QUEENSRŸCHE Singer TODD LA TORRE Quits CRIMSON GLORY

Singer Todd La Torre has officially quit Florida metal veterans CRIMSON GLORY.

La Torre, who joined QUEENSRŸCHE in June 2012 as the replacement for Geoff Tate, became an official member of CRIMSON GLORY in April 2010 and has played a number of shows with the band during the past two and a half years.

A "raw" version of a new CRIMSON GLORY demo track entitled "Garden Of Shadows" was released last September and was supposed to appear on the band's new concept record, which was expected sometime this year.

"We were writing the new album and things were looking good," La Torre says in a statement. "We had interest from two major European labels, which was very promising. I was very honored and proud that we were on the rise, and the fans were embracing all that we were doing. We had wonderful momentum and we were working within an important window of time within which the new record should have been recorded and released to have the most impact given the bands resurgence. Unfortunately, the record never materialized despite my best efforts."

He continued: "My involvement with QUEENSRŸCHE had nothing to do with the album progress. I haven’t been contacted to write with CRIMSON GLORY for over six months. As a band, our writing sessions were slow, eventually becoming non-existent before I ever joined QUEENSRŸCHE. During the specific timeframe that I was in talks with QUEENSRŸCHE, members of CRIMSON GLORY were simultaneously occupied by other external and internal endeavors that apparently absorbed the time and/or will away from CRIMSON GLORY, which is not fallacious per se, but it proceeded in passivity. The main reason for my resignation from CRIMSON GLORY is primarily due to its inertia status.

"CRIMSON GLORY was the catalyst that exposed me to the world as an undiscovered vocalist, and I am very thankful to them. Special thanks also to the amazing fans for their acceptance and support of not only CRIMSON GLORY, but their continued support to me as an artist. Lastly, I sincerely wish my friends in CRIMSON GLORY the absolute very best, both personally and professionally."

La Torre made his first public appearance with CRIMSON GLORY at ProgPower USA X as one of seventeen guest performers paying tribute to Midnight, the band's original singer.

Essentially unknown to the mainstream progressive metal scene, La Torre spent 22 years earning his stripes and solidifying himself as an unquestionable talent behind the drum kit of various hard rock and heavy metal projects in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. However, his vocal aspirations went largely unfulfilled until 2009 when Matt LaPorte (JON OLIVA'S PAIN),who had only heard La Torre sing on a few occasions, casually mentioned to CRIMSON GLORY guitarist Jon Drenning that he might make a nice addition to the already stellar lineup of performers the band had accumulated. It was only a short time later that La Torre found himself at the band's rehearsal studio, and the pieces began to fall into place.

Midnight passed away in 2009 due to long-term health complications.

La Torre, who says that QUEENSRŸCHE has been his favorite band since he was 15 years old, first met QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton at last year's NAMM convention in January in Anaheim, California.