Australian audiences will be privileged to witness one of progressive metal’s longest standing and successful bands when Queensrÿche return to our shores in August 2009. It’s only the second time in their 28 year career that they visit Australia, as part of a world tour promoting new album American Soldier. The tour, named Extended Suites: Rage For Order/American Soldier/Empire, promises exactly that: shows featuring a broad selection of tracks from these classic, and current, Queensrÿche albums.

Formed in Washington in 1982, Queensryche began their ascendancy towards critical and chart success a few years later, with 1986’s Rage for Order. They went on to sell over 20 million albums worldwide, spurred on by 1988’s ambitious project, Operation Mindcrime and 1990’s 2 million seller, The Empire, (featuring hit single Silent Lucidity). In 2004, the band released Operation: Mindcrime II, the long-awaited sequel to their 1988 conceptual smash.

American Soldier has been labeled a concept album, the result of vocalist Geoff Tate’s two year, one-on-one interviews with various military veterans. The stories that surfaced from these conversations formed the basis of this war-themed ‘project’. American Soldier was produced by Jason Slater (Operation: Mindcrime II) and was released in March 2009.

Still performing with its original line-up – guitarist Michael Wilton, vocalist Geoff Tate, bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Scott Rockenfield, with the exception of guitarist Chris DeGarmo who left the band in 1998 – Queensryche’s years of solid touring has made them a force on the live scene. And judging by the thousands of fans who witnessed their sell-out east coast shows here in 2006, one can only expect demand of a similar magnitude this time around for this musically accomplished act!