ideas that needed representing to complete the story,” he continued. “I knew that one record wouldn’t cover it and that it would have to be a trilogy. It’s an exciting project and one we’d like to release the first part of sometime next spring.”