Disturbed bassist John Moyer has announced that he is producing the upcoming studio album from former Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate.
Moyer, who recently spent two and a half weeks in Europe with Tate as part of his Backstage Pass Travel company, shared the news on social media. He wrote: “Well France and Italy it’s been fun but it’s time for me to go home.
I am very honored to be producing Geoff Tate’s new record. We got some great work done these past 2 and a half weeks. It’s been a pleasure working with him and his guitar players Amaury [Altmayer] and Dario [Parente]. All of them are top level musicians and recording Geoff gave me goose bumps every time we tracked. His voice is fire and he’s got some great performances on this record.”
This isn’t the first time Moyer and Tate have collaborated. Back in 2013, Moyer stepped in for bassist Rudy Sarzo during several performances with Tate’s version of Queensrÿche, where they played the classic Operation: Mindcrime album in full. Moyer later joined Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime project, which released a trilogy of albums between 2015 and 2017.
Tate also recently confirmed that he is working on the third and final chapter in the Operation: Mindcrime album series.
Originally released in May 1988, Queensrÿche’s third studio album, Operation: Mindcrime, elevated the band’s career significantly. The concept followed Nikki, a recovering drug addict who becomes disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a revolutionary underground movement led by Dr. X (voiced by the late actor Anthony Valentine), Nikki is manipulated into assassinating political leaders. His bond with nun Sister Mary eventually exposes the truth to him.
The album is regarded as one of the greatest metal concept records ever made. It went platinum in the U.S. in 1991 and earned spots in Kerrang! and Billboard’s “Top 100 Metal Albums of All Time.” Rolling Stone also featured it on a similar list, noting that “nearly 30 years after its initial release, Mindcrime feels eerily relevant.”
While the original album explored themes of religion, drug addiction, and radical politics, its 2006 sequel Operation: Mindcrime II was met with mixed reactions. Although some considered it a solid record, many fans and critics felt it was an unnecessary continuation that diminished the impact of the first release.
