Michael Corvin

I think Tate's the one running the band into the ground, so it will be interesting to see if the other guys can re-ignite the torch.

Holy shit on the new vocals!

Vlyger

I guess the other members of Queensryche have finally 'seen the light' and realized that Geoff was taking them in the wrong direction musically. He has become a liability to the band with his shenanigans. I don't know what Geoff's problem is. I have noticed he has changed his physical appearance and gone through some identity crisis for the past couple years since Dio died. If Geoff wants to pursue a cabaret act, then let him do it on his own. Don't drag your QR bandmates into this new passion of yours if their hearts aren't into it. Geoff can do a cabaret tour with David Lee Roth or something.

Now if only Chris DeGarmo would consider joining his former bandmates in Rising West. It may be a dream, but it would definitely ROCK!!!!

Jason

Well, shit. While I haven't been interested in any of their recent releases, I've found Queensryche to be a pretty entertaining live act. The fact I've been able to score great seats at the local venue they frequently play helps a lot, but I'm sorry to see them go, if they are in fact over.

Michael Corvin

Definitely seems like he can't distinguish between side projects and QR proper.

The Cow

Queensryche were on the HDNet concerts live the last couple of weeks and sounded good, but Geoff cannot sing the old stuff (pre-Mindcrime especially) anymore.

I'm very curious to hear this new project.

bunkaroo

They should have waited to have this guy available before they played Rage For Order all the way through. Tate could barely hit the high notes in "Walk in the Shadows" back in '91 let alone now.

Josh-da-man

Jesus, Todd sounds more like Geoff Tate than Geoff Tate does!

boc4ever

Yeah so true. He is hitting notes Tate only dreams of now. I haven't seen Geoff hit those notes proper since about 95.

Michael Corvin

It's not a fair comparison though. Looks like he's a fair bit younger.

boc4ever

Oh there's no doubt. I give Tate his due. The point is more that Queensryche keeps going more and more away from what made them great. It also doesn't help that Geoff seems very unapologetic about his efforts to sing. I watch the older material, and he always sang very enthusiastically. At least the "new" singer has something to prove. If DeGarmo returned, it could give the fans what has been missing since Promised Land.

Flashback

This probably did not help either over the Memorial Day Weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d88du2GnAus

Nor pulling a knife on your bandmate. wtf?

covenant

I caught the tail end of their Rocklahoma set on HDNET and they sounded pretty decent, but I noticed the crowd was thin. Then the camera cut over to the Hellyeah stage and it was packed. Now I know why.

cdollaz

That's gotta be a tough blow when a band named "Hellyeah" is a bigger draw than you.

covenant

Hellyeah put on a helluva show!
The group who blew my mind was Jackyl. I was expecting an old 90's has-been act. Boy was I wrong. They stole the whole night.

bunkaroo

Have they incorporated any new power tools into their set?

Michael Corvin

Ouch. What a douchebag.

edstein

That show was dead. He was right.

Jason

I saw them at a casino at the end of March and the crowd in the 800-seat theater made more noise than that bunch. But then again, people were there specifically to see Queensryche, not general admission attendees at a festival.

covenant

I had to switch channels to see Game of Thrones and I missed the Grand Finale, so who can say?

SmackDaddy

We were at Rocklahoma and yeah, the Hellyeah crowd was pretty darn big and very motivated:



This would be about the middle of the crowd(we were near the soundboard).

At first we thought he was trying to be funny, then when he wasn't around as the band finished up...we thought something was up. The band sounded good and Geoff did as well, but being sandwiched between two party bands like Jackyl and Chickenfoot probably was not the best spot for them. Plus, with such a short set, they probably should have omitted anything past Empire on their setlist.

Strange, back in 2008 we say what would end up being Jani Lane's last show with Warrant (too wasted to remember lyrics and wandered of stage randomly) and now perhaps one of the last shows with Geoff and Queensryche.

BTW, we got caught on camera several times at that side stage during the broadcast.

cdollaz

http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/...sitemID=175707

According to Billboard.com, Seattle progressive rockers QUEENSRŸCHE have officially parted ways with vocalist Geoff Tate and have replaced him with CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

"Over the past few months, there have been growing creative differences within QUEENSRŸCHE," drummer Scott Rockenfield said in a statement. "We want our fans to know that we hoped to find a common resolution, but in the end parting ways with Geoff was the best way for everyone to move forward in a positive direction. We wish him the best of luck with all of his future endeavors. We can't wait to bring QUEENSRŸCHE to our fans with Todd behind the microphone."

The statement also said that scheduled QUEENSRŸCHE performances "are on hold at [the] present time and revised routing is being worked on. Fans can check the band's website for all of the latest tour information as it [becomes] available."

On May 29, QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren announced that they were forming a project called RISING WEST with La Torre. That band made its live debut at two sold-out shows June 8-9 at Seattle's Hard Rock Café, performing rare and classic hits from the first five QUEENSRŸCHE albums — from the 1983 EP through 1990's "Empire" — as well as a cover version of the IRON MAIDEN staple "Wrathchild".

QUEENSRŸCHE was scheduled to open for the SCORPIONS on June 11 in West Valley City, Utah, but the band canceled its appearance the day of the event, with Tate going ahead with the show, backed by his solo group.

Speaking to the "Streets Of Rock & Roll" radio show, La Torre stated about RISING WEST's live debut, "It was amazing. I've actually been told how critical the people of Seattle can be with their music — they take it pretty seriously, and seeing as it is [QUEENSRŸCHE's] home turf, I expected to be severely ridiculed. To the contrary, I felt widely accepted. The fans were amazing. We sold out the place both nights. Our merch was gone the first night."

On the topic of how it feels to be performing with members of a group which he has called his "favorite band since [he] was probably 14 or 15 years old," La Torre said, "To be able to play those songs with the actual members was really a dream come true. . . I mean, I met them 20 years ago at a signing session they did in Clearwater, Florida. And they signed my 'Warning' album cover; I still have it. In my home studio, I have 'Promised Land' signed and beautifully framed by all the members. So when this actually came to be, I had to pinch myself. . . This resonates very personally for me because I have a lot of emotional connection to this music, and the fans do, too. . . And the band, as a whole, is really excited. I mean, even the bandmembers' wives have told me, 'Todd, these guys haven't been this happy in 10 years.' I'm seeing them glowing. I mean, they're smiling; we're laughing. We laughed so hard at practice, at rehearsal, and it just all feels very comfortable and natural. And I couldn't be more honored. This is a legendary band that's never had another vocalist front those members. And so, out of all the people in the world that could have gotten chosen or would be vying for that position, I feel very lucky and fortunate that they chose me."

When asked about plans to record new original music with his new bandmates, Todd said, "Actually, there is new original material. And that's a goal that they wanna do. . . I think that performing the classic tunes or any QUEENSRŸCHE material that they wrote is a good bridge to them being true to their original works. . . Obviously, we wanna try and write something that's heavy, but also has a common thread of what is QUEENSRŸCHE's sound — very melodic guitar parts." He added, "Vocally, I'm in a very unique position because a lot of people like to throw around, 'Oh, he's a clone, he's an imitator, he's this, he's that.' And I feel like I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't. My style of singing and phrasing is very similar to Geoff Tate and Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford. I mean, a lot of my high metal screams are grittier and dirtier, like Rob Halford. My vibrato is more similar to Bruce Dickinson or Geoff Tate. A lot of the crying and ways of entering a vocal phrase and phonating, the way I say words, are very similar to Geoff Tate. I wear my influences on my sleeve, but I also think that I have a heavier vibe than Geoff Tate ever had. . . But the new songs, we want them to be heavy but still try to maintain… As a writer, the people that love the roots, a lot of those people don't wanna move past that; they love it. But as an artist, you wanna spread your wings, and you wanna try things that are creative, and you wanna still stay current. So it's like, 'OK, how do we achieve, how do we pacify the masses?' You don't wanna write a record that sounds like 1986. But you don't wanna sound so changed that the older fans aren't finding that common thread in the music that they loved that is from the early-to-mid-'80s or even early '90s, like 'Operation: Mindcrime'. I mean, that's regarded as one of the greatest concept albums of all time, and it's stood the test of time. Is that a real heavy, heavy metal record? In my opinion, no. I call it 'metal,' but it was progressive and it had a lot of wonderful instrumentation and elements, and it's a masterpiece of a work. So we just wanna do what we do."

bunkaroo

Wow - interesting. I've been following the drama but I thought for sure Tate would get the name. Maybe more legal battles are coming...

Michael Corvin

Awesome news, IMO. I couldn't be bothered to pick up Dedicated to Chaos because of how terrible American Soldier was, but now I'm interested again.

bunkaroo

Same here - I've never even heard DtC. That's really sad for me considering QR was one of the most important bands for me during my development as a bassist.

I don't want to hear them do The Warning Pt. 2, but something modern yet heavy would be welcome.

Mordred

Has there ever been a band that parted ways with their original singer and longtime fans were actually happy about the news? I can't remember it ever happening before.

BTW, I'm ecstatic.