Queensrÿche

With Queensrÿche's third album, Operation: Mindcrime, the Seattle quintet transcended their heavy metal roots and cemented their reputation for cerebral music and heady lyrical vision. Now, 18 years later, the band is releasing Operation: Mindcrime II, a much-anticipated sequel that resumes the Mindcrime narrative 20 years after the original.

Singer and chief songwriter Geoff Tate draws inspiration from a myriad of sources, many of which might be quite surprising to Queensryche fans. Here he shares some of his favorite songs with ARTISTdirect:

1. "Cathedral" - Crosby, Stills and Nash
"This is one of my favorites of the many that I like from these icons of 20th century pop music. Haunting, thought provoking and memorable."

2. "Family Affair" - Sly and the Family Stone
"I love the sound of Sly's voice on this track and the simple emotionally detached musical landscape."

3. "Troy" - Sinead O'Connor
"This is an incredibly tragic and beautiful song sung with the passion of the experience. When I first heard this song I was instantly transported there to her world, 'Dublin in a rain storm'... beautiful."

4. "The Root" - D'Angelo
"Fantastic vocal stylings. D' Angelo is an innovator in this genre."

5. "Bring Me the Disco King (Underworld Remix)" - David Bowie
"Powerful presentation. Beautiful and complex chord voicings and the arrangement is unique. Bowie's voice is wonderfully stripped of effects, bare and human. He can really capture sadness and melancholy in what seems an effortless way. A true master vocalist and inspiration."

6. "Like a Tattoo" - Sade
"One of my favorite singers. This song works so well on so many levels. The music is lush without being overbearing and spacious to give the words power. Sade's vocal presentation is intoxicatingly detached like she is trying to not give into the feeling that the story is telling, like the hollow feeling one has after an intense emotional breakdown. Brilliant."

7. "Crazy" - Seal
"This song has an ominous feeling to it for a pop song. Quite daring."

8. "Gett Off" - Prince
"Sexy, Sexy, Sexy!"

9. "Desert Rose" - Sting
"A very haunting song. The Arabic lyrics and beautiful melody sung by Cheb Mami are timely considering our conflict in the Middle East."

10) "Granada" - The Three tenors
"I am in awe every time I listen to these guys sing."

Queensryche's latest album, Operation: Mindcrime II, is available now in the ARTISTdirect Store. Click here to listen to a full album stream!