"It's not the high operatic singing thing!" Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton announces new solo album

Michael Wilton
(Image credit: Gary Miller/Getty Images)

Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton will release his very first solo album, Whip Vol 1, through RatPak Records on December 6.

Speaking to the Metal Voice podcast's Jimmy Kay, Wilton revealed "It's not the power metal or the high operatic singing or anything like that it's more just hard rock. Everybody that's heard it says it's really cool."

The new album sees Wilton working with Seattle vocalist Mark Winterman, drummer Sonny Sudra and bassist "Hodgy" and the album has been mixed and mastered by Zeuss, who has previously worked with Queensrÿche as well as Rob Zombie and Shadows Fall.

"I'm always writing songs and some of the songs, just depending on my mood, don't fit Queensrÿche," Wilton continues. "So I just have just a plethora of ideas and songs. So I just decided to kind of work on them and get them together. I found some guys that fit with me and now I have an album coming out it's called Whip volume one."

When asked if he had any solo touring plans, Wilton replies, "I'd have to write volume two.....laughs. It's a possibility but you know Queensrÿche is so busy and we're always working but if there's room in the schedule maybe to do something like a week or two weeks or 3 weeks or something then it's not out of the question."

Whip Vol. 1 is available as a hand-signed deluxe CD bundle, standrad CD, vinyl and cassette.

Pre-order Whip Vol. 1.

Michael Wilton

(Image credit: RatPak Records)

Michael Wilton: Whip Vol. 1
1. People Suffer
2. Get Away
3. Glitch In Time
4. Toxic Girl, Side
5. Reason to Fight
6. On your Way
7. Turn the Page
8. Wasted Time
9. Drowning at Daybreak

Jerry Ewing

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.