MICHAEL WILTON On QUEENSRŸCHE's Current Lineup: 'We've Grown Together As Friends And Songwriters'

Metal Express Radio's Mick Burgess recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton. You can now listen to the chat below.

Asked how QUEENSRŸCHE has progressed as a band since singer Todd La Torre joined seven years ago, Wilton said: "I think we're getting more comfortable as musicians. And that's important, because QUEENSRŸCHE is all about the musicianship. And I think we've grown together as friends and we've grown together as songwriters. So I think it's just kind of a mature process that's happening. Everybody is very, very ambitious, with plenty of creativity to put into the pot to get things stirred up."

On the topic of the response to QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, this year's "The Verdict", Michael said: "It was so well received all over the world. We charted in Germany the highest we've ever charted — ever! It's generated great reviews. The fans love it. And we'll probably tour on it — we are gonna tour on it — all of 2020. We still have that. And then we've gotta plant the seed to start writing the next record. Yes, we are a band that has a record company, and we actually do put out new records."

Regarding how different the songwriting process in QUEENSRŸCHE is now compared to how it was at the end of the band's time with original vocalist Geoff Tate, Wilton said: "It's like the old days when [former guitarist Chris] DeGarmo and I used to trade off riffs and build songs off of each other's parts. And a lot of that is the way we do things now. Obviously, we're in the digital, multimedia age and now we e-mail ideas back and forth. It's the same process — you throw the paint on a canvas and you see if it sticks."

"The Verdict" was released in March via Century Media Records. The disc was produced, mixed, and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, ICED EARTH, HATEBREED) at Uberbeatz in Lynwood, Washington; Planet-Z in Wilbraham, Massachusetts; and Watershed Studio in Seattle, Washington.

The current QUEENSRŸCHE lineup features two original members, bassist Eddie Jackson and Wilton, along with La Torre and guitarist Parker Lundgren.

"The Verdict" marks QUEENSRŸCHE's third full-length release with La Torre, following the departure of Tate in 2012.

For the past two and a half years, drummer Scott Rockenfield has been taking time off from QUEENSRŸCHE's touring activities to spend time with his young son, who was born in early 2017. Filling in for him is former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo.

La Torre, who has played drums since the age of 13, laid down the drum tracks on "The Verdict".