The final chapter in one of rock’s most enduring sagas is nearing completion. Disturbed bassist John Moyer has confirmed that he is currently in the final stages of producing Operation: Mindcrime III, the third installment in the legendary concept series led by former Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate.
In a new interview with Mark Strigl, Moyer revealed that the album is roughly “85% to 90%” complete, with recording sessions taking place across Europe during breaks in Disturbed‘s touring schedule.
“I recorded these songs during the summer between tours,” Moyer explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “Now I’m in the final stages of mixing and putting everything together.”
While the original 1988 masterpiece followed the tragic tale of Nikki, a recovering drug addict brainwashed into becoming an assassin, Moyer dropped a massive revelation about the narrative direction of the new album.
“So a lot of it is continuing the story of Dr. X And Operation: Mindcrime III basically is Operation: Mindcrime but from Dr. X‘s point of view,” Moyer said. “I just got chills saying that, but that’s exactly it. So it’s a darker, heavier, kind of a more evil-sounding record, but with all of the themes from Operation: Mindcrime… Geoff really gets into character, and you can hear this menacing tone and sort of this ‘do as I say, I know what’s right’ attitude that happens throughout the record.”
According to Moyer, Tate has been sitting on this specific material for nearly five years, intentionally holding it back despite releasing other projects. The songs were originally crafted with former guitarists, including Amaury Altmayer, who assisted Moyer in rebuilding the demos from the ground up to ensure they met the high standard of the legacy they represent.
“He’s just been holding on to these songs ’cause he knew that these were the songs for a future Operation: Mindcrime III,” Moyer noted. “Even though he’s had other releases and has put out other material, these are the songs he’s been saving for this record.”
Moyer also touched on the legal and creative rights surrounding the project, reminding fans that Tate retained full ownership of the Mindcrime story following his split from Queensrÿche. “That’s his baby,” Moyer emphasized.
The album will feature ten tracks in total. Moyer is producing nine of them, having handed off the final song to guitarist Kieran Robertson due to creative differences regarding the track’s direction.
“Song number 10 is a song that the way it’s put together and his vision for it and my vision for it are a little different,” Moyer admitted with a laugh. “It’s not a song; it’s like a dramatic movement. It’s like a operatic storyline… So I’ll end up doing nine songs on the record, production-wise.”
“Honestly, I feel like we’re 85% there, if not 90% there, done with this record.”
To capture the “older-school sound” required for the project, the team has enlisted West Coast mixing veteran Juan Urteaga (Testament, Machine Head) to handle the mix.
The producer didn’t shy away from hyping the quality of the incoming material, specifically the lead track.
“The first single is so fr*cking good, I can’t get over it,” Moyer said. “Everyone I play for just goes, ‘Wow. Geoff Tate is back and he’s killing it.’ And it’s so Operation: Mindcrime, bro. It’s with all the vocals and everything over it, the sound effects.”
