Queensrÿche finally returns to Brazil after 13 years. The American progressive metal band is one of the headliners at Monsters of Rock 30 Years , which takes place on April 19th at Allianz Parque.
In addition to the festival, the group will perform at Vibra São Paulo on April 20th, alongside Judas Priest , who are also part of the event's lineup. Tickets are still available .
Wikimetal spoke with Queensrÿche guitarist and co-founder Michael Wilton Cobra Kai soundtrack , and more. Check out the full interview.
Wikimetal: After 13 years without performing in Brazil, how are you feeling about returning to the country, especially after being forced to cancel your 2020 tour due to the pandemic?
Michael Wilton: It's great to be back. I think [the shows] will give us a chance to reconnect with fans, promoters and agents in South America, and we hope to return to the continent more frequently. And in the future, I hope it opens doors for a Queensrÿche solo tour.
WM : This year, Monsters of Rock will celebrate 30 years in Brazil. So, which band would you like to see? We know that Savatage will be playing for the first time in 10 years, but we also have Scorpions, who will be celebrating their 60-year career, and some other names like Opeth, Stratovarius, Europe, and Judas Priest .
MW: Savatage, because I don't think I've ever seen them before.
WM: The night after the festival, Queensryche is a special guest of Judas Priest at the band's solo show in São Paulo. What's it like sharing the stage with them again?
MW: It's always great to be with Priest, we've done some joint tours in the past, we get along very well and our music complements each other. It's what I listened to most in my teens. Rob Halford is the Metal God, and for me it's always great [to play with them].
WM: With over 40 years in the business, how do you see the band's evolution over the decades?
MW: Well, we've evolved and so has technology, right? When Queensrÿche was selling millions of albums, the internet didn't exist. People bought LPs, CDs, and cassette tapes.
As technology evolves, you need to learn to adapt, you know? With streaming, things are spread across the internet. So I think the band has kind of adapted to everything that's thrown at us, and I feel like we're managing it well. We still release albums and tour the world constantly; the fans love it, and so do we.
WM: the inclusion of "Silent Lucidity" in Cobra Kai bring more recognition and a new fanbase to Queensrÿche?
MW: Absolutely! Cobra Kai is a series that, like, has 15 million viewers, I don't know. So I think it's great, especially for marketing and promotion purposes. And since the show's final part was released, the song has resurfaced on the charts again, gaining a second life just because of that.
WM: How does it feel to rediscover tracks from the band's early albums on The Origins Tour ?
MW: It was a great success. We did three legs and just got back from Europe after five weeks there. We never thought it would be such a successful tour. But the fans wanted to hear tracks from The Warning [the band's debut album, released in 1984] and the first EP [self-titled, released in 1983].
And to play this material in its entirety, and in chronological order, was very appealing. But it also brought in a lot of new fans. And it's something that was recorded in our early 20s, which is still relevant and means a lot to them [the fans].
WM: Recently, The Offspring released a song called “Come To Brazil,” which talks about the comments we make when we wish an artist would come here. Do you also receive comments like that on social media?
MW: Yes, we were recently at sea aboard the Monsters of Rock Cruise [which lasts 5 days]. And we met many Brazilians who were also on the ship. Everyone was very excited for us to go there.
There they had the opportunity to see two of our really good shows. And so, it was great to talk to them. We mentioned that we would be coming in April and that it would be great. And they said, "You'll have a lot of fun and the audience is great."
WM : How has the band been adapting to the streaming era?
MW: As I mentioned before, it's part of the technology. But financially it's terrible for musicians. I think there are different platforms that pay fairly. But the thing is, the service is great for the fans, but not for the artists.
WM: Which album would you recommend for someone who wants to get to know Queensrÿche better? Empire or Operation: Mindcrime ?
MW: Both. But if I had to choose one, I'd say Mindcrime , because I think it's different, you know, there's more depth, obviously it's a concept album, so there's a story being told there. The songwriting is heavy. It's very energetic. And I think that probably defines the album.
And it's a favorite of many fans. And since it's been featured in many magazines as the best metal concept album ever made, I think it really resonates with our fans.
WM: Besides the tour, what else do you have in mind for the next few years? Any specific projects? A new album?
MW: Well, before we went to Europe, we asked our longtime producer Zeuss [stage name of Christopher Harris ] to fly to Florida and we started the songwriting process for our next album. So, we're basically putting songs together and in the early stages of it, but at least we've started.
WM : The album Digital Noise Alliance was released three years ago. Can we consider that the cycle for this album has ended, or is there still something planned for it?
MW: You know, he kind of resurrected Queensrÿche. And I think it's thanks to the fact that the songwriting process was more organic. There were new ideas and a lot of spontaneity involved, and most importantly, all the members were together in the same room, which made the songs what they are.
And I feel that this worked well for DNA [abbreviated album name]. So I believe we'll do the same thing for its successor.
WM : What can Brazilian fans expect from the band's two performances? Will the setlist be a mix of classics, the most recent album, and the band's origins?
MW: Well, we don't know yet, but I think we'll put together something functional, lots of heavy songs and the ones everyone knows. It's like you said, making a good mix between the band's phases. And since we're not the main attraction at these shows, I think we'll have a maximum of 60 minutes. But we'll try to include as many songs as possible in those setlists.
WM : Could you send a message to the band's fans in Brazil and to those who will be attending one of the shows?
MW: Queensrÿche is very excited to come to Brazil again. We regret that it took so long, but we are ready and really want you to enjoy the band.
