Feature Photo: courtesy of Breaking the Law PR
The world of heavy metal is alive and well as winter turns to spring. Don’t believe me? Then I’d direct you to Queensrÿche’s latest tour, which also features former Megadeth shredder Marty Friedman and early thrash act, Trauma.
Indeed, fans who attend these shows are to be treated to a sublime night of metal-laden ecstasy. Spanning the realms of prog-metal, thrash, traditional metal, and just about everything in between, the trip of acts sure will satiate your aperture for all things headbanging.
As for Queensrÿche, which still features original guitarist Michael Wilton, alongside an utterly cohesive until of new and oldcomers, the band truly seems to be firing on all cylinders. With yet another stunning record in the can and howling means to support it, for Queensrÿche, the best is yet to come.
Taking a moment from the road, Michael Wilton dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to dig into the band’s latest tour, the 35th anniversary of Operation Mindcrime, and more.
What can you tell me about “Realms?” How has Queensrÿche progressed from its last record to Digital Noise Alliance?
“Realms” is a song that Eddie Jackson wrote. It embodies the current state of hypocrisy in political viewpoints in this country. The band has progressed in its writing over the last four albums. The current lineup is a solid band that is able to write songs together and progress down a path to work professionally in the composition of songs that energize and fuel the Queensrÿche machine.
What makes the current lineup so cohesive? How would you compare it to the band’s classic era?
The band is a solid machine. We play very well with each other, and it is a natural evolution in the history of Queensrÿche. It is not fair to compare the early years with the past band members. We feel it is best to progress and move forward with our process of touring and writing current albums.
What are you most excited about as you prepare to hop on tour with Marty Friedman and Trauma? How do you build a setlist?
We are really excited about this Queensrÿche Digital Noise Alliance tour package. The bands are unique and different and put on a great show. The setlist was comprised of many new songs from the Digital Noise Alliance album. Our fans have been screaming at us to play the new material. Not just the old standards, so we are also playing some deep cuts and a few staples that must be played. It is a different setlist than that of the last few years. It should be refreshing for the hardcore fans as well as the casual fans. On the Warning album, “M156” was and is still challenging to play.
Some have said rock is dead. Where do you stand on that notion, as well as the use of backing tracks?
Rock music has morphed into many different categories. It is still a valid, worldwide style of music that tours the world and plays to millions of people. I am not hypercritical with or without; I do whatever it takes to put on an amazing show and represent the songs to their fullest.
Feature Photo: courtesy of Breaking the Law PR
What songs are most invigorating to play live, and would you change anything about your past recordings?
I have to say the first song that was written in the band “Queen of the Reich” is still to this day the most invigorating song that gets the audience pumped up and excited. The new cut “Behind the Walls” goes over very well and is very fun to perform. I like them all for different reasons, and I would not change a thing in the history of Queensrÿche’s evolutionary process.
Operation Mindcrime is 35 years old this year. What are your lasting memories of the sessions?
As a band at that time, it was a gamble to try and record a conceptual album, but the fact that as a band, we believed in ourselves, and together we wrote a body of work that is now for some, their favorite album in our history. My memories include working with Michael Kamen, Peter Collins, and Jimbo Barton.
How do you measure its importance on progressive metal and metal in general?
You never really know how the public is going to accept your music, so for us, the best thing was to just believe in what we were doing and hope that it connected with our fans. It is great that our music can transcend into different categories. That is why in our early days of touring, we were able to play with diverse bands.
How has your guitar style evolved from your younger years? Do you have any cringe factor when listening to older work?
To tell you the truth, I really don’t ever think about that. I am just more of the philosophy of letting what I do come naturally and hoping that it is progressing. Some of my older songs are challenging to play still to this day.
What combination of guitars, amps, and pedals do you use now?
Live, I use Kemper all the way. In the studio, I like my Marshall amps. I use my Van Halen pedals; they sound great, and they don’t change your amp sound. And I use my ADA flanger, which manages to make it onto every recording. I use my ESP signature “Skull” guitars. They are workhorses. Some of them are now vintage. I have a few vintage guitars that I have kept. One is a ’62 Fender Strat, all original. I purchased it in the early ’90s because it was the year I was born.
To what does Queensrÿche owe its longevity?
The fans! They believe in what we are doing, and they support us to keep making music. As long as we can keep touring and making records, we will make this journey go as long as we physically can.
Feature Photo: courtesy of Breaking the Law PR
Michael Wilton of Queensrÿche: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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