Queensryche [ tickets ] will launch a spring assault on US concert stages in support of the band's latest studio album, "American Soldier," which is set to deploy later this month.

The group, which recently said goodbye to second guitarist Mike Stone, kicks off the outing April 16 and 17 in Snoqualmie, WA. The 37-city trek stretches through spring and into early summer, winding down the first week of June on the West Coast. Dates are below.

Due in stores March 31, "American Soldier" is a "musical examination of the life of a solider and the consequences of war," according to the group's record label. The album's theme was inspired by dozens of interviews singer Geoff Tate conducted with veterans ranging from World War II through Iraq.

"I was surprised to learn how little has changed through the generations," Tate said in a statement about researching the album's song lyrics. "I spoke with a Vietnam vet whose experience wasn't all that different from a soldier who fought in Somalia almost 30 years later. But what surprised me the most was how antiwar most soldiers are. To me, that makes their sacrifices even more moving."

Stone, who joined the band in 1999 following the amicable departure of second guitarist Kelly Gray, left the group last month to spend more time with his new musical project, Speed X, which also features Nick Catanese of Black Label Society. In a statement posted on Queensryche's website, Stone thanked the band and its fans, wishing them "nothing but the very best."