As the legendary vampire Lestat (Stuart Townsend) stretches out in his bath of rose petals, Queen Akasha (Aaliyah) runs her hands slowly over his face. Gradually, as his eyes close, she bends her head forward, closes her bared teeth around his neck and takes a big, juicy bite.

Although I haven’t seen the new movie Queen of the Damned yet, I do know that the aforementioned scene has got to happen. After all, it is a vampire movie, isn’t it? Even more telling though, is the film’s soundtrack—you can tell that this film is a hip horror flick, simply by listening to the soundtrack’s first song. Overall, there is nothing listed on the quieter side of nu-metal, so if you are not a fan, then skip this album.

Half of the songs on this soundtrack album are composed by the same two songwriters, Jonathan Davis and Richard Gibbs, and performed by various frontmen from metal bands such as Linkin Park, Disturbed, Orgy and Marylin Manson. However, these songs are among the worst of the album, and they all sound the same. There are a few good songs here, though, but interestingly enough, they have all already been released as singles: Tricky’s “Excess,” the Deftones’ “Change (In the House of Flies)” and Disturbed’s “Down with the Sickness.” “Excess” is the best of the three–it is the most subtle song on the album, and at the same time, the most sinister. Papa Roach also pitches in with a surprising little song called “Dead Cell.”

Where the Queen of the Damned soundtrack really falls down is its lack of enough good songs to force you to consider buying it. Unless you are in need of some pretty average metal therapy, you can give this one a miss.

music

Queen of the Damned Soundtrack

Various Artists

Warner Bros.