Queensrÿche never stop progressing.

That's why they remain one of the most revered hard rock outfits in history with over 20 million albums sold globally and 6 million in the U.S. alone. It's why shows continue to sell out everywhere and hits such as "Silent Lucidity" eternally blare across radio waves. It's why they've got one of the most diehard and devout fan bases in music. It's why after three decades their legacy only strengthens with each subsequent evolution.

That brings us to the next phase for the Seattle quintet. In 2012, the band welcomed a new vocalist for the first time since founding in 1981 back when guitarist Michael Wilton and drummer Scott Rockenfield were just high school buddies. Joining Wilton, Rockenfield, original bassist Eddie Jackson, and guitarist Parker Lundgren, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Todd LaTorre entered the fold and immediately galvanized the veteran group.

They've approached recording their twelfth studio album with that open, "anything goes" mindset. At the same time, the group hearkens back to the heavy metal side that defined classics such as The Warning, Empire, and Operation: Mindcrime—which KERRANG! ranked #34 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All-Time" list and is often uttered in the same breath alongside classic concept records such as Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Who's Tommy.

"It's a return to form," Wilton says of the new music. "We're rebuilding the architecture and setting it back on course. We have the energy I felt when writing 'Speak' and 'The Needle Lies' from Operation: Mindcrime. There was an excitement in knowing we were clicking on all cylinders at the top of our game. That chemistry and our passion for metal and hard rock has kept us together. We're keeping things fresh, while maintaining that thread that got us here in the first place. It may have gone astray, but it's a key element. You'll feel it on the next album. It'll be from the blood of the band more than ever."

Jackson echoes that sentiment, "We want to bring back the sound we started with. As kids, we bonded over listening to Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Rush. That heavier element is a major part of this band. We're revisiting that, and we're having a great time doing it. This is for the fans. We're so blessed to have them, and they're going to love this."

Todd La Torre - Vocals
Michael Wilton - Guitars
Parker Lundgren - Guitars
Eddie Jackson - Bass
Scott Rockenfield – Drums