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.
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Interesting take on what’s going on with the band. Didn’t realize it was down to 2 or 3 OG’s. Never got to see them, wish I had around Operation/ Empire.
I saw them open for AC/DC on the Who Made Who tour. They were glam to the hilt to promote Rage for Order, and the AC/DC crowd was speechless. They just didn’t know who these guys were and couldn’t process what they were doing or what they stood for. The only glammed up attendees were a couple standing right next to me, and they left before AC/DC took the stage.
When you’ve got people who walk out on AC/DC, and who yawn at Geoff Tate in his vocal prime, you know you’ve got a bad mix of fans.
Who the heck walks out on AC/DC??
Tyger, yep they were stupidly “glammed” out for the Rage for Order album, but I think it’s one of their best albums and my favorite by them. They made have had a “glam” image, but the music was very heavy hitting and untypically “glam”.
Dana, when I think of the decline of metal’s mainstream popularity, I think of people like this couple who were there to see QR in glam rather than solid heavy hitting music, or that fan letter Dee Snider got that said Twisted Sister, Culture Club and Thompson Twins were her favourite groups. Metal becoming huge meant people joining in for all the wrong reasons.
I see your point, Tyger 🙂
BTW, are you from the UK?
D 🙂
I like that Rage for Order record too…some strong writing on there; really more goth than glam..they took a lot of the New Wave music and added guitars…I hear a lot of Split Enz type hooks in there…really fresh, what a great era for music…
I tried to get on the Ghost train and I get why people like them…and I am still figuring out his image…So, he has that mask he wears where he looks like Kirk Douglas back from the dead..so, is he Moses except he didn’t go to heaven actually? They do everything right; great music, intriguing image, and more great music…those songs sound like they were written by some consortium of staff writers for some major production company…just ingenious songs….the videos and show are also extremely clever…but, I just can’t get emotionally invested in any of it…it’s like watching a cooking show with Albert Einstein…it’s a lot of…so what?
No, Dana, I’m in Vancouver, which is why I saw Kiss last week. Still looking for AC/DC though. Brian Johnson was recently spotted in town with a personal trainer, and I drive past that recording studio all the time, but I have yet to run into those guys.
Oh because you spelled favorite, the English way. 🙂
Oh yes, please be on the hunt for them, camp out there 🙂
I’ll do anything for love, but I won’t do that.
That studio is in the poorest neighbourhood of Canada. It’s full of people shooting up, smoking crack. That’s where the serial killer Robert Pickton got his +30 prostitute victims from.
Please, excuse me, I had no idea about the neighborhood.
Of course, I want you to be safe and sound, never mind. 🙂
D 🙂
Contrary to Mr. La Torre’s comments, I still consider Glenn Tipton a member of Judas Priest (even if he is not touring, he never officially left the band). So technically, Judas Priest has three original members.
If he’s friends with Scott, why doesn’t he call and ask him what’s up?
Mike Inez isn’t an original member of Alice In Chains, but he has been a member of the band for 26 years since 1993. BTW, I’m not now, never have been, and never will be a fan of Queensryche, I only read this story because I had 2 minutes to kill.
Ha! Me too! Queensryche has not been relevant for probably 25 years. Still riding on operation mindcrime. … without Geoff Tate they are a bad cover band.
Rhastaa, I get your “relevant” point. But they are doing no different that what that over hyped band, G n R, has been doing since the release of the Use Your Illusion albums in 1991…and G n R rode it all the way to the RRHOF! I would much rather listen to Queensryche who has a more substantial music catalog.
Douglas, stop being negative. It is dark, cold, icy and the snow is dirty in NY, and you’re in Florida. Lighten up and listen to EMPIRE OF THE CLOUDS off of THE BOOK OF SOULS. Bruce Dickinson at his absolute best. QUEENSRYCHE is a tier 4 or 5 rock band whose finest work was a PINK FLOYD rip off filled with ticking clocks, mental hospitals and uninteresting politics. Their great lead guitarist jumped ship 20 years ago and their lead singer who was also good but never nice got jettisoned for silly behavior. QUEENSRYCHE is as irrelevant as Vinny Vincent, VHS tapes, SAM GOODY, Bronson Pinchott, TOAD THE WET SPROCKET(yuk), A. C. Cowlings, beepers, ZIMA, Dan Quayle, Emilio Estevez, and dressing up to get on an airplane.
Michael, check out a band named Toad the Wet Sprocket from the NWOBHM period. Great obscure band from that period. Their single “Reaching for the Sky” is fantastic metal.
Negative? Me? No, that’s Queensryche! Boring, depressing bullsh-t! Sorry, bro, I hate QR as much as I hate Pearl Jam and Nirvana! Always hated Tate’s dull, dry voice, along with depressing as hell boring lyrics, “musicianship” sucks, IMO, worst band ever, doesn’t matter who’s in it! Just my opinion.
Monet, if there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s these inconsiderate adults not dressing appropriately on a flight. For God’s sakes man, I don’t want to see your armpits, your bare feet (a 50 + man wearing a tank top or loose shirt, shorts, and freaking sandals? a most ridiculous sight). And again, freaking shorts? on a grown up on a flight?