QUEENSRŸCHE's MICHAEL WILTON: Fans Will Be 'Surprised' By Setlist On Upcoming U.S. Headlining Tour

Earlier this week, QUEENSRŸCHE announced an early 2023 U.S. tour in support of its sixteenth studio album, "Digital Noise Alliance". The band has just wrapped up a fall run in North America supporting JUDAS PRIEST on the "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour, and will now launch their first headlining campaign to promote the new LP. Direct support on the "Digital Noise Alliance" tour will come from former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, with TRAUMA opening each show.

Speaking to Rock Show Critique, QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Micheal Wilton stated about the upcoming trek (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a full 'Digital Noise Alliance' headline tour. We're really excited to get out there and get touring again. We're rebuilding and establishing again, because for us it's a bit of the Wild West. There's a lot of congestion out there, there's a lot of bands touring, and to put a tour together like this, we're really happy that we can get out there and do a full tour."

"We appreciate the fans, their input," he continued. "For us, I think we're gonna make this different than previous tours 'cause we're really gonna mix up the setlist. So, for people saying, 'Oh, they're just gonna play the same stuff again,' they'll be surprised.

"You've gotta keep a balance, 'cause you've got the hardcore fans that wanna hear the deep cuts and they wanna hear the new stuff," Wilton explained. "And then you've got the casual fans that just wanna hear the hits, the staples from the legacy albums. But it's a headline set, so we have 90 minutes. There's a lot of wiggle room in there for some different stuff."

"Digital Noise Alliance" came out on October 7 via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.

Guitarist Mike Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE last year, contributed guitar solos to the band's new studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past five and a half years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against Wilton and Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit.