GEOFF TATE Says Best Piece Of Music Advice He Ever Got Came From GENE SIMMONS

In a brand new interview with Justin Young of Monsters, Madness And Magic, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate was asked to name the best piece of music advice he ever got. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know who told me this, actually, but I think that it was Gene Simmons from KISS. We were talking about writing music and that kind of thing, and he said, 'I think the best thing you can do is always just follow your heart. Follow what's interesting, write about what's interesting to you, and don't try to please people. Don't try to write something for somebody else. Write what you know.' And maybe that doesn't sound like something Gene would say, but I think he's very right about that. You really have to write for your own stake of writing and write the music you hear in your head and not try to please your genre or try to make everybody else happy, because you'll never be happy on your own if you're always trying to make other people happy. And you'll never really show your own voice or find your own voice artistically if you're always trying to please other people. So, I don't know. That's the route I've always taken. And it's the advice I give people as well: follow your heart."

Regarding his plans for the coming months, Tate said: "Oh, gosh. Yeah, it's festival season here in Europe, and so I'm playing a few festivals around the region and kind of gearing up for my U.S. tour, which begins again in September. [I'm going out for] another sweep through North America. I'm gonna be going into Canada this time, which I'm excited to see all the Canadian fans, since I haven't been there in a few years. So, yeah, that's pretty much it. Tour. Tour, tour."

Tate recently launched his "Operation: Mindcrime - The Final Chapter" tour. The U.S. leg of the trek, which kicked off on March 18 in Tucson, saw the 66-year-old vocalist performing QUEENSRŸCHE's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album in its entirety for the last time.

Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant."

The original "Operation: Mindcrime" album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II" was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right.

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. Guitarist Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield and bassist Eddie Jackson 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 "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate's replacement, Todd La Torre, has released four albums thus far with QUEENSRŸCHE: 2013's "Queensrÿche", 2015's "Condition Hüman", 2019's "The Verdict" and 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance".