As Geoff Tate and his version of Queensryche embark on their final tour under their original name, he has made the decision to move forward with his band under the new name Operation: Mindcrime.
Tate was unceremoniously removed from the original Queensryche two years ago by the other members which led to albums and tours by two totally different bands using the same name. After much litigation and barbs thrown in both directions, the two entities finally came to an agreement in April with the original band, now led by Todd La Torre, to move forward using the Queensryche name while Geoff Tate and his band would be allowed to use it for an already scheduled tour. Tate was also given exclusive rights to perform the band’s albums Operation: Mindcrime I and II as a performance piece.
Operation: Mindcrime, the band, is fronted by Tate with Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake), Simon Wright (AC/DC, Dio), Randy Gane (Myth) and Kelly Gray (Queensryche 1998 – 2001, 2012 – present). They will be entering in the studio at the end of the tour to record a new trilogy of albums that Tate has written.
Tate said of the work “I tried to reduce the story and eventually got it down to 37 ideas that needed representing to complete the story. I knew that one record wouldn’t cover it and that it would have to be a trilogy. It’s an exciting project and one we’d like to release the first part of sometime next spring.”
He added “It is so refreshing to be able to concentrate on the many stories and ideas that I have been working on with no boundaries or restrictions. With the newly-named band, I think fans will continue to enjoy the music we create and perform together and hope they share this new musical journey with us.”
The final tour as Queensryche began tonight in Hermosa Beach, CA and runs through August 30 in Bolingbrook, IL.
more from vvnmusic.com
