Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album

[Adami]

Looks like the only soap opera drama is the stuff being invented in this thread. Some of you could be pretty good writers for dramas.

[T-ski]

I’ll stir the pot by saying it’s interesting the bands Facebook header photo is just Todd and no band.

Continue on.

[EPICVIEW]

Boss it does... Parker is gone because they could get Stone to tour for less..

Do you have any evidence for this claim?  It contradicts the statements given by both Parker and the band.

. 
Their statements didnt say much but were couched in nice tones that hes leaving to do his guitar shop and wifes latte shop.   a month ago when Stone filled in the rumors were it was "normal" that Parker just couldnt make it,  to me it looks like He couldnt get a contract done as he is an employee along with Todd and Casey.  again "its drama"  thats a fact.  to me the band is just so watered down and if you like the new stuff even that guitarist is now gone and the touring drummer is on none of the new stuff

[EPICVIEW]

I’ll stir the pot by saying it’s interesting the bands Facebook header photo is just Todd and no band.

Continue on.

LOL   really? 

[jammindude]

I’ll stir the pot by saying it’s interesting the bands Facebook header photo is just Todd and no band.

Continue on.

While this might be technically true, it’s extremely misleading. They’ve been posting photos of Todd and Michael working together on the new album collaboratively. I think they’re down in Florida.

You guys could write scripts for “reality television“ because this is exactly what those guys do.

[EPICVIEW]

I’ll stir the pot by saying it’s interesting the bands Facebook header photo is just Todd and no band.

Continue on.

While this might be technically true, it’s extremely misleading. They’ve been posting photos of Todd and Michael working together on the new album collaboratively. I think they’re down in Florida.

You guys could write scripts for “reality television“ because this is exactly what those guys do.

all ya have to do is list the facts with this band it makes great reality tv LOL   

[bosk1]

Boss it does... Parker is gone because they could get Stone to tour for less..

Do you have any evidence for this claim?  It contradicts the statements given by both Parker and the band.

Exactly.  Epicview, what you posted contradicts everything that everyone else is saying.  You have been warned before about posting misinformation and asserting that misinformation as fact.  This forum is not a place to perpetuate false rumors about any band.  And since you continue to ignore warnings about that and act like a troll, you are being given a final warning and 1 week temp ban.

[wolfking]

I'll miss Geoff Tate over the coming week.

[Samsara]

Wow, that blew up quickly. Here's my .02:

Not sure why people are reading into this more than what it is. Parker stepped down, Stone stepped in to help, and whether he stays permanently or someone else joins, remains to be seen. It's not really a big deal at this stage. Stone knows the material and has filled in for Parker previously, so to me, it was a no-brainer to have him step in again.

As for Parker's reasons why he left the band -- again, not sure why people wouldn't take it at face value. The pandemic changed the way a LOT of people have viewed life and how they are living it. He's decided to move in a different direction. So congratulations to Parker and thanks for a hell of a good run (12+ years) in the band. Out of all three people that have stood in DeGarmo's shoes, he's the one I felt really made an effort to "get it right" and whose changes to some parts to fit his individual style were done in such a way that they felt seamless. Honestly, I think Queensryche fans should be thanking Parker, not questioning the "whys" behind his departure.

Looking ahead, I think Queensryche continues on the way it has. I don't view their next record as anything different than the one before it, other than wondering if it could be their last. Wilton and Jackson aren't getting younger. As for who writes the record, I'm sure it will be the same as the last few -- La Torre/Jackson/Wilton for the majority, either together or separate, or a combination of two of the three. I wouldn't expect them to rock the apple cart from a stylistic perspective. Queensryche is a business. It has always been, but after the split with Tate, it absolutely is about locking in the fans and the market that support them, and making sure the music falls in the wheelhouse of those fans. I'm sure they will have a track or two that spreads its creative wings a little bit, but other than that, I'd expect 90 percent of the record to be in the same vein as The Verdict and Condition Human. My guess would be that Wilton will do all the guitars on the record, and if he wants a partner, perhaps Stone will do some rhythms. But you really don't need a second guitarist in the studio. I guess we'll see.

Anyway, congrats again to Parker Lundgren. When he joined the band in 2009, I was one of the ones screaming "NEPOTISM!" And it clearly was, at the time. But Parker showed EVERYONE that he is a great guitarist in his own right, did right by DeGarmo's material, did right by the fans, and also developed his songwriting. He EARNED that spot next to Wilton, and I for one really came to appreciate the kind of work he put into his craft. I saw it first hand, pre-show, as he sat in the dressing room playing the set on his guitar to warm up (listening to the songs on his laptop). So if his future is in his guitar business and coffee shops, then good for him. Glad he is happy, and I wish him the best.

[TAC]

As for Parker's reasons why he left the band -- again, not sure why people wouldn't take it at face value.
...
 So if his future is in his guitar business and coffee shops, then good for him. Glad he is happy, and I wish him the best.

Amen, Brother!

[devieira73]

... congratulations to Parker and thanks for a hell of a good run (12+ years) in the band. Out of all three people that have stood in DeGarmo's shoes, he's the one I felt really made an effort to "get it right" and whose changes to some parts to fit his individual style were done in such a way that they felt seamless. Honestly, I think Queensryche fans should be thanking Parker, not questioning the "whys" behind his departure.

Totally this!
Also, zero drama on this.

[Lupton]

I'll miss Geoff Tate over the coming week.

 

[Peter Mc]

Can’t say I’m devastated by Parker leaving

 

Who on earth would be devastated?

I was probably a little harsh there.  What I meant really was that Parker leaving is not “the final straw” or anything.  He did a job in QR and was a better fit than all of the other DeGarmo replacements but I didn’t really see him as a killer guitar player and had no huge attachment to him in the band.

It sounds like it’s all amicable though and that he has made a decision that’s good for him and his family and that’s awesome, I wish him well.  I just wish Stone wasn’t the replacement.

[Samsara]

It sounds like it’s all amicable though and that he has made a decision that’s good for him and his family and that’s awesome, I wish him well.  I just wish Stone wasn’t the replacement.

Well, to be fair, we don't know if Stone is "the replacement." I would assume he'll likely play the 2021 shows QR has scheduled. But as the band rolls into a new album, and then (again assuming) sets out on a fresh tour in support of it, they'd have ample opportunity to select someone else if Stone is unable or unwilling to join them full time. Stone's a great dude, and he's been doing his thing all this time, so depending on what his schedule is, it might be too early to think he'll be a permanent replacement. Fly-ins are generally easy. Tour legs of a month or more can be harder for a non-full time musician who may have other responsibilities.

[ShadowWalker]

It sounds like it’s all amicable though and that he has made a decision that’s good for him and his family and that’s awesome, I wish him well.  I just wish Stone wasn’t the replacement.

Well, to be fair, we don't know if Stone is "the replacement." I would assume he'll likely play the 2021 shows QR has scheduled. But as the band rolls into a new album, and then (again assuming) sets out on a fresh tour in support of it, they'd have ample opportunity to select someone else if Stone is unable or unwilling to join them full time. Stone's a great dude, and he's been doing his thing all this time, so depending on what his schedule is, it might be too early to think he'll be a permanent replacement. Fly-ins are generally easy. Tour legs of a month or more can be harder for a non-full time musician who may have other responsibilities.

A number of people commented on FB that he is indeed a permanent replacement in various conversations in the wake of their M3 performance on July 3, but I have not seen anything that resembles that.

Speaking of M3, I was there and it took all of two minutes or so to remind me why I hope it isn't the case. The idea of listening to Mike Stone shit all over another solo will be a deal-breaker for me seeing them live again. I was really hoping Parker would have given the fans one final "farewell" performance at M3.

Interesting side note to the M3 performance. At no point did TLT introduce Mike Stone to the audience. He introduced Casey and Whip early in the set and EdBass during the intro to Jet City Woman. At no point did he mention Mike's name to the audience.

[bosk1]

Interesting side note to the M3 performance. At no point did TLT introduce Mike Stone to the audience. He introduced Casey and Whip early in the set and EdBass during the intro to Jet City Woman. At no point did he mention Mike's name to the audience.

That's weird.  I would have thought that he's say something, like "And you guys know Mike Stone, right?  He's helping us out tonight..."  Something like that, that could be very noncommital.

[Samsara]

That IS kinda of odd for sure.

Perhaps TLT just forgot. I think he's introduced Stone before.

As for the commentary on FB, 

We all know how that works. 

[wolfking]

I thought Stone was alright when I saw them on the OM2 tour.  Surprising as I've never been a big fan.

I'd take him over Kelly Gray though, anytime.

[ShadowWalker]

I thought Stone was alright when I saw them on the OM2 tour.  Surprising as I've never been a big fan.

I'd take him over Kelly Gray though, anytime.

If those were my only choices, I'd choose saving my money...

[Grappler]

They just played a headline show, and it's back to playing only the classics after the Verdict's headline tour in 2019/early 2020, where they played a few more newer songs.  18 songs and only ONE song from the last three albums.  Five from Mindcrime, four from Empire, three from RFO, three from the EP (including Prophecy), and one from Promised Land.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/queensryche/2021/seven-feathers-casino-resort-canyonville-or-638ff623.html

The Needle Lies
Walk in the Shadows
The Prophecy
Blood of the Levant
I Am I
Another Rainy Night (Without You)
Breaking the Silence
I Don't Believe in Love
The Whisper
The Lady Wore Black
Silent Lucidity
Jet City Woman
Take Hold of the Flame
Queen of the Reich
Eyes of a Stranger


Encore:
Operation: Mindcrime
Screaming in Digital
Empire

 

[TAC]

I would never ever pay money for that.

[bosk1]

See recent post regarding "nostalgia act." 

Not a bad selection of songs.  And pretty balanced in terms of "hits" for the casual fans and "old school classics" for the die-hards.  But the lack of effort to support the new material is telling, and I do not mean that as a compliment.

[ProfessorPeart]

I would not pay the money to see that setlist. If you aren't going to support your recent releases with your current singer, then don't expect me to support you in a live setting. I'm not interested in nothing but a greatest hits tour from them, which seems to be all they are capable of.

[geeeemo]

That's too bad.. I happen to like the Verdict and CH.....

[Samsara]

You all know I'm in favor of bands supporting their latest material. That said, however, I'll play devil's advocate on this and point out the following: It was a casino headline show in-between album cycles. Not a headline show in support of an album. That does make a difference.

I'm not saying that as a hardcore I would be pleased at the song selection - I'm not. But I do somewhat understand it. It's a set full of classic tunes, balanced with a couple for the hardcores and one of their favorites from the last album. All in all, not ideal, but I think it's sorta what they've shown that they do for these fly-in gigs.

If I was a casual fan in a casino, and saw that Queensryche was there that day and went and saw that setlist, I don't think I'd be disappointed in the songs they chose. And for casino gigs, that's who they are targeting -- casual fans of the band who remember the stuff from Empire, Mindcrime, and a couple of old classics.

I think the days of Queensryche as they were from 1982-2009 (EP tour through American Soldier tour), where they featured five or six new songs from their latest record are long gone. Starting with Dedicated to Chaos, they pretty much have played just a couple of their latest songs and that has been it. It has been the reality of the band since then. When their new album comes out, they'll probably swap in some new songs and play three of them in place of Blood of the Levant and a couple of the others. And then swap out a couple of the more rare stuff for a couple of other seldom-played tunes. But I wouldn't expect more than that. That's pretty much been status quo since 2011.

It's not what those of us posting in this thread likely want (because while not all of us are hardcores, we're more into live music I think in comparison to those attending casino gigs), but it's probably the best for the audiences they play for at these fly-in dates between album cycles.

[Grappler]

I was going to post just that as well, that they do intentionally book these shows at festivals and casinos where the setlists are pretty much required to be the old, popular songs.  I honestly think they should have two sets rehearsed - one for festivals/casinos and one for their own headline shows.  They can then tailor each set to that audience and have the headline set feature newer material, rather than playing the same songs and just cutting a few out based on the time limit.

It just drives me bonkers that for the last 9 (!) years, there has been too much of a reliance on older songs, having become a fan of the band in the HITNF/Q2K era and knowing that they used to play so much of their current albums live.  I do like that headline set, it's fairly metal as hell for them, but  I just know that they have more material that they could rotate in and out if they wanted to.

[Setlist Scotty]

See recent post regarding "nostalgia act." 

Not a bad selection of songs.  And pretty balanced in terms of "hits" for the casual fans and "old school classics" for the die-hards.  But the lack of effort to support the new material is telling, and I do not mean that as a compliment.

This!
 
 

That's too bad.. I happen to like the Verdict and CH.....

And this (plus the s/t album, which is also great)!

Lame lame lame. They had the opportunity to break free of the Taters and their garbage and all they do is go the nostalgia route. FAIL!   
 
 

You all know I'm in favor of bands supporting their latest material. That said, however, I'll play devil's advocate on this and point out the following: It was a casino headline show in-between album cycles. Not a headline show in support of an album. That does make a difference.

True, but only ONE single track from the last decade? If it was one track from each of their last three, I could find that at least acceptable, but only one is piss poor.

Good thing that Tater insisted that only he could do O:M all the way through after the split, or else I fear the band themselves would be riding on those coattails more than any of us would have ever imagined.   

[wolfking]

Yeah, that's a disappointing set.

[Lethean]

I'd also be kind of disappointed with that setlist had I been at the show.  I'd like to see more new stuff, less Mindcrime, and more of the old stuff being in the rotation.  Samsara makes a good point about it being a casino show though.  And, a big part of the draw with Todd is that he can sing the old stuff, and sing it well.  I know he isn't perfect, and I've seen the youtube evidence, but he's certainly been good whenever I've seen him in person. 

Last time I saw them they pulled out No Sanctuary, which was awesome and I was happy enough with just that that I don't really remember what I thought of the rest of the setlist.

[jammindude]

I don’t know if anyone noticed, but I decided to check Scott’s Facebook page this morning and that link no longer exists. In fact his most recent entry still on the page is from 2013. It would appear that all other more recent posts have been deleted.

[Samsara]

I don’t know if anyone noticed, but I decided to check Scott’s Facebook page this morning and that link no longer exists. In fact his most recent entry still on the page is from 2013. It would appear that all other more recent posts have been deleted.

Interesting. Could be a variety of reasons. Without speculating, I'd say that stuff being down was likely for the best anyway.

Cover reveal for Building An Empire: The Story of Queensryche is tomorrow. (Along with some release date info, and the different versions that will be available.) I'll post it here for those interested as soon as the press release goes out.

[TAC]

 

[Samsara]

For those interested, this was just sent out a couple minutes ago:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 21, 2021

Contact: NW Metalworx Music, LLC
nwmetalworxmusic@gmail.com

Building An Empire: The Story of Queensr˙che to Publish in October

Pre-orders Slated for August 2021


TACOMA, WASHINGTON — NW Metalworx Music will release Building An Empire: The Story of Queensr˙che, this coming October. After 40 years, Queensr˙che's career-spanning story will finally be told, covering the band's earliest roots in suburban Seattle, the group's rise to arena-level success, downfall, and rebirth. Featured on the book's cover is a previously unseen photo of Queensr˙che's original lineup of Chris DeGarmo, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Geoff Tate, and Michael Wilton, taken by photographer Robert John at the height of the quintet's stardom.

Written by James R. Beach, with Brian L. Naron and Brian J. Heaton, the book will be issued in various formats―a limited edition collector's hardcover, a standard paperback, and an electronic version that can be downloaded as a standalone .pdf, or purchased for the Amazon Kindle. The hardcover edition will feature a CD of rare audio interviews with Queensr˙che and an exclusive poster. Pre-orders will start in August on nwmetalworxmusic.com, and later on Amazon.com and other online retail sites.

“We're excited to finally publish the definitive story of Queensr˙che,” James Beach said. “After providing fans with 40 years of great music, we're delighted to help celebrate the band's success by telling its rich history.”

Building An Empire: The Story of Queensr˙che examines how the band evolved from album to album, weaving new interviews with the band members' family and friends to help tell this honest, riveting tale of how five guys from Seattle's Eastside overcame the odds to become one of the most respected bands in hard rock and heavy metal. Paul Suter, the acclaimed writer from Kerrang! who broke the story on Queensr˙che in early 1983, penned the book's Foreword.

“When starting on this project, our goal was to write something everyone, from the hardcore fan to the casual listener, could read and learn something new about Queensr˙che,” said Brian Naron. “We're confident we've achieved that and can't wait to share this with the world.”

“The story of Queensr˙che has so many twists and turns and it needed to be unraveled,” Heaton adds. “At the same time, we wanted to do that with an emphasis on the band's knack for persevering through every obstacle thrown at them. Queensr˙che is an undeniable success and we hope our words encourage readers to further appreciate the band's music.”

To say we're excited is the understatement of the year. 

[Mebert78]

Fantastic cover!  Great photo and font.  I'm really looking forward to this.

[Samsara]

Fantastic cover!  Great photo and font.  I'm really looking forward to this.

Thanks Mike!