QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton spoke with Mark Strigl about the band’s ongoing songwriting sessions for their next album.

With producer Zeuss (Chris Harris) on board, Wilton said: “We’re working on the new QUEENSRŸCHE, writing with Zeuss. So me and Mike Stone are here, and we’re blazing away.”

Discussing the direction of the new material, he added: “We’re pushing the envelope. We don’t get a lot of standard radio play, so we’re just going for it. We’re keeping the progressive element, the melodic element, and the heavy metal element.”

In separate interviews with J.J. Caithcart and Marko Syrjala, Wilton elaborated on the songwriting process: “We built such a relationship with Zeuss. When he hears my ideas and riffs, he knows, and I trust him with his decisions.”

Looking ahead, Wilton said the upcoming album will benefit from a more unified approach: “This next one will be even better because with Digital Noise Alliance, Mike didn’t come in until the end of the process. Now he’s here from the beginning.”

QUEENSRŸCHE will hit the road this summer for a mix of headlining shows and festival dates, launching their European tour on June 6 in Köln, Germany, with RIVERS OF NIHIL opening, and concluding July 5 in Cartagena, Spain.