Michael Wilton takes the high road when talking about the forthcoming Queensryche album, their first without the departed Geoff Tate. It’s easy to read between the lines, however, as he talks about working with new frontman Todd La Torre.
“This was a whole band participation,” Wilton tells Metalholic radio in the video below. “There was no outside writers. (Todd) is very gracious; there’s no ego. Everybody is open minded. This is a democracy and it’s a beautiful element.”
That’s as far as the guitarist goes, though, despite the messy, very public nature of their divorce from Tate.
“We worked our asses off to make this a class act,” Wilton says. “It was a lot of hard work, touring the world. And that’s what we want to continue with this. We respect our fans, and we hope that they respect us. That’s what it’s all about — keeping the integrity of the band.”
Tate has started his own version of Queensryche, after having been unceremoniously dumped after more than two decades. Early reaction to his new album, however, has been decidedly mixed.
The remaining members of the original band, meanwhile, are set to issue their own album on June 25, 2013. They’ve rejoined with the producer of Queensryche’s classic Operation: Mindcrime, and — in a move that seems to reiterate their claim to the group’s legacy — the new project will be self-titled.
“It’s a rebirth,” Wilson adds. “There’s fresh energy. We are firing on all cylinders.”
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