Announcing ‘Queensryche by Ross Halfin’ from Rufus Publications
29th August 2023“The thinking man’s heavy metal band” is perhaps the singular line that most encapsulates the sound and story of Queensryche – Seattle’s finest and one of the most original and groundbreaking American rock bands of the 1980s. A band that effortlessly married progressive sensibilities with a hard rock attitude, delivered through the prism of world-class songwriting and virtuoso musicianship, Queensryche would rack up sales of over 20 million albums in a storied career that would see them go from a well-respected opening band to bona fide arena headlining status over a five year period from 1987 to 1992.
Photographer Ross Halfin was there every step of the way to capture the journey on film. This book is a celebration of not only one of the most distinctive and original rock bands to emerge from North America but also captures the evolution of Ross as a photographer starting off with a single shoot as part of a magazine assignment when the band had only just released their independently produced “EP” right through to becoming their de facto tour photographer and the many studio, location and backstage shoots that would follow.
Queensryche by Ross Halfin is a book that takes you deep into the inner world of classic Queensryche and showcases the many elements of the band’s character from the often serious and moody image projected through studio shoots to the epic scale and energy of their live shows and perhaps uniquely also shows the camaraderie and humor that existed offstage through the candid reportage collected by Ross, often when the band wasn’t looking. This varied collection of photographic styles and pictures makes this book a truly inimitable body of work and offers fans an unprecedented look into the inner world of this enigmatic Seattle quintet.
The book also contains written contributions documenting various memories and anecdotes by founder members and principal songwriters Geoff Tate and Chris DeGarmo, original and current members Michael Wilton and Eddie Jackson, the band’s managers during their “golden” period of commercial domination Peter Mensch and Cliff Burnstein, Tour manager and lighting director Howard Ungerleider, and the production team behind the seminal Operation:Mindcrime and Empire albums Peter Collins and James “Jimbo” Barton.
As the band themselves noted in their song “I Don’t Believe In Love” (from 1987’s Operation: Mindcrime album) they were “under surveillance from the camera eye”…laid before you now is the resulting evidence, and just as the mirror never lies, nor does the camera.
A VERY LIMITED SIGNED EDITION
Coming in at over 300 pages and printed on high-quality art paper, Queensryche by Ross Halfin is available in a run of just 350 numbered copies worldwide. Each book is presented in a luxury slipcase and comes with a separate 3D lenticular suitable for framing. Each book is personally signed by Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Chris DeGarmo, Geoff Tate, and Ross Halfin.
Queensryche by Ross Halfin goes on pre-sale on Friday, August 31st at 3 PM UK time. The book costs £300 plus shipping but is discounted to £270 for all orders placed before September 30th.
The book is available to order from www.rufuspublications.com/rufusbooks/queensryche and will ship at the end of November 2023.
Our books are unique. They are not available from shops (unless we say so) and they are designed, printed and bound in the United Kingdom. Above all, they are made with PASSION!