In a new interview with Metal-Rules.com's Marko Syrjala, former Queensrÿche frontman, Geoff Tate, discusses the Empire 30th Anniversary tour, Operation: Mindcrime, Avantasia, Trinity, and much more. An excerpt follows:

Marko Syrjala: Years ago, there was a lot of talk and rumours regarding a possible collaboration between you, Rob Halford, and Bruce Dickinson. That “project” was known as Three Tremors, but it never actually happened. But in 2016, you had another project with Tim “Ripper” Owens and Blaze Bayley.

Geoff Tate: "Trinity. Well, the idea of Trinity came from The Three Tremors. Rob Halford was doing a solo project, and Queensrÿche and Iron Maiden - the three of us all were on tour together. And we all had a day off, and we were at an Italian restaurant. And it’s a big dinner. Everybody’s drinking, telling stories, having a good time. And Rod Smallwood, their manager, brings the waiter over and says, 'What’s this music we’re listening to? It sounds like opera or something.' And the waiter said, 'Oh, it’s the famous opera singer - it’s called the Three Tenors.' And Rod thought that was the funniest thing he’d heard. He stood up with his glass and he said, 'I’d like to propose a toast. I think that Bruce and Rob and Geoff should tour together under a new name, and we’ll call it the Three Tremors. What do you think?' And we all went, 'Haha, yeah. Great.'”

Marko Syrjala: And there was big news and gossip saying like 'The Three Tremors tour is going to happen'.

Geoff Tate: "Yeah. It didn’t."

Marko Syrjala: In which year did you have that discussion in the Italian restaurant?

Geoff Tate: "It was the early 2000s like maybe 2001."

Read the complete interview at Metal-Rules.com.