QUEENSRŸCHE founding guitarist Michael “Whip” Wilton will release his highly anticipated solo album, “Volume 1”, on December 6 via Rat Pak Records.Along with powerhouse Seattle vocalist Mark Winterman, drummer Sonny Sudra and bassist “Hodgy”, Michael offers nine power-packed songs reminiscent of the sound he is best known for.Mixed and mastered by Chris “Zeuss” Harris (QUEENSRŸCHE, ROB ZOMBIE, SHADOWS FALL),”Volume 1″ captures Michael’s ability to think outside the box with flavorful riffs, catchy melodies and thoughtful solos while still maintaining his signature sound. From the opening chords of “People Suffer” to the closing track “Drowning At Daybreak”, it is clear that Wilton’s trademark style lays the bedrock for this well-crafted offering.Track listing:01. People Suffer02. Get Away03. Glitch In Time04. Toxic Girl05. Reason To Fight06. On Your Way07. Turn The Page08. Wasted Time09. Drowning At DaybreakFor more information, visit ratpakrecordsamerica.com.During a November 2023 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”, Wilton was asked if he is involved in any outside music projects away from his main band. He responded: “Yeah, I’ve got a project that’s gonna come out, hopefully, next year. And it’s just hard rock music, nothing QUEENSRŸCHE progressive or anything like that.” Asked by host Eddie Trunk if it will be released under Wilton’s own name, Michael responded: “Yeah.” Pressed to clarify that it’s “basically a solo record,” Wilton said: “Yeah.” Asked if he is singing on it, Wilton said: “No, I’ve got a bunch of guys from Seattle.”I’m just constantly keeping myself busy,” Wilton explained. “But when the Whip album comes out, I’ll come on and I’ll do an interview for you.”Asked if it is going to be called the “Whip” album, Michael said: “We’ll see.”Around two decades ago, Wilton launched a side project called SOULBENDER. SOULBENDER’s self-titled debut album was released independently in 2004. A follow-up effort, simply titled “Soulbender II”, came out in September 2014 via Rat Pak Records. The disc contained four all-new songs as well as the ten original tracks (remastered) from the first album.In addition to Wilton, SOULBENDER’s lineup featured ex-MY SISTER’S MACHINE singer Nick Pollock, ex-TIN PAN/FALLEN ANGEL guitarist Dave Groves and ex-ASSAULT/FALLEN ANGEL drummer Wes Hallam.Wilton previously described SOULBENDER as “a very progressive, hard rock band with very intense musicians.” He added: “A couple of them are prodigies and it’s really been a lot of fun to do.”