BW&BK; can officially confirm that Parker Lundgren, a member of QUEENSRŸCHE singer GEOFF TATE's solo band, has officially joined Queensrÿche as their new touring guitarist.

Lundgren played several shows with the Queensrÿche frontman last September and joined Tate and Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton for a rare all-acoustic set at KISW's annual Holiday Hangover Ball on December 12th,

2008 at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA.

Guitarist Mike Stone announced his departure from Queensrÿche on February 3rd. He said in a statement: "After much consideration, I will not be joining Queensrÿche on the 2009 American Soldier Tour. I feel now is the time to focus on other musical endeavors, including my new band SPEED X with Nick Catanese of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. I would like to thank all of the Queensrÿche fans around the world for being nothing less than amazing to me during my time with the band. You have treated me like gold, and I will never forget it. It has been an honor to be a part of the Queensrÿche family, and I wish Geoff, Michael, Scott and Eddie nothing but the very best."

Queensrÿche envisions war through the eyes of a soldier with the band's twelfth studio release, the epic concept album American Soldier. The ambitious album encompasses a dozen songs inspired by numerous interviews with veterans conducted by Geoff Tate, the group's singer and chief songwriter, who was intent on telling their story using their words. After speaking with soldiers who served in various conflicts-from World War II to Iraq-Tate turned their firsthand experiences from the frontlines into an unflinching musical examination of the life of a solider and the consequences of war. American Soldier will be available from Atco/Rhino on March 31st.

The complete tracklist of the album is as follows: 'Sliver', 'Unafraid', 'Hundred Mile Stare', 'At 30,000 Ft.', 'A Dead Man's Words', 'The Killer', 'Middle Of Hell', 'If I Were King', 'Man Down!', 'Remember Me', 'Home Again', 'The Voice'.

Queensrÿche's US tour schedule is as follows:

April

16 - Snoqualmie, WA - Snoqualmie Casino
17 - Snoqualmie, WA - Snoqualmie Casino
18 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
19 - Chico, CA - Senator Theatre
22 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues
23 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
24 - Los Angeles, CA - House Of Blues
25 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
26 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
28 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theater
29 - Kansas City, MO - Voodoo Lounge @ Harrah's
30 - Milwaukee, WI - Northern Lights Theater

May

1 - Milwaukee, WI - Northern Lights Theater
3 - Walker, MN - Northern Lights Casino
5 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
6 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
7 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
8 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
9 - Mt. Clemens, MI - Emerald Theatre
10 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theatre
12 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino
13 - Stamford, CT - The Palace Theater
14 - Sayerville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
15 - New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
16 - Atlantic City, NJ - House Of Blues
17 - N. Myrtle Beach, SC - House Of Blues
19 - Tampa, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
20 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House Of Blues
21 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues
22 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
23 - San Antonio, TX - Hemisfair Park
24 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
29 - Albuquerque, NM - Kiva Auditorium
30 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge

June

4 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
5 - Kelseyville, CA - Konocti Harbor