Queen of the Damned 2002

1994, the film adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire hit the big screens. The vampire Lestat disappeared from the film scene until 2002 when he returned in the moderately successful film "The Queen of the Damned" as a rock star. Aaliyah, who played the titular queen, tragically died in a plane crash before the movie's premiere. Ironically, this event is what people currently associate most with the film. And the film is also remembered for its fantastic soundtrack, with a quite twisted history. NOT JUST KORN In the '90s, the band Korn, led by the charismatic Jonathan Davis, was a mega rock star. With four albums released from 1994 to 1999, they defined the sound of nu-metal and sold millions of records worldwide. The controversial and costly Untouchables album was supposed to mark the beginning of the new century. However, in the same year, the soundtrack for "The Queen of the Damned" saw the light of day, largely composed by Davis (with assistance from Richard Gibbs and the trip-hop fan-favorite Tricky). However, you won't hear Davis singing on the soundtrack due to a contractual agreement with another record label. So, Davis cleverly suggested interpretations by his fellow musicians. The songs gained a new dimension and became treats for fans of Linkin Park, Disturbed, Static-X, Marilyn Manson, and Orgy. The rest of the soundtrack consisted of tracks from stylistically similar artists, but more on that in a moment. THE VAMPIRE LESTAT The fictional band "The Vampire Lestat," created for the film, could be classified as alternative metal with a touch of gothic darkness. Artists replacing Davis felt comfortable in the slightly Korn-influenced compositions and didn't attempt to mimic him. Wayne Static from Static-X kicks off with "Not Meant For Me." David Draiman from Disturbed interprets "Forsaken" in his uplifting style. "Redeemer" is a haunting rock'n’roll where Marilyn Manson excels. Jay Gordon from Orgy handles the oriental-sounding "Slept So Long," the second most unsettling track in my opinion. Lastly, a few words about "System," sounding like a haunted lullaby, showcasing Chester Bennington from Linkin Park, whose powerful vocals surprisingly fit. Davis found perfect substitutes, although you must listen to the originals with Jonathan as well. These are just five tracks out of 14 on the soundtrack. So, how did the remaining songs fare? PROFESSIONAL COMPANIONS Most of the additional tracks on the soundtrack are nu-metal classics or songs from bands that time has treated rather harshly. There are iconic tracks like Deftones' "Change," Papa Roach's "Dead Cell," Disturbed's "Down With The Sickness," and Static-X's "Cold." On the other hand, there are groups like Godhead (reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails in "Penetrate"), Earshot (engaging with "Headstrong"), Dry Cell (the average nu-metal track "Body Crumbles"), and closing the lineup, Kidneythieves (a decent band with a female vocalist in "Before I’m Dead"). Standing out against this backdrop is Tricky's "Excess," vocally supported by Alanis Morissette. A genuine, rock-driven trip-hop track. In conclusion, most of the tracks showcase excellent compositional work, whether by Jonathan or the bands. I remember some of these songs from many, many years ago and happily revisited them while describing this album. So, if you missed it, I recommend catching up, though you can skip a few less engaging songs.