Empty room today, and here I sit.
Chalk outline upon the wall, I
Remember tracing it a thousand times
The night she died. Why?
Thus begins the penultimate track on one of the most successful metal concept albums of all time:
Operation:Mindcrime by Queensryche. For the last 13 songs we have been sucked into the world of Nikki, along with the corruption, sin and perverse morality that intrudes into his junkie life. By the time the final track "
Eyes of a Stranger" erupts, all we can do is reflect with him on the choices he made, and the consequences that now weigh him down.
Metal bands create songs that can, musically and lyrically, transport us to other worlds. Great metal songs deliver memorable lines and an invitation to join, albeit for a brief moment, a twist on normal existence.
These alternate universes grow in scope and realism when a collection of songs are brought together with two strong factors - theme and narrative. This is the underlying force of a concept album: to sweep the listener into a situation they have no control over; to observe and to feel; to judge but take no action. And when the final track (or last seconds of an individual track) finally fades, we still know the characters, we still mourn the tragedy. And we can relive this world over and over again.
Concept albums are not like books. Imagine you had to compress 300 pages of action, emotion and consequence into ten sparingly short poems. There is no time to dwell on the frivolous, or ponder details. Concept albums present concentrated fury, love, anger and despair, with no room for lengthy commentary or minute examination. That is why I love the
concept of concept albums. The writers explore the core, and we are left to fill in the finer points.
Metal is the perfect vehicle for such an idea - our genre is so full of contrast, so resolutely intense, and at times
epic, that no other music style would be able to convey the necessary spectrum of both musical and lyrical creation that a concept album must deliver.
Edge of Sanity's
Crimson is the perfect example of this. From the first furious roar, to the mellower passages and onwards into the varied sections that make up this 40-plus minute masterpiece, only metal could handle the complex storyline and create a world in which a kingdom is on the precipice of annihilation, and in which the King's daughter struggles to reclaim her position. The lyrics are the narrative. The music frames the themes. This is metal in all its concept glory.
Ask any metal fan, and most would have their favourite concept album. While lyrics may not be the priority in many great metal tracks, words bring characters and dilemmas to life in concept albums. Pick one up and ask the question "What's it about?", and be prepared for an enthusiastic and comprehensive response, especially from this listener.
From a lyrical perspective, Metal is inspiring and cathartic. Metal bands that undertake the task of producing a concept album will undoubtedly travel their own journey to create and complete its story and we, the fans, are all the better for it.
This is why I'm looking forward to the sequel to "Operation Mindcrime". Through the songwriters' vision of a world that exists only in imagination, we will once more walk in the characters' shoes, see with their eyes, and hopefully be satisfied with the story arc. A world unreal becomes a world that metal fans can once again share and be part of.
Can't wait!
Michael Terrax
www.metalpoet.com - Read It Loud!
