Dean Alger

This album gets absolutely no respect from anyone, as it was a rather bold step into a new, more digital direction for Queensrcyhe at the time. After The Warning, they were expected to fall into the perfectly acceptable genre of metal that was a bit more straightforward in it's approach. Instead, the band made the decision to go a bit more digital, melodic, and progressive- and in the process changed their image from black leather and chains to some kind of Victorianesque futuristic gender bending strangeness. It didn't go over very well with their established audience. But the music they made for this album is fantastic. While Operation:Mindcrime will always be considered their masterpiece, the reality is that this album was better. Every song was telling a story. While they weren't interwined into a larger story- that's for the better. It's not forced, like Mindcrime seemed at times. This is truly one of the finest rock/metal albums of all time. From beginning to end, it's just solid. And it's completely overlooked. Maybe I'm biased because I have always loved this album since it was first released. But I often pick it up from time to time and get sucked into it like I always have. I don't think it's nostalgia, it's just a timeless masterpiece. If you never listen to it, you've done yourself a disservice.