Michael Wilton says friends have compared Queensryche’s upcoming album to their 1988 classic Operation: Mindcrime.
The guitarist’s comments are unlikely to sit well with former frontman Geoff Tate, who has the exclusive rights to perform the album live with his new band, which he has even called Operation: Mindcrime.
Tate and his former bandmates reached a legal agreement last year after a bitter split and Queensryche, now fronted by Todd La Torre, are banned from performing the album, along with 2006’s Operation: Mindcrime II.
Queensryche are set to release Condition Human on October 2 via Century Media, and Wilton points out that it sounds like some of Tate’s best work with the group.
Wilton tells Heavy Demons: “From my friends that have heard it, they say, ‘Ah, it pulls a lot from Rage For Order.’ And I’ve had other people say, ‘Yeah, this reminds me of The Warning a little bit.
“Other people said, ‘This reminds me of Mindcrime a little bit — but more with a modern touch.’ For me, it’s whole new experience. It’s the evolution of Queensryche. I just think there is so much heart put into this album, I think people will really enjoy it.”
Meanwhile, Tate and his band Operation: Mindcrime are hosting a video release party for their song Burn at Hilliard’s Brewery in Seattle, WA, from 6.30pm on August 19.
The song is taken from the group’s debut album The Key, out on September 18.
