Exclusive: Queensryche’s New One
WTDP? got a chance to talk with Queensryche guitarist Michael Wilton on the sidelines of the Rock The Bayou music festival prior to their Friday night set, which was a stellar mix of older classics like ‘Another Rainy Night’ from the Empire album and newer tunes like ‘The Hands’ from Operation:Mindcrime 2. Among other things, we asked what the band was up to in between the festival dates they have planned during the summer. A new record perhaps? The band’s last record was all cover tunes, so it has been since 2006′s O:M2 that we’ve had any new, original material from the Seattle-based quintet.
“That’s what we’re doing in between these fly out, weekend shows,” confirmed Wilton. “It’s another conceptual one.”
Another concept record, eh? Wilton was short on details – wanting to save them for when the disc is closer to completion – but he did say that the as-yet-untitled disc is due out in the late spring early summer of next year.
He also gave us a run down of the stripped down version of his rig he uses when his rig is flown into shows like Rock The Bayou.
“My rig is Hughes & Kettner with a DigiTech (GSP) 1101 and the DigiTech footpedal that goes with the 1101… that’s for these fly-out shows,” he explains. “As for guitars, I’ve got my signature ESPs with skulls. That’s all I’ve got out here right now. We’re flying our gear, so I’m not bringing all of the gems out.”
His said his guitar collection includes an all-original ’62 Strat, ’54 Tele and a ’54 Les Paul among others. He also said he has a ton of old Marshall and Vox amps.
