Something old, something new

Originally hailing from Seattle, Vendetta Red was relatively late arriving to the post-grunge party. The group formed in 1998 and released their debut album in 2000. They scored a deal with Epic Records in 2002 and experienced a brief rise in popularity in 2003 when their single “Shatterday” hit the Billboard Modern Rock charts. The band released another album in 2005 before officially going their separate ways to explore new sounds in 2006. Upon their breakup, the members each formed different bands and released new music, before reuniting for a one-off show in 2010.

This one-off turned into a full reunion, and Vendetta Red released a pair of EPs in 2013, but they didn’t release a full-length record for seven years. Now in 2018, the group has finally put one out, Quinceañera, on the Cleopatra Records label. What’s refreshing about Quinceañera right off the bat is its diversity. About half of the record consists of heavy bangers, but the other half explores different territory.

The album begins with an aggressive shot of adrenaline in the form of “Swim,” which boasts angular Creed-style guitars and lead vocalist Zach Davidson’s Perry Farrell-style delivery. “Wild And Dangerous” follows, which introduces a surprisingly intricate bass line. Third on the register is “Dreamers,” and with it, we get a taste of both a Moog synthesizer on the chorus and a 1980s tech-wash in the bridge. Lead guitarist Leif Andersen gets several opportunities to shred, especially on the dreamy “Encantado.”

Suddenly after that, the album takes a literal screeching left turn with “Where There’s A Will, There’s A Pinche Guey.” Suddenly, Davidson goes from crooning melodies to screaming his guts out. Unfortunately for Vendetta Red, the album then loses its creative flair, as the rest of the 12 tracks lose originality and instead venture into much safer territory, the only exception being the spaced-out “Deceiver.”

All in all, though, the positives far outweigh the negatives on Quinceañera, as Vendetta Red have churned out a fantastic product. Fans of anything from metal to shoegaze pop will find something to enjoy on Quinceañera, and whether it catches on commercially or not, the guys should be proud of the result of their hard work.