Alaeddin

A Southern California- based 10-piece rock opera band.

Photo by Jon C Haverstick

 

Alaeddin - A Rock opera phonemenon

This 10-piece angelic rock opera phenomenon brings live to the stage the powerful vocal prowess of frontman, producer, and songwriter Emo Alaeddin. Emo Alaeddin's is the frontman and Freddie Mercury of the country's top Queen tribute, The Kings of Queen.

For booking inquiries contact management: christian@alaeddin.rocks

The Story of Kulna and His Angels:
Alaeddin’s trilogy follows Kulna, a protagonist on a mythic journey through love, loss, self-discovery, and cosmic conflict. In A Whole New World (2019), Kulna grapples with a heartbreaking breakup, guided by angelic voices—operatic, head-voice Arabic vocals symbolizing divine guidance. These angels, embodied by the backing vocals, grow clearer as their Arabic lyrics shift to English, reflecting Kulna’s spiritual awakening. He realizes “the light has been in his eyes the whole time,” finding closure and strength to move on.In Beneath the Mask (2022), Kulna faces a new love interest shrouded in uncertainty. Demons, marked by intense, pharyngeal-toned Arabic vocals, challenge him to make careful choices. Now understanding Arabic despite singing in English, Kulna seeks love for himself, the world, and the new girl. The Demons’ gritty perspective mirrors a chaotic world, and the album ends with Kulna tasked with adapting to save a transformed reality.The third album, set for 2026 and in pre-production, escalates into a warlike saga, with Kulna facing a climactic battle—against external forces, inner demons, or both. Shrouded in secrecy, the story builds toward a “beautiful peaceful ending,” potentially happy or tragic. Halfway through, Kulna’s voice transforms from his iconic full, sultry tone to a mixed rock voice, symbolizing his passage to another realm—hinting at death or transcendence. The angels and Demons guide him toward this enigmatic resolution, completing his redemptive arc.The Music’s Role in Portraying the Story:
Alaeddin’s “angelic rock opera” fuses high-energy rock, Middle Eastern influences, and theatrical storytelling, brought to life by an 11-piece band, where instruments embody characters: Emo Alaeddin (Palestinian American) on lead vocals as Kulna, Melissa Alaeddin (Italian American) and Adi Faun (Israeli) on backing vocals as angels (and Demons in the second album), Jake Faun (British) on Guitar 3 (tapping melodies, introduced in the second album), Chris Trimmer (Vietnamese American) on Guitar 2 (octaves), Kevin Land(American) on Guitar 1 (main chords), Christian Kalafut (British American) on bass (Angel bass, with Demon bass in the third album), Joel Case (American) on keytar (Arabic-style synth leads), Matt Brown (American) on piano (foundational chords in the third album), Joseph Turner (American) on Angel Drums (foundational rhythms), and Dylan Roy (American) on Demon Drums (chaotic fills, introduced in the second album). A Guitar 4 (American, player TBD) on 8-string guitar (deep djent chords) joins in the third album. This diverse ensemble amplifies the trilogy’s emotional and cultural depth.

  • First Album (A Whole New World, 2019): The music is emotive and uplifting, with Emo’s sultry English vocals as Kulna paired with Melissa and Adi’s Arabic head-voice harmonies (the angels). Guitar 1 (Kevin) provides foundational chords, symbolizing Kulna’s emotional core, while Guitar 2 (Chris) adds octaves for harmonic depth. Keytar (Joel) weaves adventurous Arabic-style synth leads, evoking the angels’ mystical guidance. Christian’s Angel bass and Joseph’s Angel Drums drive steady, hopeful rhythms, with Matt’s piano adding subtle melodic grounding. The shift from Arabic to English in the vocals mirrors musical transitions—soft verses swelling into triumphant choruses—capturing Kulna’s journey from heartbreak to enlightenment.

  • Second Album (Beneath the Mask, 2022): The sound darkens, with Adi and Melissa’s pharyngeal-toned Arabic vocals embodying the Demons. Guitar 3 (Jake) introduces tapping melodies, adding restless energy to mirror the Demons’ influence. Demon Drums (Dylan) bring chaotic fills and counter-rhythms, contrasting Joseph’s foundational Angel Drums. Guitar 1’s chords, Guitar 2’s octaves, and the keytar’s Arabic leads intensify, while Christian’s bass and Matt’s piano add gritty and haunting layers. The music’s contrast between ethereal angels and chaotic Demons reflects Kulna’s inner conflict and the chaotic world, with dynamic tempo shifts and layered harmonies.

  • Third Album (2026, in pre-production): The music is “warlike,” with Guitar 4’s 8-string djent chords (TBD player) adding a deep, menacing register, symbolizing the battle’s weight. Demon bass (Christian, higher register) counters the foundational Angel bass, amplifying conflict. Piano (Matt) emerges as a character, providing foundational chords to ground the adventurous Arabic-style synth leads of Joel’s keytar, balancing the warlike intensity with stability. The guitar trio (Kevin’s chords, Chris’s octaves, Jake’s tapping), Joel’s synth leads, and Joseph and Dylan’s Angel and Demon Drums clash in a rhythmic battle. Halfway through, Emo’s vocal shift to a mixed rock voice—raw and edgy—signals Kulna’s passage to another realm, hinting at death or transcendence. The “peaceful ending” likely reintroduces angelic harmonies with softer guitar, piano, and keytar melodies, creating a serene or bittersweet resolution.

  • Non-Album Track (“The Dawn”): This standalone track (https://youtu.be/EoxkEd_mvSo) captures rebirth, with Emo’s sultry vocals, the iconic Middle Eastern counter melodies, and the band’s interplay—Kevin’s chords, Chris’s octaves, Jake’s tapping, Joel’s synth leads, Christian’s bass, Matt’s piano, and the dual drums—building to an anthemic crescendo. Its hopeful yet intense tone foreshadows the third album’s themes.

Cultural and Symbolic Depth:
The mythology draws on the band’s diverse roots—Palestinian American (Emo), Italian American (Melissa), Israeli (Adi), British (Jake), Vietnamese American (Chris), British American (Christian), and American (Kevin, Joel, Matt, Joseph, Dylan)—blending Middle Eastern scales, Arabic vocals, and global rock opera elements. The instruments as characters—Guitar 1 as Kulna’s heart, Guitar 2 as his aspirations, Guitar 3 and Demon Drums as the Demons’ chaos, Guitar 4 and Demon bass as the battle’s weight, keytar as the angels’ voice, and piano as the grounding force—mirror the angels and Demons as symbolic forces of hope and doubt. Kulna’s vocal transformation in the third album underscores his metaphysical shift, making the music a visceral extension of his story. Live performances, like at Campus Jax (https://youtu.be/RWJWQhN4Bfs), showcase this with theatrical energy, immersive lighting, and a captivated crowd.

Why It WorksThe 11-piece band’s instrumentation—guitars, bass, piano, keytar, and dual drums as narrative characters—creates a cinematic soundscape that mirrors Kulna’s emotional and spiritual arc. Emo’s vocal shift to a mixed rock voice in the third album amplifies the stakes, while Melissa and Adi’s harmonies bring the angels and Demons to life. The interplay of foundational (Angel bass, Angel Drums, piano) and chaotic (Demon bass, Demon Drums, Guitar 4) elements, enriched by the guitar trio and Arabic synth leads, pulls listeners into Kulna’s mythic world, making the trilogy a one-of-a-kind saga.

Band Lineup:

Lead vocalist/writer/producer/engineer: Emo Alaeddin

Guitar 1: Kevin Land

Guitar 2: Chris Trimmer

Guitar 3: Jake Faun

Keytar: Joel Case

Bass: Christian Kalafut

Vocals 1: Melissa Alaeddin

Vocals 2: Adi Faun

Drums: Joe Turner

Drums: Dylan Roy

Piano: Matt Brown