QUEENSRŸCHE's WILTON On New Lineup: 'It Works Better When Decisions Aren't Being Made Behind Your Back'

Mark Dean of Myglobalmind webzine conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield and guitarist Michael Wilton on October 18 at The Button Factory in Dublin, Ireland. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Myglobalmind: What has the introduction of [singer] Todd [La Torre] brought to QUEENSRŸCHE, both in a live and studio setting?

Scott: That has been a great thing for us. It is finally a relationship together where we can really focus on what we have been wanting to do within QUEENSRŸCHE. Now we have Todd, who is really interested in that same thing. He came as a fan; he was a huge fan of us. In his younger years, he was a big QUEENSRŸCHE fan, and for him to fit perfectly with what we are doing has really given us the opportunity to do some great stuff. The live shows, we are focusing on the great old classic QUEENSRŸCHE stuff that we haven't done for such a long time. Then you roll that into the new record, which has a feeling of a lot of that and, I guess, its energy. We are just energetic now, we are having fun, the fans are enjoying the shows. They are feeling it again, and they see us feeling it. The magic between the two of that when we are performing is pretty cool.

Myglobalmind: How can you therefore explain the band's enduring appeal in these greatly changed musical times, compared with when it first began?

Michael: I think what is great about this new rendition and new rebirth of QUEENSRŸCHE is that we have almost come full circle to when we were writing as teenagers. We were writing the EP and "The Warning" in Scott's basement. We were five guys in a room throwing out ideas, riffs, drum riffs anything to create these songs together. It was really powerful, and we have almost come full circle in that aspect. Obviously we have the technology now, so now we all live farther apart. When we have the Internet and computer tools and everything, but its still that same vibe. Everybody is throwing in their ideas and their creativity. It's not one person telling you what to do”

Myglobalmind: Do you feel that the ongoing legal situation has tarnished or sullied the QUEENSRŸCHE name?

Scott: Well, you know, I think if anything, it's proved to us that we have made the right decision. I think that it has also proven to our audience and to our hardcore fan base that have followed us for a long time. I think that it is showing to them that we do have the energy and the know-how, and we are doing the right thing. The support around the world has been really good. I think if anything, it is untarnished the name now. They are all going, "Great, finally," and I think that we feel that as well.

Michael: Yeah, that is one of the reasons why this tour is very important to us because we are rebranding. We are recommunicating with promoters, with club owners. When is the last time that we have been here? And it is an arduous task. I mean, a lot of people have kind of forgotten about us for a decade or so. Now we are bringing it back

Myglobalmind: Now there are two different bands operating under the QUEENSRŸCHE moniker. Is that ongoing situation likely to continue or is there going to be a legal cutoff date where it will be permanently resolved?

Scott: Well, there is a set legal conclusion that happens at the end of January. So there is a trial date that is set where all sorts of stuff will be determined. That will probably be the longest that it goes. I think at this point the best thing that we have done in the last year and a half since Todd has joined the band and we've carried on is that we just focus on what we felt was important for the band for us, for our fans. We feel confident that we have done the right thing. I think our fans feel the same way, we have got a lot of support around the world.

Myglobalmind: Do you still have goals, hopes and ambitions?

Michael: Of course. I mean, this is what we love to do and it just works better when you have the communication open between everybody and that decisions aren't being made behind your back.

Scott: I think that a big hope is that the fans will continue to give us the new chance now, come and see the show, buy the new record. Check out the new record if your friend has got it, just give it a shot. Then judge for yourself what's going on.

Read the entire interview at Myglobalmind.