Queensrÿche has confirmed that guitarist Mike Stone will continue playing with the band at least until the end of 2021.
Since the end of May, Stone has been handling second guitar duties in Queensrÿche. This followed the announcement last month that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was leaving the group to focus on “other business ventures.”
Asked by a fan in the comments of a photo of Stone on Instagram, the band said: "He'll be filling in for the rest of this year and then we'll see...".
Mike Stone originally joined Queensrÿche for the 2003 album Tribe and remained with the band for six years.
Lundgren is a former member of Queensrÿche's original band, fronted by Geoff Tate . He was also briefly married to Geoff's stepdaughter, Miranda. He announced his departure from Queensrÿche in a social media post on July 2nd.
The musician wrote: “For several years, I have been deeply immersed in the collection and sale of guitars, as well as rare and fascinating musical instruments. This passion led to the opening of my guitar shop, Diablo Guitars , in 2019. Since then, my business has grown, and I recently acquired a shop with a full-service workshop. In 2020, my wife and I opened Lucky Devil Latte , which has quickly expanded to several locations. With these new ventures and resulting responsibilities, my time dedicated to Queensrÿche has become increasingly strained, and I am no longer able to dedicate the time and focus it deserves. For these reasons, I have made the difficult decision to step down from my role as guitarist in Queensrÿche.”
I want to thank my friends, family, and fans for making the last 13 years an incredible journey. I wish nothing but the best for my bandmates, crew, and everyone who has supported us. I hope to have your continued support as I pursue new ventures.”.
The remaining members of Queensrÿche added in a separate statement: “For over a decade, it has been a great pleasure to watch [Parker] evolve and flourish as a guitarist, songwriter and, most importantly, a wonderful human being. Parker will always be family to us and we wish him all the success in the world with his new endeavors. Hold on tight, brother!”
Lundgren, who joined Queensrÿche in 2009, even missed some of Queensrÿche's shows in the US in September 2018, when the band was touring as the opening act for Scorpions .
Guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson Crimson Glory frontman Todd La Torre .
Queensrÿche has released three albums so far with La Torre: Queensrÿche , from 2013, Condition Hüman , from 2015, and The Verdict , from 2019.
In April 2014, Tate and Queensrÿche announced that an agreement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle in which the singer sued for the rights to the band's name.
The original members of Queensrÿche, Wilton, Jackson, and Scott Rockenfield (drums), responded with an appeal. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield, and Jackson would continue as Queensrÿche, while Tate would have the exclusive right to perform the albums Operation: Mindcrime and Operation: Mindcrime II in their entirety live.
Rockenfield hasn't performed with Queensrÿche for over four years. The band has used former Kamelot Casey Grillo for touring purposes since April 2017.
The drum tracks for The Verdict were recorded by La Torre.
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