Mike Stone to Remain in Queensryche At Least Through End of 2021

Earlier this summer, Queensryche guitarist Parker Lundgren revealed he had stepped down from the band, which paved the way for the return of Mike Stone, who the band has now said will remain in the lineup at least through the end of this year.

Stone has been onstage with Queensryche at all of their 2021 shows so far, the first of which came on May 21. His presence brings some familiarity for fans and the band alike amid Lundgren's absence, having been a member of the prog metal group from 2003 through 2009.

During this time, Stone contributed to the Operation: Mindcrime II sequel album in 2006 and the Take Cover covers compilation that was released the following year. After his split from Queensryche, Lundgren took over the vacant guitar role as a live member in 2009 before being dubbed the full time axeman in the band.

It is now known that Stone's role in the band may not be permanent after this year, at least that's what a comment left by Queensryche on social media seems to indicate.

Queensryche, who last released The Verdict in 2019, shared a photo of Stone from their performance at the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland and, in the comments section, a fan asked if Stone had officially rejoined.

"Filling in for the rest of the year and then we'll see..." was the response submitted by Queensryche, leaving the future open to other possibilities and the likelihood that fans will speculate about the long-anticipated return of original guitarist Chris DeGarmo, who left in 1997 and temporarily rejoined in 2003. He has been largely inactive, musically, in recent years.

See the post and a screenshot of the comment and reply below.

Lundgren amicably resigned from Queensryche on July 2 and disclosed that he would put all his focus into Diablo Guitars, the store he opened in 2019 to further pursue his passion of collecting and selling guitars as well as other "rare and fascinating musical instruments." He and his wife also opened Lucky Devil Latte in 2020 and now oversee multiple locations as the business has grown rapidly.