Queen’s Brian May says his next solo release could be an instrumental album

Brian May has said that if he ever puts out another solo record then it could be an instrumental album.

Speaking in the latest print edition of Goldmine magazine, the Queen guitarist – whose last solo release was 1998’s ‘Another World’ – said he’s contemplating getting back in the studio to record a selection of instrumental tracks.

“I do think about it,” May said of the possibility of making a new album. “And strangely enough, I think it probably would be instrumental this time. Because I have enough ideas. And I have lots of unfinished business.”

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However, May said that if he does do the project it will be after he fulfils his touring commitments with Queen with Adam Lambert

“We have a big world of touring to do,” he explained. “And we’ve been postponing and postponing the Queen tour, which we started just before COVID happened.

“Next May we will be doing a bunch of touring. Once that’s done, I think I will have the opportunity to sit down, and if I’m spared – as my mum used to say – and still functional, I think I might make the album.”

Brian May
Brian May, Adam Lambert and Roger Taylor of Queen. CREDIT: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

May said he’s never really thought about doing an instrumental album before because he has always written his songs with a vocalist in mind.

“I don’t have the dazzling technical expertise of a Joe Satriani or a Steve Vai or Al Di Meola or Eddie Van Halen. But I just might,” he said. “My guitar is very much my voice. I can’t play faster than I think.

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“I’ve always been obsessed with songs and songs to me are about singers, and about the vocals.”

Earlier this month, May revealed that Queen have been in the studio working on new music – although so far nothing good has come out of the sessions.






The band’s remaining members, May and Roger Taylor, have been performing live with singer Adam Lambert for over a decade, but have never recorded any new material with him.

May said that the three of them have actually tried to lay a few things down but that so far it hasn’t gone quite according to plan.