QUEENSRŸCHE’s estranged drummer Scott Rockenfield has blasted the band’s frontman of the past decade, Todd La Torre, saying that the singer’s opinions and comments do not represent the beliefs and viewpoints of any of the QUEENSRŸCHE companies and legal entities.

Earlier today, Rockenfield took to his personal Facebook page to write: “just a little bit for clarity here… Subject: Todd La Torre (subcontractor – QUEENSRŸCHE) Topic: For the record let it be known that ‘any and all opinions, viewpoints, statements, and/or comments etc etc, that continue to be presented by Mr La Torre (whether it be past/present and/or future) are in no way to be considered as representing the expressed beliefs, opinions, and/or viewpoints of any of the QUEENSRŸCHE brands, trademarks, and/or various QR corporations that have been in place for over 40 years……’ period….”

Rockenfield also apparently took issue with comments made about him by original QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate. In a 2020 interview with Metal Rules, Tate expressed his doubt that Rockenfield would ever play drums again, saying that Scott “has a lot of medical problems and things like that now.” A year earlier, Tate told 88.1FM WESU’s weekly syndicated radio show “Noize In The Attic” that he was “pretty sure” Scott “didn’t leave” QUEENSRŸCHE of his own accord. “I can tell you that there’s lawsuits involved; I know that,” he said. “He’s in kind of a really dark place, and I hope he gets some help, ’cause he’s really unraveled, you know? In my opinion. It’s too bad — he’s an incredibly talented drummer, and unfortunately, he never was happy with that. It wasn’t good enough for him.”

In a separate post on his Facebook page earlier today, Rockenfield wrote: “and, a little bit more for clarity–to set the record a bit more straight if you will… Subject: Geoff Tate (former QR singer) Topic: ‘Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate expressed his doubt that Rockenfield ‘will ever play drums again’…??? Tate Including— ‘he has a lot of medical problems and things like that now.’??? …Tate also stating – ‘He’s in kind of a really dark place, and I hope he gets some help, ’cause he’s really unraveled, you know?”…??? etc etc…blah blah blah….

“Ok wow, how incredibly interesting right?? …(and most of you already figured this out) But, being that I have not seen, spoken too, or communicated with Tate for over 10 years now, those seem to be some pretty BOLD statements to be makin’ bout someone (that someone being me – ouchie…! as if spitting wasn’t enough lol !!) One would think that even just a ‘slightly educated’ person should know that making such crazy statements about somebody is probably a bit of a no-no ???? ….…(and don’t get me wrong, I’m still smilin’…could all be an exciting gift in disguise from the Universe right ??…) ….Nonetheless, said former singer dude jussst might wanna take a step back and possibly reconsider those statements…???
other than all that, I suppose all I can say is – ‘I hope dude (tate) gets the help ‘he’ needs…”

Last October, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against QUEENSRŸCHE’s fellow original members Michael Wilton (guitar) and Eddie Jackson (bass), alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge.

In the lawsuit, which was filed in Snohomish County Superior Court, Rockenfield claimed that he took paternal leave of absence from QUEENSRŸCHE in February 2017 after his fiancée experienced complications during the birth of their son and had to have an emergency Cesarean delivery. According to the drummer, his leave of absence was approved by the members of QUEENSRŸCHE and he was to retain an equal one-third interest in all QUEENSRŸCHE companies (QR Companies), including Tri-Ryche Corporation, Melodisc LTD., Queensryche Merchandising, Inc., EMS Music, LLC and Queensryche Holdings, LLC.

In Scott’s complaint, he claimed that “Rockenfield, Wilton and Jackson are the remaining members of the band QUEENSRŸCHE, as well as the sole or majority shareholders and members of the entities controlling the intellectual property and contractual rights of said group, to wit the QR Companies.”

Scott alleged that or about October 11, 2018, Wilton and Jackson purportedly “voted to dismiss Rockenfield from the QR Companies due in whole or in part to his taking of approved family leave. Rockenfield was informed of his purported dismissal from the QR Companies in a letter dated November 3, 2018.”

According to Rockenfield’s complaint, since 2017, Wilton and Jackson “have wrongfully withheld from Rockenfield all sources of income from the QR Companies in violation of the various Operating Agreements and Contracts governing the QR Companies for no lawful purpose.” In addition, they “have failed to provide Rockenfield with an accounting of the books, records, business and contracts of the QR Companies.”

Although Rockfenfield said he had continued to receive royalties from Tri-Ryche since February 2017 for the old catalogue, he claimed he had “received no payments from Melodisc since February 2017, and no payments from Queensryche Merchandising since early 2018, and no payments from EMS since February 2017.”

Rockfenfield also claimed that Wilton and Jackson did not include him in the recording QUEENSRŸCHE’s latest album, “The Verdict”, “despite his availability and willingness to participate.”

During all of 2017 and 2018, Rockenfield claimed, he “remained active in all aspects of the QR Companies’ business, song writing, licensing options, and communications with the exception of touring.

“During his family medical leave, Rockenfield was in constant and continued communication with the band, participated in writing songs, and prepared for the band’s recording schedule that was set to begin in early 2018,” the complaint reads.

“In October 2018, Rockenfield participated in negotiating a new extension of QUEENSRŸCHE’s 2013 recording contract with Century Media, which would add two (2) additional albums to the recording contract, and continued to work to secure seven very lucrative licensing offers on behalf of QUEENSRŸCHE,” according to the lawsuit.

Rockenfield claimed to be “owed compensation for lost wages and profits as, as well as an amount equal to the present fair market value of his equity interest in the QR Companies as of his wrongful dismissal, plus interest thereon.”

Rockenfield’s lawsuit, which also named Wilton and Jackson’s wives as defendants, came nine months after he shot down suggestions that he quit QUEENSRŸCHE or retired from playing music. In January 2021, the drummer shared an update on Facebook in which he said that fans “have not been given the facts by any means” and implied that he would offer more details at a later date.

Scott’s January 2021 comments marked the first time he had publicly addressed his status with QUEENSRŸCHE, which has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring purposes since April 2017.

In May 2021, Rockenfield launched a cryptic new QUEENSRŸCHE-centric web site that implied he was plotting his return to the music scene. A week after Rockenfield went live with his Queensryche2021.com web site, La Torre announced that he was selling one of four remaining pairs of drum sticks that were used by Scott during the drum recordings of the band’s 2013 self-titled album. The following day, Rockenfield returned to his Facebook page to seemingly take a swipe at Todd over the move, writing: “As a corp brand business owner for over 40 years now, I was once asked: if an ’employee/hired hand/sub contractor/or other similar employed individual’ is engaging in unacceptable and disparaging remarks towards their so called ‘EMPLOYER or BENEFACTOR’, then more than likely this person still needs to be educated and nurtured to gain some much needed experience and to hopefully then have some respect and gratitude”.

In February 2021, La Torre was asked during an appearance on “The Eddie Trunk Podcast” if anybody in QUEENSRŸCHE has heard directly from Scott regarding his status with the group. He responded: “Not to my knowledge. All I can tell you is he took paternity leave, saying he would be gone for about six months, and that was four years ago. [Laughs] Casey shows up every day. He shows up to songwrite, he shows up to record, if needed, and he shows up for the live gigs. So that’s all that I can tell you. I haven’t communicated with [Scott] in years. So I have no idea what he’s up to. I couldn’t even tell you.”

When DJ Eddie Trunk said that he heard from Rockenfield three years ago and that the drummer expressed an interest at the time in telling his story, La Torre replied: “I don’t know what story there is to tell. People ask, but, honestly, it is literally like déjà vu. Go play the answer I gave you four years ago, because, literally, nothing has changed.

“As far as I understand, there really isn’t communication [between Scott and the QUEENSRŸCHE camp]. And I couldn’t tell you anything more than that. Some people think, ‘They’re not telling us more.’ I don’t have anything to say, ’cause I don’t talk to him; he doesn’t talk to me. Casey’s been playing with us for years, and he shows up. The guy is doing an awesome job.

“I guess I’d revert back to you,” Todd continued. “If you left your radio show saying that you needed six months paternity leave but you never communicated when you were coming back for four years, would the radio station stop running because you quit showing up to work? And keep in mind, you weren’t fired, and you didn’t give official written notice that you’re never gonna come back; you just don’t come back or communicate. Does your key still work? Is your name on the door? Or are they gonna find adequate talent replacement to keep things going?

“So I don’t have anything bad to say,” La Torre clarified. “I don’t really have anything to say, other than he asked for paternity leave and just hasn’t come back.”

The drum tracks on “The Verdict” were laid down by La Torre.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums “Operation: Mindcrime” and “Operation: Mindcrime II” in their entirety live.

and, a little bit more for clarity–to set the record a bit more straight if you will…

Subject: Geoff Tate (former QR…

Posted by Scott Rockenfield on Tuesday, March 1, 2022

just a little bit for clarity here…

Subject: Todd La Torre (subcontractor – Queensryche)

Topic: For the record let…

Posted by Scott Rockenfield on Tuesday, March 1, 2022

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Sophie Gault (Sophie & the Broken Things) joins Premier Guitar editors and our reader of the month to discuss favorite albums—then and now—as well as new musical obsessions!#10YearChallenge: What was your favorite album 10 years ago? What’s your favorite album today?Sophie Gault – Sophie & the Broken ThingsA: Ten years ago, I was just discovering ’90s alt-country and I was listening to Strangers Almanac by Whiskeytown a lot.Whiskeytown – Houses On the Hill – Austin City Limits 1998I had joined this band called the Spectacular Average Boys, where I sang harmonies and played rhythm guitar. We used to cover “Houses on the Hill,” which I still think is one of my favorite songs ever written. Whiskeytown was a coed band, and I identified with that as the only girl in a band full of guys.Amythyst Kiah // Wild TurkeyI recently discovered Amythyst Kiah’s album Wary + Strange, and I love it. She’s such a badass guitar player and singer. I’m always checking out different artists’ guitar styles and it’s refreshing to see people, especially women, digging in and playing with guts.Sophie Gault’s Current Obsession:I love my new Gibson L-00 Studio. It’s adorable and fun to play with a great snappy and crisp tone. I’ve also been exploring healthy non-music-related routines lately. I’m obsessed with swimming. I like to go swim 20 laps at the YMCA and then read a chapter of a book in the sauna—right now it’s The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. This routine helps calm my nerves and keep me focused so I can enjoy my L-00 with a clear head.Nedim Kirlic – Reader of the MonthA: I was really into Rush in 2012, and I really liked what turned out to be their last album, Clockwork Angels.Rush – Clockwork Angels Tour DVD – Clockwork AngelsI can’t say for sure that it was my favorite album at the time, but I listened to it a lot.Shiner – Schadenfreude (2020) [Full Album]Today, I would say that my favorite album is Schadenfreude by Shiner.Nedim Kirlic’s Current Obsession:I’ve been obsessed by Kansas City bands of the 1990s and 2000s, such as Season to Risk, Molly McGuire, Shiner, and The Life and Times. Allen Epley, the frontman of both Shiner and TLAT, taught me how to play a handful of Shiner songs on guitar, and that’s very much helped my creativity with my own music.And that leads me into my other obsession. I moved away from digital modelers and built my first pedalboard as a 40-year-old. I just wanted fewer options, while still maintaining some versatility, because I needed to focus more on playing guitar instead of incessantly tweaking my tone. So, I spent a lot of money on pedals and a few guitars in 2021, and now I have a rig that I’m very happy with and that enables me to make the music that I really enjoy!Ted Drozdowski – Senior EditorA: Early each year, I’m a hangover listener. So, in 2012 it was Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed, and now it’s the Black Keys Delta Kream.Lou Reed & Metallica – Lulu`The Black Keys – Delta Kream (Full Album) 2021Ted Drozdowski’s Current Obsession:A while back I was invited onstage by legendary New England blues guitarist Neal Vitullo. Playing with Neal was a joy—gracious and brilliant. That memory reminds me daily of the many world-class musicians, like Neal, who’ve spent their careers as regional heroes instead of in the international spotlight. So, I’ve been obsessed with buying music and merch, and contributing to support local heroes everywhere. They’ve been there for us. Now, we need to be there for them.Tessa Jeffers – Managing EditorA: In 2012, my fave was probably Jack White’s Blunderbuss. I listened to Mark Lanegan’s Blues Funeral quite a lot, too, particularly “Harborview Hospital.” I’m forever listening to Mr. White, and he’s got two new records coming!Mark Lanegan Band – Ode to Sad DiscoJack White “Blunderbuss”But right now, I’m loving on The Dream by Alt-J and Mitski’s Laurel Hell.alt-J – Hard Drive Gold (Official Video)Mitski – Love Me More (Official Video)Tessa Jeffers’ Current Obsession:Making and swapping playlists with a dear friend who lives in Spain. It’s inspiring both on the sending and receiving end, and it helps us stay connected over distance. Sharing is caring! My most thrilling artist discovery of late is Tobe Nwigwe, a Houston rapper who’s expanding the conversation in all the ways—conceptually, lyrically, sonically, and even visually with his original videos.

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JOURNEY kicked off its U.S. “Freedom” tour on February 22 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band’s current touring lineup features bassist Todd Jensen, a veteran musician who has played for various artists, including the bands SEQUEL, HARDLINE and HARLOW, as well as David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Perry, Alice Cooper and Paul Rodgers. Also part of JOURNEY’s current incarnation is returning drummer Deen Castronovo, who shared the drum duties in the band last year with Narada Michael Walden. Walden, bassist Randy Jackson and keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka all joined JOURNEY in 2020 following the band’s acrimonious split with drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory. Jackson — who previously played with JOURNEY during the mid-1980s — was forced to miss all the recent gigs because he was reportedly recovering from back surgery. Prior to JOURNEY’s recent Las Vegas residency, Jackson had been replaced at the band’s 2021 shows by Marco Mendoza, who had played several shows in 2019 with Castronovo and JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon under the “Neal Schon’s Journey Through Time” banner.

Explaining Walden’s absence from JOURNEY’s current tour, keyboardist/guitarist Jonathan Cain told Ultimate Classic Rock: “We were going to try the Narada thing — he did a terrific job on the [upcoming JOURNEY] album — but it didn’t quite pan out. Deen’s really added a lot, a great energy. He’s in a really good place now, and it was just one of those things. When you start playing the old JOURNEY stuff, there’s only a few cats on the planet who know the little nuances. We toyed with the idea of two drummers for a while, and we just decided Deen was the right way to go at this point. And, of course, his voice is fantastic. We’re glad to have him back.”

Deen was dismissed from JOURNEY in 2015 following years of alcohol and drug abuse that led to him being sentenced to four years’ probation for a variety of charges involving his now-wife.

In March 2021, Castronovo revealed that he was on opiates for over a year while waiting to get his back surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 57-year-old musician, who had been sober for nearly five years after being fired from JOURNEY, shared his ordeal in an Instagram post. He wrote: “Opiates are evil and the withdrawals are murder.”

JOURNEY has set “Freedom” as the title of its long-awaited new album, to be released later in the year. The LP will include the single “The Way We Used To Be”, which came out last June. The song was the multi-platinum band’s first new music since 2011’s album “Eclipse”, and the first track released by the band’s revamped lineup. “The Way We Used To Be” marked Walden and Derlatka’s first studio recordings with the band, and Jackson’s first since 1986’s “Raised On Radio”. The song was produced by Walden at his Tarpan Studios, with co-production by Schon and Cain.

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Live Nation has announced that Lawn Pass will be available at 30 venues for the 2022 summer concert season, which is on pace to be one of the biggest in history. With a Lawn Pass, fans can attend concerts at their local amphitheater music venue all summer long, including select sold out shows.

A Lawn Pass can be purchased for just $199 (plus fees) per venue, and provides access to shows at that specific venue all summer long. Each venue will have a limited number of Lawn Passes available. Passes will go on sale starting Tuesday, March 1 at 10 a.m. PT at LawnPass.LiveNation.com, while supplies last. To purchase the pass, fans can visit the link above and use the dropdown menu to select their desired amphitheater. Each Lawn Pass purchaser will receive a custom personalized credential with their name that serves as their ticket on each show day. The full list of participating amphitheaters can be found below.

Music fans who are able to snag one of the limited-edition passes will have access to an incredible lineup of various acts across county, rock, pop, hip-hop, and much more. Fans can check their local venue to see their specific summer lineup, with more shows to be announced throughout the coming months.

Shows currently include, but are not limited to:

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
AJR
THE AVETT BROTHERS
BRANDI CARLILE
BIG TIME RUSH
BACKSTREET BOYS
THE BLACK KEYS
CHEER LIVE
CHRIS STAPLETON
CHICAGO
COHEED & CAMBRIA
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
DEFTONES
DISPATCH AND O.A.R.
THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
FOO FIGHTERS
GOO GOO DOLLS
HALSEY
IRON MAIDEN
JACK JOHNSON
JACK WHITE
JASON ALDEAN
JIMMY BUFFETT
JOSH GROBAN
KEITH URBAN
KENNY CHESNEY
KISS
KNOTFEST ROADSHOW (SLIPKNOT)
LIL DURK
LUKE BRYAN
MIRANDA LAMBERT & LITTLE BIG TOWN
THE LUMINEERS
NICK CANNON PRESENTS: MTV WILD N OUT LIVE
NINE INCH NAILS
ONEREPUBLIC
PHISH
REBELUTION
REO SPEEDWAGON AND STYX WITH LOVERBOY
ROBERT PLANT AND ALISON KRAUSS
ROD STEWART
SANTANA + EARTH, WIND & FIRE
SAMMY HAGAR
SNOOP DOGG & ICE CUBE
STEELY DAN
TEARS FOR FEARS
THIRD EYE BLIND
TIM MCGRAW
ZAC BROWN BAND

Participating amphitheaters:

* Ak-Chin Pavilion (Phoenix AZ)
* Blossom Music Center (Cuyahoga Falls, OH)
* Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek (Raleigh, NC)
* Concord Pavilion (Concord, CA)
* Darien Lake Amphitheater (Darien Center, NY)
* Dos Equis Pavilion (Dallas, TX)
* Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Tinley Park (Tinley Park, IL)
* Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)
* Isleta Amphitheater (Albuquerque, NM)
* iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre (West Palm Beach, FL)
* Jiffy Lube Live (Bristow, VA)
* Lakewood Amphitheatre (Atlanta, GA) – Formerly Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
* MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre (Tampa, FL)
* North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre (Chula Vista, CA)
* PNC Bank Arts Center (Holmdel, NJ)
* PNC Music Pavilion (Charlotte, NC)
* Ruoff Music Center (Noblesville, IN)
* RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater (Ridgefield, WA)
* Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Saratoga Springs, NY)
* Shoreline Amphitheatre (Mountain View, CA)
* St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview (Syracuse, NY)
* The Pavilion at Montage Mountain (Scranton, PA)
* The Pavilion At Star Lake (Burgettstown, PA)
* Toyota Amphitheatre (Wheatland, CA)
* USANA Amphitheatre (West Valley City, UT)
* Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach (Virginia Beach, VA)
* Waterfront Music Pavilion (Camden, NJ) – Formerly BB&T Pavilion
* White River Amphitheatre (Auburn, WA)
* Xfinity Center (Mansfield, MA)
* XFINITY Theatre (Hartford, CT)

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Grammy-winning hard rock band HALESTORM, which will release its fifth studio album, “Back From The Dead”, on May 6, today announced new U.S. headline dates in May, their first U.S. shows since the conclusion of their co-headline dates with EVANESCENCE in January.

Kicking off May 10 in Billings, Montana, and running through May 30 in Missoula, the dates, which include festival stops at St. Louis’s Point Fest on May 21 and Daytona Beach’s Welcome To Rockville on May 22, will include various openers, including rock icons STONE TEMPLE PILOTS; MAMMOTH WVH, the hard rock band fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen; and Southern rock staples BLACK STONE CHERRY.

A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale will begin on Tuesday, March 1 at 1:00 p.m. local time and end on Wednesday, March 2 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code “STEEPLE” to access tickets before the general public. General on-sale will be Friday, March 4 at 10 a.m. local time.

HALESTORM May 2022 tour dates:

May 10 – Billings, MT – First Interstate Arena*#+ (buy tickets)
May 11 – Casper, WY – Ford Wyoming Center*#+ (buy tickets)
May 13 – Council Bluffs, IA – Stir Cove at Harrah’s#+ (buy tickets)
May 14 – Wichita, KS – WAVE# (buy tickets)
May 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE*+ (buy tickets)
May 18 – Columbus, OH – Kemba Live!*+ (buy tickets)
May 21 – St. Louis, MO – Pointfest
May 22 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville
May 24 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center*+ (buy tickets)
May 25 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater*+ (buy tickets)
May 28 – Moorhead, MN – Bluestem Amphitheater*+ (buy tickets)
May 30 – Missoula, MT – Kettlehouse Amphitheater*+ (buy tickets)

* STONE TEMPLE PILOTS supporting
# MAMMOTH WVH supporting
+ BLACK STONE CHERRY supporting

Last week, HALESTORM premiered their video for “The Steeple”, the second single to be released from “Back From The Dead” now making its way up rock radio charts. To lead singer Lzzy Hale, the video, like the song itself, is “a reflection of the human connection music brings us.”

In honor of Record Store Day, HALESTORM will release a limited-edition seven-inch die-cut version of the song “Back From The Dead” in the shape of a tombstone. Look for it at your favorite independent record store.

“Back From The Dead”, HALESTORM’s newest full-length album, produced by Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, MASTODON, ALICE IN CHAINS) with co-production by Scott Stevens (SHINEDOWN, DAUGHTRY, NEW YEARS DAY), will be available everywhere May 6. The band began writing the album pre-pandemic, but continued throughout lockdown, and the result “is the story of me carving myself out of that abyss,” said Lzzy. “It is a journey of navigating mental health, debauchery, survival, redemption, rediscovery, and still maintaining faith in humanity.”

HALESTORM has grown from a childhood dream of siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale into one of the most celebrated rock bands of the last two decades. HALESTORM’s music has surpassed a billion streams worldwide. Called a “muscular, adventurous, and especially relevant rock record” by Rolling Stone, “Vicious” earned the band their second Grammy nomination, for “Best Hard Rock Performance” for the song “Uncomfortable”, the band’s fourth No. 1 at rock radio, and led Loudwire to name HALESTORM “Rock Artist of the Decade” in 2019. Fronted by Lzzy with Arejay, guitarist Joe Hottinger, and bass player Josh Smith, HALESTORM has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, ALICE COOPER and Joan Jett.

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