He’s been the lead singer of Queensryche for over 25 years – Geoff Tate led the band through such critically-acclaimed albums as their magnum opus Operation: Mindcrime and the multi-platinum Empire (read our review here). Earlier in the year, news came that the other members of Queensryche were splitting from Tate and forming another band, essentially a Queensryche cover band…an odd career move for sure. Undaunted, Tate grabbed some of his talented friends for a fresh version of the band, which he hopes to unleash in 2013. In the meantime, Geoff Tate has a brand new solo album, called Kings & Thieves, full of the crunching power chords and melodic hooks that have become signatures of his music. We talk with Tate about the split with his former bandmates, and inspiration behind many of the songs on his new CD.