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GEOFF TATE Is Working On 'Phenomenal' QUEENSRŸCHE 'Empire' 30th-Anniversary Box Set

November 26, 2018

Seattle progressive rockers QUEENSRŸCHE are working on a 30th-anniversary edition of their landmark "Empire" album. Released in 1990, the set included the hit ballad "Silent Lucidity", which reached No. 9 on the Billboard singles chart, helped propel "Empire" to No. 7 on the album chart and earned two Grammy Award nominations.

Speaking to Eonmusic, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate praised the LP, calling it "one of my favorite albums," before going on to reveal his involvement in the reissue, as well as his own plans to perform the record in its entirety.

He said: "I'd like to play every song [from 'Empire'] because there are songs on that album that I have played very rarely. There are some I've played maybe ten times on my life, and one of them is 'Anybody Listening?' When QUEENSRŸCHE was together, we never really put that song in our set. We just had a hard time playing it, for some reason; it just never jelled or felt right. And I'd really like to play that song again, and play it right."

Going on to reveal plans for an expanded 30th-anniversary release of "Empire", Geoff said: "There's a box set thing coming out for that. I'm kind of in the process of working with them on it right now. I can say from my perspective looking it, it's going to be a phenomenal box set, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm contributing all kinds of stuff, from interviews to comments to liner notes — yeah, you name it."

When pressed about the musical content, however, the singer remained tight-lipped. "I know exactly what it's going to be, but I can't tell you exactly right now — it's too early," he said.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar),Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate has been replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Operation: Mindcrime" on European and U.S. tours.

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