with Michael Wilton.
Queensrÿche After high school, Wilton attended the Cornish Institute of Allied Arts in Seattle (now known as Cornish College of the Arts), where he studied among others
music theory,
jazz improvisation,
gamelan music and classical music (piano and guitar). The quartet began to play at parties, by which time they called themselves The Mob. The band changed its name to
Queensrÿche, and the demo was released in 1983 as the eponymous
EP Queensrÿche. Wilton gradually began performing most of the songs that previously featured DeGarmo doing the main solo live, including "Silent Lucidity", "The Mission", "En Force", "I Am I", "Take Hold of the Flame", "Best I Can", "The Killing Words", "Bridge", "The Lady Wore Black" and "Anybody Listening?", among others. Queensrÿche had first taken in
Kelly Gray as guitarist, who was replaced in 2002 by
Mike Stone, initially as a touring guitarist but mainly as a rhythm guitarist only joining in for dual guitar solos in songs like "Neue Regel" and "London". After the band's 2009
American Soldier tour, Wilton took over all of the solos.
Soulbender In 2002, Wilton started a side-band with former
Alice N' Chains guitarist and
My Sister's Machine vocalist
Nick Pollock, called
Soulbender.
Wratchet Head In 2010, Wilton released the single "Coming for You" with his hard rock project Wratchet Head, which was intended for those Queensrÿche fans, "whose ears have longed to once again be filled with the classic, melodic and sometimes haunting sounds of 'the earlier years'". In 2012, he continued making music with Wratchet Head. ==Personal life==