QUEENSRŸCHE's SCOTT ROCKENFIELD: 'We Feel Like We Have Our Energy Back'

QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield spoke to Sweden's "Morron Rock" show, which airs on the Rockklassiker radio station, about the settlement between singer Geoff Tate and his former bandmates in QUEENSRŸCHE over the rights to the group's name.

"Everything has gone really well," Scott said.

"It was a great transition for us [getting new singer Todd La Torre into the band]. It was something that was definitely meant to be.

"We're happy that we've been able to come to an agreement [with Geoff] and move on with everything.

"Todd's been a great addition to what we're doing. We feel like we have our energy back and the goal of the band is now back to what we feel it should have been for a long time — that we wanted it to be. But we just feel like we're back being QUEENSRŸCHE and doing what is best for QUEENSRŸCHE and, I think, what our fans have been wanting to hear and see from us for a long time — playing all the great old classic songs that we've had, and then making a record last year with Todd that just, to us, felt really great and felt like a QUEENSRŸCHE record. And I think the fans have embraced that."

Rockenfield also spoke about the setlist for QUEENSRŸCHE's recent shows, telling "Morron Rock": "It's been great. Once again, with Todd, we've got this great catalog now of material that we've learned from the past — songs from the EP and 'The Warning' and all these things — over the last two years, so we've been able to shake that up on any given night. And then we've got the new [self-titled] record that we basically have learned for the live show. I think we play almost every song on it at some given point. Not necessarily in a whole show, but we're able to just move things around and do whatever we want. And it's been great. The fans are getting the great old stuff and they get the new record and they embrace all of it."

As previously reported, QUEENSRŸCHE members Eddie Jackson (bass),Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Michael Wilton (guitar) have successfully agreed to purchase Geoff Tate's portion of the QUEENSRŸCHE name. The band will buy out their former lead singer's share of the QUEENSRŸCHE corporation while allowing him the ability to be the only one to perform "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety. Tate will no longer have use of the TriRyche logo or any other album images aside from the "Mindcrime" releases. He can only refer to himself as the "original lead singer of QUEENSRŸCHE" or "formerly of QUEENSRŸCHE" for a period of two years and that text must be at least 50 percent smaller than his name in all materials. After this two-year period passes, he can only refer to himself as Geoff Tate with no mention of QUEENSRŸCHE at all.

Geoff Tate will be able to finish any confirmed dates billed for his QUEENSRŸCHE lineup scheduled to terminate on August 31, 2014. As of September 1, there will be only one QUEENSRŸCHE entity and that will consist of Eddie Jackson, Todd La Torre, Parker Lundgren, Scott Rockenfield and Michael Wilton. This lineup will continue to perform selections from their entire musical catalog, including songs from "Operation: Mindcrime". The band will be able to use all TriRyche logos and previous album artwork for any purposes as needed by the corporation.