QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Casey Grillo has confirmed to SW Wall Music that he will be playing drums on the band’s upcoming studio album.
“We’ve actually been doing writing sessions here in Florida,” he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “We’ll get together and do the writing and stuff. Over the last year, year and a half, Michael [Wilton, guitar] started sending me tracks, back during COVID, and I would just do some tracks to whatever he did. Some of those songs became what’s gonna be on some of the record.”
According to Grillo, the upcoming QUEENSRŸCHE record won’t be the first time he has recorded with the group. “I did do a couple of songs on their last record.” (2019’s “The Verdict”). “I did some percussion stuff on — it was like a bonus-type thing. I think it was only released in Europe. But I did a couple of songs for that. So I have actually recorded on a record with them [before] — but in a roundabout way.”
For the past five years, Grillo has been filling in for previous stick man Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from QUEENSRŸCHE’s touring in 2017 to spend time with family.
Rockenfield would go on to file a lawsuit against the band’s fellow original members Wilton (guitar) and Eddie Jackson (bass) last October, alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge.
The drum tracks on “The Verdict” were laid down primarily by singer Todd La Torre.
Check out the full interview at this location.