QUEENSRŸCHE Guitarist To Launch 'Whipwear' Clothing Line

In late fall of 2009, QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael "Whip" Wilton will officially release his new line of cool street wear called "Whipwear". In the meantime, he has put together an exclusive limited run of new custom-designed "Whipwear" T-shirts and collectible tour items for the fans, including his solo CD, "Soulbender", an 8 x 11 personally autographed picture, some rare QUEENSRŸCHE guitar picks from past tours, a recent audio interview, and some other cool stuff.

Visit www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/whipwear.cfm to check out these cool offers.

Wilton is continuing work on his solo CD, which is tentatively due before the end of the year via Rat Pak Records and Century Media distribution.

Also on the Wilton front, the guitarist is in process of manufacturing his own brand of beer. He says, "The best way to describe it is that it's got an Irish/Mexican vibe to it. Somewhere along the line of your favorite Irish beer meets the taste of a Corona."

Wilton makes a guest appearance on a couple of songs on the new solo album from METAL CHURCH vocalist Ronny Munroe, entitled "The Fire Within". One of the tracks he appears on, "What You Choose To Call Hell (I Call Home)", is available for streaming on Ronny's MySpace page.

QUEENSRŸCHE's twelfth studio LP, the epic concept album "American Soldier", was made available from Atco/Rhino on March 31 for a suggested list price of $18.98 (CD) and $9.99 (digital). The ambitious album encompasses a dozen songs inspired by numerous interviews with veterans conducted by Geoff Tate, the group's singer and chief songwriter, who was intent on telling their story using their words. After speaking with soldiers who served in various conflicts — from World War II to Iraq — Tate turned their firsthand experiences from the frontlines into an unflinching musical examination of the life of a solider and the consequences of war.