Todd La Torre

Because Queensrÿche's singer and frontman Geoff Tate was working on his solo album and an ensuing tour, Queensrÿche guitarist Wilton, bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Scott Rockenfield were looking for a way to earn their own income by playing in a different band composition. Wilton explains that: "Originally this was deemed as a side project, because we were told by our management that we were not going to do anything for the next year so hey, we have to survive." They decided to hold performances under the name Rising West (named after a lyric from the Queensrÿche album The Warning). Short of a frontman for Rising West, Wilton recommended La Torre to his bandmates. La Torre was asked if he knew any Queensrÿche songs, and it turned out he was very fond of Queensrÿche's older albums. Wilton said of the rehearsals with La Torre: "we blasted through 18 to 20 songs and everybody was amazed from the professionality, the musicianship and tone of Todd’s voice." As La Torre was not very familiar with the songs on Promised Land and they had only limited time to prepare for the shows, the band focused on the material from the Queensrÿche EP to Empire, which are generally considered the band's heaviest releases, and according to La Torre: "are the songs and the time period that most represented the core sound of what Queensryche material was about". Rising West performed two sold out shows at Seattle's Hard Rock Cafe on June 8 and 9, 2012.

In 2019, La Torre collaborated with Michael Sweet of Stryper and guitarist Andy James in Sweet's song "Son of Man", which will be on Sweet's upcoming album titled "Ten".

In 2017, La Torre announced that he was working on his long-awaited solo album, with his friend Craig Blackwell as co-songwriter, while simultaneously recording his third album with Queensrÿche.

In 2017, La Torre collaborated with Metal Church on a new version of their song "Fake Healer" (originally from Blessing in Disguise). The song (studio version) was released on Metal Church's live album "Classic Live" (2017). La Torre also participated in the video that was made.

In 2016, La Torre reunited with his former Crimson Glory bandmate Jeff Lords on the latter's current project Dark Matter, singing guest vocals on their sophomore release, Encipher.

In 2015, Queensrÿche released their second album with La Torre on vocals, Condition Hüman. As of 2017, they are working on their third album, which La Torre has stated will include more uptempo songs.

By the time La Torre performed with Rising West, differences between Tate and his bandmates in Queensrÿche led to Tate being dismissed from the band on June 5, 2012. Several weeks later, Tate and his wife Susan filed a lawsuit against Rockenfield, Wilton and Jackson, claiming Tate was illegally fired from the band. The judge ruled in a preliminary injunction that both sides may use the name Queensrÿche until a verdict or settlement decided which party would ultimately be given the rights, after which Tate started his own band. It was revealed to the public on 28 April 2014 that Rockenfield, Wilton and Jackson were given the exclusive rights to the Queensrÿche trademark, officially making La Torre the lead singer of Queensrÿche in Tate's place.

In 2014, La Torre collaborated with former Megadeth guitarist Glen Drover on a single called "Discordia".

La Torre liked singing, and although he would usually sing backing vocals, he wasn't confident enough about his singing to be a lead vocalist. He would remain a drummer for 24 years, and says that: "my dream was always to be a famous rock drummer". His singing career first began when he became the lead vocalist for Crimson Glory at age 35, and later for Queensrÿche. However, in 2013, he stated: "I still feel like a drummer that likes to sing".

La Torre was actively involved with the songwriting for the self-titled album released in 2013 by writing the majority of the lyrics, several melodies, and some drum and guitar parts. He is more oriented to the heavier music, but finds it important to balance it out with music that "breathes" and builds up to a climax. Queensrÿche drummer Rockenfield calls La Torre a "fantastic drummer", and says that several drum parts La Torre suggested "were so good that I kept them and translated them into what I would do". La Torre is currently focused on being the band's singer and frontman, but he and Rockenfield have already discussed the possibility to also incorporate his drumming in live performances alongside Rockenfield, and interjecting their drumming. Queensrÿche guitarist Parker Lundgren sees La Torre as the reason the band has become much more oriented on the fans, saying: "[La Torre] would write back to every single email or Facebook message or anything he would get, even people criticizing him. He would always write back saying, 'I know where you're coming from...' He's always really cool to everybody. As far as actually meeting fans and getting back to them with emails and really caring, that's changed a ton just from Todd [La Torre] being in the band."

La Torre and Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton met at the buffet of a Seymour Duncan private dinner party during the NAMM Show in January 2012, where La Torre first mistook Wilton for Eric Peterson from the band Testament, complimenting him for a show that Peterson had played the night before at the Grove. After Wilton gave him a puzzled look, La Torre realized whom he was talking to, being a long-time fan of Queensrÿche. They ended up talking for a good hour at dinner, found out they had mutual interests in styles of music, and discussed the possibility of recording vocals on previously unreleased songs by Wilton for a TV sports reel and soundtracks. Wilton sent him four demos via email, and although he expected to get something back from La Torre in about 4 weeks, La Torre sent back the first demo with lyrics and a melody after only three days. Wilton was pleased with what he received. At that point, La Torre was not yet thinking about a career with Queensrÿche. He says: "It was just supposed to be about other stuff because I was completely focused and dedicated with Crimson Glory and we were writing an album, it took forever and never got finished. It was just a very slow process."

In 2012 and 2013, La Torre was also writing material for his first solo album, which reportedly includes guest appearances from other artists.

In November 2011, it was announced the band was working on a new album with La Torre. In February 2013, however, La Torre announced he had parted ways with Crimson Glory due to the band's inactivity. La Torre explained: "We had wonderful momentum and we were working within an important window of time within which the new record should have been recorded and released to have the most impact given the bands resurgence. Unfortunately, the record never materialized despite my best efforts, [and] I haven’t been contacted to write with Crimson Glory for over six months." Despite his frustrations, La Torre does consider Crimson Glory to be "the catalyst that exposed me to the world as an undiscovered vocalist."

In 2010, La Torre participated on the Rockstar Superstar Project music project. A musical endeavour created by legally named twins Rock Star and Super Star. La Torre contributed to the track "Do It For You", which also features Mark Slaughter on backing vocals and Bruce Kulick on guitar.

La Torre was the lead singer for Florida metal band Crimson Glory from late 2010 to early 2013. In 2009, La Torre was considering forming an Iron Maiden tribute band. However, he was suggested to Crimson Glory guitarist Jon Drenning by their mutual friend, guitarist Matt LaPorte (Circle II Circle, Jon Oliva's Pain). La Torre first performed with the band as a guest vocalist at ProgPower X on September 12, 2009, and was formally announced by the band as their singer and frontman in May 2010, replacing vocalist Wade Black. Although he was never seeking out being the frontman of a band, "it just happened". His first official appearance with Crimson Glory was on October 30, 2010 at the Pathfinder Metal Fest in Marietta, Georgia.

In 2009, La Torre and Matt LaPorte co-wrote the song "The Welcome Experience", which has so far only been released in demo form, and has not been revisited due to time constraints and LaPorte's death in 2011. Besides suggesting him to Crimson Glory, LaPorte also introduced La Torre to Jon Oliva (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), who invited La Torre to sing backing vocals and play the hammered dulcimer on the 2010 Jon Oliva's Pain album Festival.

Todd La Torre (/l ə ˈ t ɒr i / ; born February 19, 1974) is an American singer and drummer. He is the lead singer for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche, and a former lead vocalist of the bands Crimson Glory and Rising West. Originally from St. Petersburg, Florida, he learned to play the drums at a young age.