Star-Studded

Okay, I'll admit it. I've never been a fan of hard rock. The only times I listen to these types of music are when I drive—to keep myself awake—and when I want to maim and kill somebody. So what is a li'l ol' Broadway and Classical Miss like me doing in giving this a perfect 10?

Well, I must commend the music geniuses behind this soundtrack because their approach is quite unique. One would expect that a horror flick like Queen of the Damned would have the usual New Age sounds that usually make movies seem eerie and gothic. They went with rock instead. Of course, it helps that the motion picture's main character, Vampire Lestat, is supposedly working as a rock star, thus making the OST very suitable for the atmosphere.

We've all heard of the name Johnathan Davis (of Korn fame). His collaboration with Oingo Boingo graduate Richard Gibbs definitely produced stellar results. Although Davis doesn't perform the OST's songs, the task wasn't left in unknown hands. Wayne Static of Static-X, David Draiman of Disturbed, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson, and Jay Gordon of Orgy become the hooks that can effectively draw mainstream listeners. The excellent choice of talents don't just stop with these well-known names, however. Even the bands that I haven't heard of, namely Dry Cell, Earshot and Kidney Thieves, were able to add new names into my list of must-listen-to's.

Noteworthy are the lyrics. For those of you who have read the gripping novel Queen of the Damned, you'd see a lot of Lestat's personality in them. You can see how he taunts the undead, how his playful nature runs rings around other vampires. Take this passage from Redeemer, which is sung by Marilyn Manson: The hunger inside given to me / makes me what I am / Always it is calling me / For the blood of man / They say I cannot be this / I am jaded / hiding from the day / I can't bear / I cannot tame the hunger in me. The other track's words dance around this theme of blood, angst, anger, moonlight and hunger, solidifying the soundtrack's definitive tone.

Most star-studded recording efforts don't usually churn out satisfying outcomes, but this one is definitely not the work of someone who only has sales in mind. This is an artistic endeavor. Who would've guessed that a lousy B-movie like Queen of the Damned could be rescued by an incredible soundtrack?

Writer's Note: If you're interested in Queen of the Damned, both the award-winning novel and its disgraceful movie rendition, you might also want to take a gander up my Aaliyah review.