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Queensryche drops new album in July, sets more tour dates

Seattle-based prog-rock outfit Queensryche has nailed down a July 22 release date for its new album, and is lining up headlining dates to support the set.

Following the group's current co-headlining tour with Dream Theater--which runs through early August--Queensryche mounts its own headlining tour, for which an initial handful of dates are set in September and October. Tickets for several of the headlining shows are on sale now.

Members of the band's official fan club have access to reserved tickets and backstage passes, according to the group's website.

Titled "Tribe," Queensryche's forthcoming album is its first new studio set since 1999's "Q2K," which featured replacement guitarist Kelly Gray. Original lead guitarist and band co-founder Chris Degarmo, who left the group in 1997, returned to the fold for the "Tribe" sessions.

Frontman Geoff Tate, who last summer released his first solo set, credits Degarmo's return as the catalyst for "Tribe."

"We've been trying to figure out how to make a Queensryche record for awhile now," Tate said in a statement. "I guess you can say we've been at odds with one another, having a difficult time communicating, which I guess is natural after 20 years. So in the interim, I made a solo record with some new musicians. I enjoyed the camaraderie. It gave me some perspective. But when Chris joined us for these sessions, the songwriting process started anew and the entire band felt the energy."

"Open," the first single from "Tribe," hit radio stations earlier this month. The album's cover art and a complete track listing are posted at the band's website.