[youtube width=”500″ height=”344″]http://youtu.be/P8iaNZBUK9c[/youtube]
And now for your weekly Queensryche update. First comes a taste of new music from the rendition of Queensryche featuring remaining original members Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, and Scott Rockenfield. We were already impressed by what we heard in the teaser trailer released late last year. But last Friday (February 22), Rockenfield appeared on Eddie Trunk’s Q104.3 FM radio show to share a 90 second sample of a new song called “Redemption.” Granted, this is only a sampling of a song, but it still sounds heavier than Queensryche’s more recent recordings. And singer Todd La Torre sounds frighteningly similar to a young Geoff Tate. Listen for yourself in the video clip above.
But apparently we shouldn’t rule out hearing some heavy material from Geoff Tate’s version, currently in the studio working on their own album. It was also revealed this past weekend that among the many guest appearances slated for Tate’s Queensryche album will be Forbidden guitarist Craig Locicero and his former bandmate Paul Bostaph (also formerly of Slayer, Testament, and Exodus). And according to Locicero, the album is “stupidly heavy.” Here’s what Locicero had to say about recording with Tate:
“I guess the cat is out of the proverbial bag. Nikki Blakk [host on San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone] has announced that Paul Bostaph and I have played most of the music on Geoff Tate’s Queensryche record. It is being mixed by Jason Slater as I type this and it is WAY HEAVIER then most anyone is expecting!
Geoff and Jason have been nothing but awesome to us and it gave Paul and I a chance to contribute together on a metal record once again. I was working on it for a few weeks and play on every song. There are kick ass solo contributions from Dave Meniketti, Ty Tabor, Brad Gillis, KK Downing and Chris Cannella. As well as bass played by Rudy Sarzo and more drums from Simon Write. It’s some great company to be around and it was an honor to be a part of it.
I know what the perception of the Queensryche camp is and I really don’t give a fuck. Queensryche was one of my favorite bands from the EP through Operation Mindcrime. When I was approached about doing the record I did contemplate all of the turmoil, but I love a challenge. I accepted the challenge and think Geoff has a kick ass record to deliver the fans…in spite of what some may expect. The songs are cool, classy and in some cases stupidly heavy!
So there you have it. I am not IN Queensryche, SpiralArms is still my baby with a killer record to be released very soon. So Geoff has a touring line-up ready to go this Summer. I’m simply stoked to have put some my riff-age in the mix with once of Heavy Metal’s most recognizable and classic voices.”
To be frank, we previously weren’t expecting Tate’s version to release anything resembling “heavy” given how the last few Queensryche albums sounded (and if you believe the hype, that was mainly Tate’s doing). And while we’re still slightly skeptical about this, it certainly helps to hear testimony from the guitarist of Forbidden. It also helps to find out that a monster drummer like Paul Bostaph will be appearing on some of the album. We’ll have to wait to find out, thought, whether it’ll sound heavier than the other version of Queensryche.
