QUEENSRYCHE FATHER INSPIRATION BEHIND AMERICAN SOLDIER

Queensryche are set to release their new studio effort American Soldier, and it’s a look at life in and after serving on the front lines.

Queensryche’s American Soldier is their new studio album, which will hit stores March 31. It’s their first collection of brand-new material since Operation Mindcrime 2, released in 2006. They did put out an album of covers titled Take Cover in 2007. American Soldier tells the tales of our servicemen and examines every aspect of their lives in their own words. Singer Geoff Tate interviewed surviving veterans from World War 2 through the war in Iraq.

Tate said that it all started with an interview with his own father, who was a military man.

“It really started with a conversation with my dad, and that was sort of the inspiration for the whole thing or the springboard so to speak, and once that happened and I was looking back at that interview, that story on the videotape I thought, ‘Wow, this could be something if I continued this.’ And so that was really the springboard that made the whole thing start happening. People don’t really like to talk about their experiences until later in life. So, I was lucky to be there when he finally did start to talk about it because that really started the whole project.”

The talented singer said that he came away with some strong themes for the album.

“I didn’t really find a lot of differences between soldiers of varying generations and different conflicts, which I was surprised. I thought they’d all be very different. What I found in interviewing soldiers from World War 2 up to the present was that although technology has changed, and we’re using different armaments and tanks and vehicles and weapons, the territory is different perhaps, but the soldiers’ stories remain very constant because they’re human stories. They’re people in situations dealing with life and death situations, they’re dealing with heroism, struggling with honor and call to duty, and struggling with being separated from their families, children and wives, and these are the things the soldier experiences no matter what generation they’re from or even what country they’re from.”

The first single off American Soldier is “If I Were King,” and it’s already been serviced to radio. Queensryche kick off a tour starting April 16 in Snoqualmie, Washington. Dates are currently booked through June 5 in Kelseyville, California. Tune back to hear Geoff talk about recording with his daughter, how he’ll balance the set list, and using the soldiers own words on the album.