While waiting for one of the most anticipated releases in years, the metal community seemed to be split into two camps: those that thought this album would return Queensryche to the glory earned by the original Mindcrime, and those that thought it would disastrously sully the original. The truth is somewhere in between. This is a good album, certainly better than anything the band has released in many years, but still falls well short of the original. The story, in particular, is uninspiring: Nikki gets out of prison after inexplicably serving only 18 years for a series of high-profile murders; he sets out for revenge on Dr. X and kills him, them whines about how his life sucks for a half dozen songs, and either kills himself or doesn’t, depending on your interpretation.
Fortunately, the music is a lot better than the story. Still, there’s no doubt that the band misses Chris DeGarmo tremendously -- the sound just isn’t the same. It sounds like they were shooting for the Mindcrime sound and didn’t quite get there, almost like a record being played too slow. There’s just a general lack of energy, which is especially noticeable if you listen to the two albums consecutively.
Part II begins much like the original, with an overture, a brief spoken intro, and a strong opening song. "I’m American" is not quite on par with "Revolution Calling," but shares much in common with it, and may be the strongest track on Mindcrime II. "Signs Say Go" and "Re-Arrange You" are other highlights, and not coincidentally are among the faster tracks to be found. "The Hands" probably sounds the most like the original album, and despite being a bit plodding is still well written. "Hostage" has a meandering and mysterious 'Promised Land' vibe to it at times, and works as well. There was a lot of attention given to the great Ronnie James Dio singing the part of Dr. X on "The Chase," and it’s a nice duet with layered vocals, but RJD somehow just doesn’t sound quite right singing in this style. It’s not bad by any means, but just sounds a little... off.
The elements that Mindcrime II definitely lack are the infectious semi-commercial staples such as "I Don't Believe in Love" and "Eyes of a Stranger," and also a great, signature song, a la "Suite Sister Mary." The combination of "If I Could Change It All" and "An International Confrontation" comes closest to the latter, with angelic choruses and a back-and-forth between Nikki and Mary, but like the rest of the album doesn’t approach the greatness of the original. But that’s not necessarily a strong criticism, since there are at most a handful of albums by ANY band that approach the greatness of the original. In any case, things tail off after "An International Confrontation," and by the end, you find yourself wishing that Nikki would just off himself and get it over with. The closing track is a nice ballad, but not exactly a rousing finish.
Overall, Mindcrime fans probably won’t be disappointed by this release, and on its own merits it’s a fine album, suffering more by comparison than anything.

TRACK LIST: Freiheit Ouverture/Convict/I'm American/One Foot in Hell/Hostage/Hands/Speed of Light/Signs Say Go/Re-Arrange You/The Chase/A Murderer?/Circles/If I Could Change It All/An Intentional Confrontation/A Junkie's Blues/Fear City Slide/All The Promises