Vaeda - The Red Queen

Name: Vaeda
Album: The Red Queen
Year: 2004
Style: Alt-Metal, Hard Rock
Similar Bands: Candlebox, Slaughter, Breaking Benjamin, Animal Bag
"One-Word" Review: Melodic Skuzz Rock
Based Out Of: Brooklyn, NY
Label: self released

Cover, Back Notes, CD Case Back

Lyrics, CD, CD tray

The Red Queen (2004)

1. Thief 3:57
2. Battle Song 3:56
3. Jesus Rides the Subway 3:54
4. Money 3:05
5. Son of the Viper 4:34
6. Kneejerk 2:46
7. Imperial 4:20

Album Rating (1-10): 4.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Ian Lear-Nickum - Vox, Guitar
• Aristotle Dreher - Bass (Bastard Kings of Rock)
• Chris Gignoux - Guitar, Engineer (Granian)
• Oliver Williams - Drums
• Kyle Kelso - Producer, Recording, Mixing, Mastering
• Todd Cameron Westphal - Photos
• Chris Buchakjian - Bat Photo

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. I believe this was another cast off a friend sent me in the mail a long time ago. I honestly don't know what to make if this...it could be anything from hard Americana rock to nu-metal to folksy pop rock or even a emo-prog based band. I'm going to go with the idea that it is somewhere in the middle of all that...general hardish rock, trying to be more complex than it is worth. Not a big fan of the logo for the band name, and seems out of place or alien when compared to the classical album name.

Album Review: From the get go, the band is channeling hair metal, with clear vocals with a calculated lilt. This is timeless in a sense, as it would not be out of place with the Slaughters or Warrants of the late 80's or Animal Bags or Candleboxes of the 90's, leading through the Nu-Metal scene of the aughts. This doesn't mean it is good, at all. The vocal range is impressive, though, with parts in whisper and hitting Muse or Ours melodic heights.

The name comes from India, meaning eternal knowledge. They hold the factoid for being the #1 unsigned Myspace band in the fall of 2005, which was shortly after their move to LA from Brooklyn, but moved back to Long Island later that same year. They have been on a couple big festival tours as well as being in television promos and shows (NCIS, Prison Break, Terminator: SC Chronicles, The Hills, Girls of Hedsor Hall). 

Stand Out Track: Kneejerk 

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