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VAEDA at TASTE OF CHAOS
"New York's Vaeda is master of the aching anthem."
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State of Nature ALBUM REVIEW
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Depending on who you ask, emo rock is either the greatest thing to ever grace the earth and will liv...Depending on who you ask, emo rock is either the greatest thing to ever grace the earth and will live on blissfully until the end of time, or the originality in the genre has long since peaked and it will soon mercifully fade into obscurity. The point, you ask? Obviously, with the onslaught of bands vying for a fanbase in the indie-rock universe, originality and character is truly a valuable commodity. So how can a band manage to maintain a level of intensity and emotion in their music without looking like a trendy *insert band here* wanna-be, and thus have some actual staying power? Well, a band by the name of Vaeda may very well help us answer that question.
On their debut release, State Of Nature, NYC's Vaeda craft sounds that are by no means groundbreaking, but definitely original enough to stand on its own among its peers. Although only a three-piece band, there seems to be no shortage of power and variety in the music. The massive guitar sound could be loosely compared with another 3-piece powerhouse, Chevelle. From the opening of the first track, "Money", it becomes clear that this band plays with plenty of intensity and passion. Behind frontman Ian Cole's soaring vocals, distorted screams give the song a viciously intense feel. On the single "All For You", the band shows its melodic side with a balance of muted rhythm guitars and a catchy lead, although Oliver Williams steals the show with his strong, creative drum work. The band uses the occasional scream to its advantage, not overdoing it like many bands do, but using them just enough to convey strong emotion when needed. On "Wait Your Turn" the loud screams are joined by some impressive screaching lead guitar and also some cool vocal harmonies, which are lacking, and could be employed more on the album. The song "1.25" gives the album a nice breather right in the middle with a slower pace and its use of acoustic guitar, which is not found very much else on the album. The strongest track in my opinion is "Son Of The Viper", with a kind of Juliana Theory-meets-Incubus sound to produce an intense and memorable song. This is the song in which all of the strengths of the band shown in previous tracks finally come together in a single song. Maybe its fitting that the song is near the end. The last track, "Cacophony", starts soft and eerily beautiful, slowing climbing to a loud, powerful finish. The electronic drums and use of delay on the guitars are a nice touch and show a willingness to experiment, which is commendable.
All in all, Vaeda has put together a very impressive debut effort. Like virtually any band, its influences are obvious and may never be escaped from. But why try to escape such solid foundations? Within their sound, there is still plenty of room to expand and move forward. And unlike many of their peers, Vaeda has the talent, creativity, and hopefully the drive to remain a fixture in the hard emo-rock scene for many years to come.
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TuneLab Review
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Overview: Vaeda is a Prog-Alt-Rock trio that was formed 3 years ago in New York. They have a brashne...Overview: Vaeda is a Prog-Alt-Rock trio that was formed 3 years ago in New York. They have a brashness and intensity that some have compared to the Foo Fighters, which I would consider a compliment. They have had a huge helping hand from Myspace.com. In September 2005 they were the #1 unsigned band featured on the website. They also shot a video for their first single "All for You".
The Good: Before I listened to this album and did this review I had never heard of Vaeda. After give it a couple of listens, I was pretty impressed with these guys. I totally see why they were the #1 unsigned band on Myspace. I loved Ian’s lyrics and vocals; he had me hooked from the first track "Money", no not a Pink Floyd cover just a rockin track with a heavy guitar riff and great drum fills. These guys just have an intensity about them that sucks you in and makes you want more. The first single "All for You" is a great track that is catchy and a rockin chorus. They strike me as a good live band by how they sound on the album, but that isn’t always the case. Some other key tracks were "Jesus Rides the Subway", "Thief", "Kneejerk" and "Cacophony" which was the final track and has an erie slow build the entire song, really liked it.
The Bad: A pretty solid album top to bottom especially for a debut. I did seem to think that some of the songs kind of ran together, you know sounded similar? But then again it’s not the first album I listened to and thought that. Another bad thing, although it has nothing to do with the album is that there is not a lot of background info out there about Vaeda, at least that I could find.
Bottomline: All in all this is a very solid debut from a band that should only rise in popularity once they get more exposure. And get their name out more to radio and whatnot.
Rating: 7 out of 10
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NYC Show Review
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VAEDA
SNITCH, NEW YORK CITY
Vaeda are a local band of three hard rocking guys who have taken...VAEDA
SNITCH, NEW YORK CITY
Vaeda are a local band of three hard rocking guys who have taken the new musical style that is similar to that of Hawthorne Hieghts and Panic at The Disco and make it their own. That sound seems to be sweeping across the country in a big way and these guys could be the next big band to ride it. They have the heavy riffs mixed with the sing a long vocals and the room was filled with females which is the tell tale sign of a band on the way up. They have just released a new CD called State of Nature and are currently touring across the country. So if you like the new heavy rock sound that seems to be catching on you should check these guys out when they return home. Go to www.Vaeda.com for more info...
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Rocknworld.com
http://www.rocknworld.com/features/06/Vaeda.shtml
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VAEDA featured on FMQB.com
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http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16773
The story of t...http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16773
The story of the band in its current form starts just a year back, when Aristotle Dreher and his bass joined Ian Lear-Nickum (vocals, guitar), Chris Gignoux (guitar), and Oliver Williams (drums). The band had been playing together for years, but Dreher rounded out the line-up and added the depth they needed to move forward. Playing in and around New York City and Brooklyn garnered them some attention, and when Kyle Kelso (Tony C and The Truth, Lava/Atlantic) caught wind of the band, a working relationship began. Within six months, the band had cranked out a new disc (and a damn good one too) called The Red Queen. Moving quickly forward, they have gotten airplay at WBCN, KXTE, WXDX, KTCL, and almost a dozen more.
[Editor’s note: If you do one thing this week, check this band out ... if you can’t find the album, email me at drew@fmqb.com and I will get you a copy. Rarely am I so impressed with the sound of a band on my first listen. From track one to track seven, the disc is polished, sharp, and filled with the nuances of Rock. People will say they sound like The Mars Volta or Coheed and Cambria, but I also hear the sounds of bands like Three Days Grace or even Disturbed.]
What’s more, the band encourages civil participation and activism, pointing fans to www.warchildusa.org, www.wwf.org, www.moveon.org, and www.declareyourself.com. Make the decision for yourself, but give them a chance and move this disc to the top of the stack. For more on the band, visit www.vaeda.com.
~ Drew Kondylas
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VAEDA is an emerging NY rock band with a purpose
http://news.modernrock.com/2680
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WBCN Boston
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It's rare to find a guitarist and vocalist who are both so unique and so good at what they do - add ...It's rare to find a guitarist and vocalist who are both so unique and so good at what they do - add a totally powerful rhythm section, crisp and clean production, and I've got goosebumps - and that's just the first verse of 'Battle Song'. There are brilliant moments like that all over the new VAEDA EP The Red Queen
-Juanita The Scene Queen, Host of Noctunal Emissions, WBCN, Boston
supersonic
