Former Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate (Operation: Mindcrime) recently spoke with Rock Confidential about his involvement with the highly praised Sweet Oblivion project he was involved with earlier this year, as well as the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Queensrÿche's Empire album. An excerpt is available below.

Q: How is the anniversary box set of Empire coming along? I recall you mentioning something was in the works.

Tate: "Yeah, that will be released in the first quarter of 2020. It’s done. Its got a lot of bonus content, live tracks and liners. You’re gonna love it. I look forward to performing Empire next year because there’s songs on there that I’ve never performed live. Some of them I have never performed since we recorded them. It’s going to be special. I mean we’re opening with the Rage For Order album. It’s going to be fun."

Q: You’ve been touring with the current incarnation of Operation: Mindcrime for a bit. Has the idea of doing some live recording of this band crossed your mind?

Tate: "Live albums don’t interest me one bit. They don’t capture the real energy of the live performance. I agree this band is great, but I’d much prefer people come see us live than to listen to a live record that isn’t going to have the energy and do the concert justice. I’ve been there, done that. I’m about living in the now."

Read the complete interview here.

Geoff Tate has announced that he will perform the Queensrÿche albums Empire and Rage For Order in their entirety next year on the Empire 30th Anniversary Tour in 2020.

Rage For Order was released in 1986, and Empire - which featured the Grammy nominated song "Silent Lucidity" - was released in 1990.

Confirmed Empire 30th Anniversary Tour 2020 dates are listed below:

February
21 - Jergels - Warrendale, PA
22 - Mount Ponoco - Mount Poncho, PA
23 - Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY
26 - TLA - Philadelphia, PA
27 - The Warehouse - Fairfield, CT
28 - Stereo Garden - Patchogue, NY
29 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA

March
1 - Tupelo Music Hall - Derry, NH
3 - The Vault - Bedford, MA
4 - The Haunt - Ithaca, NY
5 - The Beachland Ballroom And Tavern - Cleveland, OH
6 - The Token Lounge - Westland, MI
7 - Arcada Theater - St. Charles, IL