Biography

Formed in 1981 in Bellevue, Washington, Queensrÿche (/ˈkwiːnzraɪk/) is an American progressive heavy metal band. With eleven studio albums, as well as EPs and DVDs, the band is active in both touring and recording. The original lineup included Geoff Tate as the vocalist, Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton as guitarists, Eddie Jackson as the bassist, and Scott Rockenfield as the drummer. Queensrÿche has achieved notable success in the progressive music scene, selling over 20 million albums worldwide, including 6 million in the United States alone. Their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime, often hailed as one of the greatest "concept albums" in history, brought them international recognition. They followed this with the highly successful release of Empire.