The Storm Lyrics and Artwork
(View The Storm's prologue, lyrics, credits and thanks, band photos and artwork not available on the cd. CD layout credit goes to the band's multi-talented Jef Jaeger & Jamie Mac.)

Welcome to the official website of, for and about the band HEDDA.

HEDDA is a four-piece band comprised of veteran musicians based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Influenced by hard rock, progressive rock / metal and metal artist from several decades, HEDDA describes their music as “Provocative Metal”.

HEDDA came into being in 2007, when guitarist, Kent Herman, knew that his departure from the progressive metal band, DIMENSION X, was imminent. Kent contacted Jamie Mac, his long-time friend and original co-founder of DX – Mac left DX in 2001 - saying that he was interested in a writing partnership that would create music that was straight forward while maintaining a heavy, melodic direction. During their time in DX, Kent and Jamie had written numerous songs together and were aware of their complimentary writing chemistry. Though they shared many musical similarities, they were also aware that each had numerous and various musical influences that he would draw upon to create a unique blend of power, progression and melody.

Jamie Mac and Kent Herman began writing music that would exemplify and utilize the influences and strengths of both. Originally, the name of the band was to be HEDDA STEAM, meaning “a head of steam”, however the name was shortened very early on, when the concept of an extremely powerful (and supernaturally beautiful) female angel began to inspire the writing. Her name: HEDDA.

Simultaneously with their writing, Mac and Kent began the search for the members that would complete the band. Finding the right drummer turned out to be a more difficult task than either had imagined. Drummer Jef Jaeger, also a long-time friend of Kent’s and also a former member of DX was contacted early on, but stated that he was in the midst of other projects and could not commit himself to another at that time. A year long quest that spanned three states for the right drummer ensued. Numerous auditions were held, but to no avail, the right drummer was not to be found. During this frustrating search, Mac and Kent completed 10 of the 11 tracks that would become the “The Storm”.

Though Jamie Mac had been a lead vocalist in several bands, he knew that a superior lead singer was required for this project. Mac contacted his long-time friend and former band acquaintance, singer extraordinaire, John Swenson. At the end of a brief conversation, John was the lead vocalist of HEDDA. Almost exactly a year to the day that drummer Jef Jaeger declined the offer to join the band, he was contacted again to see if anything had changed. Apparently, good things come to those who wait and by the end of that conversation, Jef was in the band. HEDDA was finally complete.

HEDDA entered the studio in January of 2009 and recorded four tracks that appeared on the band’s 2009 EP “The Calm Before…” which received very good reviews from publications and fans, but clearly something was missing. In 2010 the band changed studios and engineers with the intention of improving production quality of any future recordings. Over the following 18 months, HEDDA appeared on the ProgPower USA 2010 CD compilation with "The Gates"; disc 2, track 10 and seven additional tracks were recorded at The Exchange Music Studios with engineers Jeffro Lachsheid and Lyle Brotkowski. HEDDA feels that the music now speaks for itself. HEDDA sequentially appeared on ProgPower USA's CD compilation in 2011; this time on disc 1, track 1. The original 4 songs from the EP were completely remixed by Jeffro in late 2011 and all 11 tracks that appear on HEDDA’s full-length concept album, “The Storm”, were mastered by Jacob Hansen.