Geoff Tate Talks New Album and Surrounding Himself With the Right People

There's a certain weight that comes with revisiting something like Operation: Mindcrime. Fans don't just like that world. They live in it. So, when Geoff Tate circles back around with another chapter, it's not casual. It's a big deal, and, yes, people are paying attention.

Tate dropped part two a few years back, and now, Operation Mindcrime 3 is out in the world. Meltdown of rock station WRIF caught up with Tate ahead of his May stop at Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit, and during the interview, Tate didn't sound like a guy sitting in nostalgia. He sounded more like someone still working on something unfinished.

Putting out a record today is a different animal, and Tate talked about that in the interview with Meltdown. There are fewer gatekeepers but more noise. Tate talked about the process like a craftsman, including writing in waves, letting songs sit and coming back later to finish them.

Tate said of the writing process of this album: "You have to immerse yourself in the Mindcrime world and put yourself in the place again where it happens, so that's not hard for me. I relate to that word pretty easily. So, it wasn't a hard thing to do to drop into it."

Tate also made the point that at this time in his career, he's only working with enjoyable artists and musicians. That includes his tour crew, too.

"I like to surround myself with people that I like," Tate told Meltdown. "I never want to be in a situation where you're working with people because of contacts."

Tate also talked about touring and how it's still important in 2026. He's done this long enough to know exactly what it takes, and it shows when he's on the stage.

Listen to Tate's full interview with Meltdown here. While you're at it, find Meltdown's other interviews with rockers on his podcast page.