Informationarea
Click on each bandmember to see a bit more about him and his interests.
Below you’ll find booking and contact information as well as the band’s biography and the legal disclaimer
CONTACT AND BOOKING:
VANILLA REX
c/o K. Schwenzner
Tel. +49 (0) 261 98 86 59 0
THE OFFICIAL MEMOIR
VANILLA REX was founded back in the late eighties. After the band recorded its first demo-tape “HYDROPHOBIA” in 1988 at G&M; Studios, Bonn/ Germany, they received some outstanding reviews in some music magazines and were signed by Inline-Music (label of Accept’s first release) to record a full-length album. The band’s second demo-tape “KICK ASS CITY” (1989, Delta Studios, Wilster/Germany) was the result of the pre-production of the album. Nevertheless some more above-average reviews were gained the band canceled their contract because of a lack of support from the company and the album has never been released.
The signs of time and some line-up changes made VR developing the style of their music from NWOBHM to a more Power Metal related style in the early nineties. In 1993 VANILLA REX released their 3rd demo-tape “BEFORE YOU DIE” (Chin-Chat Studio, Diez/Germany) that contained sort of Power Metal in relation to bands like Vicious Rumors or Racer X. In 1994 the 4th demo-tape “SHIT HAPPENS” (Chin-Chat Studio, Diez/Germany) followed, including 4 titles recorded on a live show and 2 new studio tracks. One of these songs, “SAVE YOUR PRAYERS”, was released on the “METAL GEAR” sampler of German/Greek label Soundphaze International Records in 1995. The next 2 years the band spent its time intense touring and playing single concerts all over Germany. As the story goes the title of the last demo-tape took place by its meaning and 3 of the 5 members left the band so VANILLA REX had a break for nearly 2 years to find new musicians and establish a new stabile line-up.
In 1998 Keyboarder CARSTEN HOPPEN joined the band followed by ANDI WAGENER (Vocals) in the beginning of 1999. The so nearly completed line-up (a drummer was still needed) started to write and pre-produce their first full-length album “GENIUS DIARY” in the band’s own 8-track studio using a drum-machine. The first 4 songs of the production were released on the limited Maxi-CD “REQUIEM IN RED” (self-produced) in 1999.
In 2000 VANILLA REX released their album “GENIUS DIARY”. The 200 manufactured copies were sold out in about 3 months after release without any advertising or label-/distribution support. That shows that there still was a stabile fan base for VANILLA REX after a long absence from public and stage. As some members of VR were bound in job-related and familiar changes and stuff these days and the band did all of the work (including production, mix, mastering, graphics-design, photography and layout) on their own there was a lack of promotion and support for the album. Also no touring was done and only 3 single concerts could have been played what is, of course, not enough to promote an album. In early 2001 DIRK BÄRHOLD joined VR’s drummer position, what was a positive result of the album.
After rehearsing “GENIUS DIARY” with the, now completed, line-up a test-gig on an exhibition of a paint-artist of the band’s home-region (2002) and intense songwriting VANILLA REX joined their meanwhile technically updated studio to record 3 new songs for the Maxi-CD “SHADOWS OF INSANITY” that was released in October 2004 containing 3 songs featuring VR’s more progressive style of today compared by reviewers and listeners to bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X, Fates Warning and Threshold. “SHADOWS OF INSANITY” should be seen as an appetizer for the 2nd album “PARALLEL WORLDS”. During the recordings again a line-up change struck the band. Bass player BUDDY HOPPEN left VR and was replaced by the 22 years young student of music DANIEL KOHN who fits right into the band’s progressive way of playing metal music bringing lots of positive influences.
After the actual album “PARALLEL WORLDS” was released in October 2005, what was appreciated by fans and reviewers big-time, VANILLA REX had to reorganize again. The band and singer ANDI WAGENER parted due to personal reasons in December. Now the rest of the crew is busy in writing new songs and holding auditions to fill the vacancy. As far as it will be possible to find a new voice in due time VANILLA REX will be on stage this year to promote the new album “PARALLEL WORLDS”.
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