QUEENSRYCHE SINGER TODD LA TORRE SAYS DRUMMER SCOTT ROCKENFIELD “MAY NOT EVER COME BACK” TO THE BAND

Queensryche frontman Todd La Torre was a recent guest on The MetalSucks Podcast.  Portions of the conversation appear below (courtesy of blabbermouth.net)

Speaking about playing the drums on the band’s new album, The Verdict:

“I’m friends with [drummer] Scott [Rockenfield],I toured with him for five years. I did two records with him. I’m very familiar and very aware of some of the things that he does — a lot of the things that he does. So, I recorded the drums, and I decided to show more reservation than to overplay…I wanted to just write drum parts that make sense for the songs…and some of the cymbal work that Scott would do — the double china, the alternating between the ride and the hi-hat. Certain things that are just very unique to the sound of Queensryche on the drums. And some things I did that I know he would never play, but that was just me having a little fun with a few things…So I’m sure I’ll catch a lot of criticism for what I did, but I’ll also hopefully catch some promising positive words for what I did. And all I can say is I did double duty on the record, and no one can fault me for putting in the hard work and showing up.”

On whether Rockenfield will be back with Queensryche:

“[He] may not [ever] come back…I don’t know, ’cause I don’t talk to him.”

Speaking about the criticism that the band has gotten for only having two original members: guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson:

“Some people go, ‘Oh, they’re only down to two [original] members right now.’ Well, so what? We wish that Scott would have come back earlier. But Alice In Chains has two [original] members. Accept has one member. Judas Priest has two members…There’s a lot of bands still putting out really great music that are kicking ass. It’s not about one person. It’s not about me. It’s not about Michael or Scott or anybody else; it’s about the collective. I think that this record shows that the strength lies in all of us participating and pulling all of our creative elements to share with each other.

If people say, ‘Well, what is Queensryche gonna sound like without Scott?’ The Verdict is exactly what Queensryche sounds like without his participation at all. However, Scott is a great songwriter; he’s a cool guy; he’s a great drummer; he has a lot of great ideas. That being said, this record, in my opinion, is better than some records that had the entire original lineup in the band. This is a way better record — in my opinion — than [Operation:]Mindcrime II or Dedicated To Chaos that had outside writers. So, I think that there’s a little too much emphasis placed on having this all-original thing…”

Queensryche’s The Verdict will arrive on March 1st through Century Media Records. Listen to the song, Man The Machine, here and the track,  Dark Reverie, here.