Jimmy Kay from The Metal Voice recently spoke to QUEENSRŸCHE co-founder and guitarist Michael Wilton at this year’s M3 Rock festival on May 4, 2024.
In the chat goes over the early success of QUEENSRŸCHE in the early years and the writing, recording and the making and their classic E.P. and The Warning.
Excerpt from interview ” I was 19 years old and we had been as The Mob (band) and playing metal songs at place, playing Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Tigers of Pan Tang etc…We were into that because at that time you know the radio was just playing pop stuff and we were young and we wanted to hear metal. So we got to the point where we said well let’s try making our own music and we just started jamming together and got a tape recorder and just started recording ideas and putting things together. We had the four songs that were on it (EP) and other songs that didn’t make it. It was just trial and error. We had these ideas and we decided you know we’d like to record them at a proper studio.” Michael Wilton
QUEENSRŸCHE have released another thought-provoking video that was created by Above The Void with the help of AI. Check out “Nocturnal Lights”, the 8th video taken from Digital Noise Alliance, watch it below.
The band comments: “This is a song spawned from the truly catastrophic year of 2020. Beginning with Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crash to a relentless global pandemic with lockdowns. If that wasn’t enough, we had to endure natural disasters, racial injustices, protesters, a chaotic reality tv presidential election, political division, highest level of unemployment, as well as the postponement of the 2020 summer Olympic games in Japan.”
“Nocturnal Light” is taken from their latest album, Digital Noise Alliance, that was released in October of 2022. It is QUEENSRŸCHE’s 16th studio album and it continues their ever-evolving legacy. Once again teaming up with producer Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed), “Digital Noise Alliance” not only refracts QUEENSRŸCHE’s past accomplishments but also pushes into the band’s future. It is the band effortlessly moving from strength to strength: immediate and thought-provoking.
”Digital Noise Alliance” is quintessentially QUEENSRŸCHE. Track to track it embodies the lush melodies, passion and intelligence that’s been the mark of the band since they first took hold of the flame with their hugely received self-titled 4-song EP in 1984.
Speaking of their legendary self-titled EP: Come March 2024 QUEENSRŸCHE will embark on “The Origins Tour” with Special Guests Armored Saint throughout USA and Canada. It will be the first time in their history that the EP and The Warning will be performed live in their entirety!
Join them for this unique and very special experience, as they celebrate the origins of QUEENSRŸCHE.
QUEENSRYCHE – The Origins Tour PLAYING THE EP & THE WARNING w/ Special Guests ARMORED SAINT Mar 22 Hell’s Heroes Festival * – Houston, TX Mar 23 Tower Theatre * – Oklahoma City, OK Mar 26 Sycuan Casino * – El Cajon, CA Mar 27 House of Blues – Anaheim, CA Mar 28 Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA Mar 31 Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA Apr 2 Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO Apr 3 Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO Apr 5 Ameristar Casino & Hotel * – Kansas City, MO Apr 6 Delmar Hall – St Louis, MO Apr 7 Paramount Theatre – Cedar Rapids, MI Apr 9 Coronado Theatre – Rockford, IL Apr 10 Peoria Civic Center – Peoria, IL Apr 12 The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN Apr 13 State Theatre – Kalamazoo, MI Apr 14 Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI Apr 16 Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH Apr 17 House of Blues – Cleveland, OH Apr 19 (CA) Phoenix Theatre – Toronto Apr 20 (CA) Théâtre Beanfield – Montreal Apr 21 (CA) Elements – Kitchener Apr 24 Roxian Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA Apr 26 Empire Live – Albany, NY Apr 27 Palladium – Worcester, MA Apr 28 Toad’s – New Haven, CT Apr 30 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ May 1 Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA May 3 The Paramount – Huntington, NY May 5 The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC May 7 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA May 9 Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL May 10 The Plaza Live – Orlando, FL May 11 Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL May 12 The Ranch – Ft. Meyers, FL *no ARMORED SAINT
QUEENSRŸCHE lineup: Eddie Jackson – bass Michael Wilton – guitar Todd La Torre – vocals Casey Grillo – drums Mike Stone – guitar
Although QUEENSRŸCHE would score multi-platinum albums and hit singles over their career, their fans have developed an undeniable love for the group’s early releases – when they helped trailblaze a style of rock that combined elements of metal and prog. And for the first time ever, Queensrÿche will be performing both classic releases in their entirety as part of ‘The Origins Tour.’
Launching on March 22, 2024 in Houston, TX at Hell’s Heroes Festival and running until May 12 in Ft. Meyers, FL, ‘The Origins Tour’ will see Queensrÿche – singer Todd La Torre, guitarists Michael Wilton and Mike Stone, bassist Eddie Jackson, and drummer Casey Grillo – joined on most dates by another highly respected/influential band that also launched in the ’80s, Armored Saint.
Tickets will go on sale on Friday, November 10 at 10:00am local, and can be purchased at https://bnds.us/8vkhdd
Mar 22 – Hell’s Heroes Festival * – Houston, TX USA Mar 23 – Tower Theatre * – Oklahoma City, OK USA Mar 26 – Sycuan Casino * – El Cajon, CA USA Mar 27 – House of Blues – Anaheim, CA USA Mar 28 – Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA USA Mar 31 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA USA Apr 2 – Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO USA Apr 3 – Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO USA Apr 5 – Ameristar Casino & Hotel * – Kansas City, MO USA Apr 6 – Delmar Hall – St Louis, MO USA Apr 7 – Paramount Theatre – Cedar Rapids, MI USA Apr 9 – Coronado Theatre – Rockford, IL USA Apr 10 – Peoria Civic Center – Peoria, IL USA Apr 12 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN USA Apr 13 – State Theatre – Kalamazoo, MI USA Apr 14 – Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI USA Apr 16 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH USA Apr 17 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH USA Apr 19 – Phoenix Theatre – Toronto – CA Apr 20 – Théâtre Beanfield – Montreal – CA Apr 21 – Elements – Kitchener – CA Apr 24 – Roxian Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA USA Apr 26 – Empire Live – Albany, NY USA Apr 27 – Palladium – Worcester, MA USA Apr 28 – Toad’s – New Haven, CT USA Apr 30 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ USA May 1 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA USA May 3 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY USA May 5 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC USA May 7 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA USA May 9 – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL USA May 10 – The Plaza Live – Orlando, FL USA May 11 – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA May 12 – The Ranch – Ft. Meyers, FL USA
Following the thought-provoking video for “Tormentum” released in July, QUEENSRŸCHE presents a more lighthearted offering: a music video for their cover of the classic song “Rebel Yell”.
“Rebel Yell” is featured on their latest album, “Digital Noise Alliance”, which debuted in October 2022 as the band’s 16th studio album, marking another chapter in their ever-evolving legacy.
The video, created by Thomas Crane for killDevil Films, can be viewed here:
Once again collaborating with producer Zeuss (known for his work with Rob Zombie and Hatebreed), “Digital Noise Alliance” not only pays homage to QUEENSRŸCHE’s past achievements but also propels them toward their musical future. The album showcases the band’s continuous growth, delivering immediacy and introspection.
“Digital Noise Alliance” epitomizes the quintessential QUEENSRŸCHE sound from start to finish, embracing lush melodies, passion, and intelligence that have defined the band’s identity since their acclaimed self-titled 4-song EP in 1984.
The passing of time, as many have said before, has a way of changing our perspective on things. Take, for instance, Frequency Unknown, the notoriously controversial 13th album by metal legends QUEENSRŸCHE and the last album to feature founding vocalist Geoff Tate. The album arrived in April of 2013 amidst a swarm of quarrels both within the band and without, which threatened to tear the band’s fanbase apart. Yet in the nearly 10 years that has passed since its release, Frequency Unknown has been fully embraced as a gem among the QR catalog.
Dubbed “The Heaviest Rÿche Ever” upon its release, Frequency Unknown found Tate surrounded by a gang of powerful virtuosos, including longtime QR guitarist Kelly Gray as well as Ozzy Osbourne bassist Rudy Sarzo and legendary AC/DC / Dio drummer Simon Wright. Furthermore, the album came stacked with special guests by Judas Priest’s KK Downing, Megadeth’s Chris Poland, King’s X’s Ty Tabor, Slayer’s Paul Bostaph and more!
Now, Frequency Unknown is getting a much-deserved deluxe vinyl treatment presenting the entire album in a gorgeous 2LP gatefold jacket. This reissue will include, for the first time ever, the newly recorded versions of “I Don’t Believe In Love,” “Empire,” “Jet City Woman” and “Silent Lucidity” on 12” vinyl PLUS four highlights from the remix and rearrangement done by producer Billy Sherwood. The 2LP set will come in a variety of colors including RED, SILVER, PURPLE and an audiophile-ready 180 GRAM BLACK vinyl! It’s the perfect holiday gift for the metal fan in your life!
While the two songs previously released, “In Extremis” and “Forest”, were exploring two contrasting facets of “Digital Noise Alliance”, “Behind The Walls” offers a deep dive into QUEENSRŸCHE’s trademark sound.
The band comments: “It is a story about those in crisis dealing with various forms of abuse. The protagonist is faced with the dichotomy of reconciling a lifetime of devout faith, while suffering immense abuse with no intervention.”
Right after the release of “Digital Noise Alliance” the band will embark on another tour opening for the mighty Judas Priest on their “50 Heavy Metal Years” US tour.
With a career that not only spans, but has charted the course of multiple genres, QUEENSRŸCHE remains a force in their own right. “Digital Noise Alliance”, QUEENSRŸCHE’s 16th studio album continues their ever-evolving legacy.
Once again teaming up with producer Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed), “Digital Noise Alliance” not only refracts QUEENSRŸCHE’s past accomplishments but also pushes into the band’s future. It is the band effortlessly moving from strength to strength: immediate and thought-provoking.
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