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 very good reviews in some music magazines and were signed by Inline-Music (label of Accept's first release “Breaker”) 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 good reviews were gained the band canceled their contract because of a lack of companysupport 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” followed, including 4 titles recorded on a live performance and 2 new studio tracks. One of the 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 their time with 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 contsruct 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 in about 3 months after release without any advertising or label-/distributionsupport. That shows that there still was a stabile fanbase 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 music. In early 2001 Dirk Bärhold joined VR's drummer position, what was a positive result of the album.
After rehearsing the album with the now completed line-up, a test-gig on an exhibition of a paint-artist of our 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 and Fates Warning. “Shadows Of Insanity” should be seen as an appetizer for a 2nd album that hopefully will be ready for release early 2005. During the recordings again a line-up change striked the band. Bassplayer 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. Actual the band is writing and recording new songs for the forthcoming album titled “Parallel Worlds” in their ReXLaiR Studio.