Here’s a pairing of titanic Metal proportions, it seems as though Queensryche will be hitting the road once more and handling the headlining duties and bringing along those knights of Metal valor in Armored Saint as direct support. Check out the official tour press that I received a short time ago along with the poster and dates. I’ll return with some additional thoughts after that. This is going to be a good one.
The Press Release:
Internationally renowned Seattle based metal outfit QUEENSRŸCHE have announced their next headlining tour throughout the United States. The month long trek will take place this Fall, starting on November 15th in Seattle, WA and concluding on December 15th in Colorado Springs, CO. Queensryche will be joined by the iconic Armored Saint as direct support, along with Midnight Eternal on all dates for the upcoming tour. The band continues to perform across the world on the strength of their latest full length album, Condition Human, which was released in October (2015). Dates for the Fall headlining tour can be found below.
Speaking about the upcoming US tour and playing with Armored Saint, Queensryche vocalist Todd La Torre comments, “We are pleased to announce that we will be hitting the road this November with the one and only Armored Saint and Midnight Eternal. We’re looking forward to seeing all of you for this great billing of musical diversity and high energy performances! Come join the Ryche this November – December!”
Lead guitarist and founding member Michael Wilton also gave his thoughts on the band’s Fall dates, saying, “Queensryche is proud to be embarking on our Fall 2016 – Condition Human US tour with special guests Armored Saint and Midnight Eternal! We encourage our fans to come out for this one and prepare yourselves for some high energy rock shows!”
Against the formidable obstacles of an ever-changing cultural landscape, the rise and fall of various musical trends, and the near collapse of the record industry itself, QUEENSRŸCHE has secured a triumphant legacy as one of hard rock’s most respected and celebrated acts, selling 30 million albums around the world across a 30-plus-year career.
The band’s name is uttered in the same breath as many of the groups they looked to as influences and others who arose as peers. Queensrÿche built a dedicated legion of fans traveling the globe on tour with fellow rock giants like Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard. In recent years, they’ve consistently delivered high-octane live shows combining the hungry fire of a new band with the tempered experience of master showmen. Even with eleven gold and platinum plaques and a several Top 10 hard rock anthems woven into the very fiber of the genre, Queensrÿche won’t relent. In fact, they’re in the throes of a jaw-dropping creative resurgence.
The Tour Dates:
November 15th – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
November 16th – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
November 18th – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
November 22nd – San Antonio, TX @ Alamo City Music Hall
November 23rd – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
November 25th – Tyler, TX @ Clicks
November 26th – Dallas, TX @ Trees
November 29th – Jacksonville, FL @ Mavericks at The Landing
November 30th – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
December 1st – Tampa, FL @ The Cuban Club
December 2nd – Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm
December 3rd – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
December 4th – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
December 6th – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
December 7th – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theatre
December 8th – Chesterfield, MI @ Diesel Lounge
December 10th – Sioux City, IA @ Anthem at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
December 11th – Peoria, IL @ Limelight
December 13th – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
December 14th – Overland Park, KS @ Kanza Hall
December 15th – Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
PiercingMetal Thoughts: I caught Queensryche when they opened up for the Scorpions a few months back and this would be my first time seeing the band with Todd LaTorre on the vocals instead of Geoff Tate. I had to say that he definitely blew me away with his supersonic register and how he deftly delivered the classic material that fans have been longing to hear once again in the set list. With no disrespect to their former front man, the road seems wide open for the band as they go forward into a more of a Metal direction than they had over the last decade. Now let’s discuss Armored Saint. Wow is the band on the rise and meeting new levels of popularity or what? I’ve said a number of times that I never really found them to be my thing “back in the day” but now as a scribe for the scene can safely say that they can count me among their supporters. They surely deliver. The entire run of dates will be opened by the NJ based Midnight Eternal who fall into the Symphonic Power Metal genre and might appeal to fans of bands like Xandria and Delain. I am marking my calendar right now for the regional show when this stops in NYC and I wonder what you readers think about this tour. Let me know in the comments section below.
Official Websites:
Queensryche: http://queensrycheofficial.com
Armored Saint: http://www.armoredsaint.com/
Midnight Eternal: http://www.midnighteternal.com/