Founded in 2014 by Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate, Operation: Mindcrime specialize in melodic, narrative-driven progressive metal. Taking their name from Queensrÿche's landmark 1988 concept album of the same name, the band formed as the result of Tate's acrimonious split from his former group in 2012. After a tense two-year period that saw both Tate and Queensrÿche touring under the moniker, a settlement was reached, with Tate losing the rights to the name, but awarded exclusive performance rights to Operation: Mindcrime and Operation: Mindcrime II. The newly minted band, which features a rotating cast of musicians with Tate at the helm, inked a deal with Frontiers shortly after forming. The Key, the group's debut studio long-player and the first installment in a planned trilogy, was released in 2015, with Resurrection dropping the following year. The band completed the trilogy in 2017 with the release of New Reality. ~ James Christopher Monger