Queensryche may be continuing with Todd La Torre out front instead of Geoff Tate, but there’ve been some accusations from fans that Tate is still a part of their show even though he’s not there in person.

Having made their first performance as Queensryche after a handful of shows as Rising West, the group began to field questions debating whether or not they were using Geoff Tate’s vocals as backing tracks for their performance.

La Torre, addressing those claims via his Facebook page, stated, “Many believe they are hearing Tate’s voice. Let me clearly state that there are no backing vocals with his voice in any songs with my performance. Any tracks that have backing vocals have all been re-recorded with my voice and Eddie’s [Jackson].”

He went on to add, “We don’t use tracks to fake a lead vocal with me, but simply to give a fuller, nicer sound to a chorus. Yes, they are very similar and would naturally be heard as Geoff’s – but they are not.”

The singer states that timestamps on their source files would back up his claims, and he also wanted fans to know that he sings the full chorus of ‘Empire’ as well.

While Queensyrche’s transition has been the stuff of headlines, the relatively unknown La Torre does have at least one backer in his camp. Stryper singer Michael Sweet has offered his nod of support after catching the new lineup on a recent festival bill.

Sweet posted on his Facebook page, “I personally had the opportunity to see Queensryche at Halfway Jam (we did our set before they did theirs) and I’m here to tell you that Todd has breathed new life into the band. Not only does he have the pipes to deliver the vocals but more important, he is as nice and as humble as they come. He’s excited about the music and performance and doesn’t take it for granted and it shows.”

The vocalist added, “I’ve never met Geoff Tate personally so I certainly can’t comment on who he is nor would I want to but I can say that it was a joy for me to see Queensryche with a sense of excitement and passion to perform. I’m quite biased and I don’t throw compliments around unless they are earned and Todd more then earned my respect and applause at Halfway Jam. Change is always a bit uncomfortable but sometimes it’s for the best. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.”

In other Queensryche news, the band has signed on for the ‘Monsters of Rock Cruise‘ that will take place March 16-20, 2013 leaving from Fort Lauderdale and hitting CocoCay and Nassau before returning to dock. Stryper, Tesla, Saxon, Lita Ford, Kix, Great White and more are also taking part.

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