Vocalist GEOFF TATE (QUEENSRŸCHE) is featured in a new interview with Dan MacIntosh at Songfacts. An excerpt is available below:

Songfacts: I guess the most popular Queensrÿche song is 'Silent Lucidity'.

Geoff: "Well, it's a song that was a Top Ten radio hit, so it has a lot of popularity, yeah."

Songfacts: You weren't a writer on that one, were you?

Geoff: "Correct. I didn't write that song."

Songfacts: So what does it mean to you?

Geoff: "That song to me? I love that song. I think it's a beautiful, beautiful piece. And although I didn't write it, I had a lot to do with shaping the destiny of that track through my melodic contributions and the way I sang it, and also in the mixing of the song and that kind of thing. It had a strange beginning. It started out as simply just acoustic guitar and voice. And it wasn't until we were almost finished with the record, just in the last week of working on the record, that we added all the other instrumentation to it. In fact, our producer didn't really want to put it on the record because he didn't think it was that well-developed as an idea. He was actually putting his foot down at one point saying, 'No, I think you should come up with another song. You only have so many songs for the record, I don't think you should put that on the record.' I think it's a good idea that he said that because it inspired Chris DeGarmo and I to really buckle down and finish the song and actually make it into what it is."

Songfacts: Do you need that as songwriters sometimes, somebody to give you a kick in the butt to get something done?

Geoff: "Yeah, you do. That's why you have that objective opinion or that person that you bring on board to be that objective opinion. Because as a writer, you do get really close to stuff. And you know what you mean when you say something or you play something. But oftentimes it might not translate that way to other people, so the producer's job is to recognize when something isn't translating or be able to recognize that the artist hasn't quite nailed it yet. And that's their job. So yeah, Peter Collins did a great job on that record with us, and I love his work, and the way he handled that whole project was brilliant. He did a really fine job at organizing everything and corralling all the different personalities within the band together to make something happen."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

As previously reported, Tate will be taking the newly-announced Queensrÿche line-up on the road next year to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the band's epic 1988 release, Operation: Mindcrime.

The tour - with dates slated to begin in April (see below) - will feature the arsenal of bassist Rudy Sarzo, drummer Bobby Blotzer, guitarist Kelly Gray (Queensrÿche/MYTH) and keyboardist Randy Gane (Myth) along with special guest appearances and plenty of surprises.

"It's great to be performing with all of these guys who have been true friends for years," comments Geoff. "Kelly, Randy and I formed Myth more than 30 years ago and I've known Rudy and Bobby for several years as well. I think we are all inspired by the collaboration and couldn't be more excited to bring it to our fans next year."

In 2006, Queensrÿche brought the theatrical interpretation of the Mindcrime saga to audiences all over the world.

A year later, the band would release Mindcrime at the Moore, a double DVD featuring the theatrical performances of both Operation: Mindcrime I & II albums that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Music DVD Chart.

The DVD set would mark the band's first #1 chart debut, quickly achieving gold status, selling over 50,000 units.

The performance of Operation: Mindcrime next spring will cover all fifteen songs from the album including such fan favorites as 'Revolution Calling', 'Operation: Mindcrime', 'I Don't Believe in Love', and the closing track, 'Eyes of a Stranger'.

It will also feature other selections from the Queensrÿche catalog including songs from Operation: Mindcrime II.

The news of the 25th Anniversary Mindcrime Tour comes just a few weeks after Tate's eagerly-awaited sophomore solo release, Kings & Thieves, was released on InsideOut Music.

His first solo release in more than a decade, Kings & Thieves is a journey into the mind of one of rock's most dynamic vocalists.

"My goal with this record was to make a solid rock album," says Tate. "I wanted it to be an album that I could play live that would be both satisfying and fun because, as a singer, you need to create a show that has a lot of dynamics to it and takes people on a ride."

25th Anniversary Operation: Mindcrime Tour 2013

April

6 - Peppermill Casino in West Wendover, Nevada
11 - Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado
12 - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico
13 - Chrome in Las Vegas, Nevada
14 - Marquee Theater in Tempe, Arizona
16 - Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona
18 - The Canyon Club in Agoura, California
19 - 4th & B in San Diego, California
20 - Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California
21 - Fillmore in San Francisco, California

More dates to be announced.