Former QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist Geoff Tate brought one of metal's most beloved concept album sagas one step closer to completion on May 1, debuting "Power" — the lead single from the forthcoming "Operation: Mindcrime III" — live for the very first time at Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Tate shared footage of the performance on social media with characteristic candor: "I messed up a bit going into the first chorus but otherwise this is us playing 'Power' last night for the first time!!" The enthusiasm mirrors the excitement building around the long-awaited third chapter of one of progressive metal's most celebrated concept trilogies.
"Power" was written by Tate alongside guitarist and producer Kieran Robertson, and features drums by Rich Baur, bass by DISTURBED's John Moyer (also the album's co-producer), guitar by Dario Parente and Amaury Altmayer, and synths and strings by Tate and Robertson.
"Operation: Mindcrime III" arrives May 3 under Geoff Tate's name — not the QUEENSRŸCHE banner — continuing the story of Nikki, a drug addict-turned-assassin manipulated by the sinister Dr. X. The album follows the 1988 original "Operation: Mindcrime" and 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II".
Tate acknowledged the deliberate sonic continuity: "Part of the whole writing process was keeping the music in the universe of 'Mindcrime', writing within that style." Fans of the classic QUEENSRŸCHE era will find the 13-track LP a worthy continuation when it drops May 3.