Year : 2013
Style : Heavy Metal
Country : Poland
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 107 mb
Bio:
CRYSTAL VIPER is a Polish Heavy Metal band, founded in 2003 by Marta Gabriel. Between 2003 and 2006 CRYSTAL VIPER was a project featuring Marta Gabriel on vocals and various other musicians, with whom she recorded bunch of demo and rehearsal tapes, compilation tracks, and with whom she played several local live shows.In the summer of 2006 the first official line up got established, and CRYSTAL VIPER turned from a project into a regular band, with: Marta Gabriel as a vocalist and composer, Andy Wave (Lukasz Halczuch) on guitar, Tomek "Golem" Danczak on drums and Tommy Targosz on bass guitar. The same year the band recorded their first official track (cover version of "Flaming Metal Systems" for the MANILLA ROAD tribute album), and inked the deal with the German label Karthago Records. The debut concept album entitled "The Curse Of Crystal Viper" is coming out in early 2007, and is followed by "The Last Axeman" EP (2008), which features new songs in demo versions, alternate versions of previously known songs, and the cover version of the classic VIRGIN STEELE song "Blood And Gasoline", recorded by 3 members of CRYSTAL VIPER and 2 members of VIRGIN STEELE (fans later called this project "CRYSTAL STEELE"). The second studio album, entitled "Metal Nation" (featuring new bass guitarist, Tomasz Woryna, and co-produced by the KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque), is released in 2009. Between 2006 and 2009 CRYSTAL VIPER was a four piece band in the studio and a five piece band on stage, featuring different musicians at the position of the live rhythm guitarist, until Marta took over the duties of a rhythm guitarist as well. Since then, CRYSTAL VIPER is a four piece act both in the studio and on stage.In 2009 CRYSTAL VIPER signs multiple record deal with AFM Records. The third studio album entitled "Legends" (with the lyrics based on old Polish legends and stories) is coming out in 2010, and is followed by "Crimen Excepta" - another concept effort, this time about witches and the holy inquisition - in 2012. Due to occupational obligations Tomasz Woryna is forced to take lesser part in band's activity, and most of the bass guitar parts on "Crimen Excepta" are recorded by Marta Gabriel. As the band doesn't stop the touring, Michal Badocha steps in as the new bass player. In 2013, after several live shows in countries such as: Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden and Denmark, CRYSTAL VIPER returns to the studio to record their fifth studio album, "Possession". Sadly soon after its premiere, due to health issues relating to the band's front woman and founder, Marta Gabriel, the band is forced to stop its activity, and plays the last few concerts. In 2013, for the first time since 2006, after regular touring in 15 countries, and after releasing 5 studio albums, 7 singles and compilations - the future of CRYSTAL VIPER is placed into question...In September of 2016 the band is finally breaking the silence: the witch is back! The comeback album entitled "Queen Of The Witches", has been scheduled for the release in the February of 2017 (so 4 years after the last one), and like all the previous ones has been produced by Bart Gabriel (known for his collaboration with acts such as CIRITH UNGOL, MYTHRA and SACRED STEEL). The album's cover artwork has been created by the legendary German artist, Andreas Marschall, known for the iconic artworks which he created for acts such as RUNNING WILD, BLIND GUARDIAN or KREATOR. "Queen Of The Witches" is also the first CRYSTAL VIPER album recorded with the new bass player, Blaze J. Grygiel.
Album:
This is my first taste of Poland’s CRYSTAL VIPER. Their new album “Possession” drops on December 10th via AFM Records, and it’s not bad. It’s not groundbreaking or earth-shattering either, but still, not bad. I guess my only issue is that it sounds very, very familiar. I know that sometimes you tend to play like your heroes / influences, but I just don’t get some of these bands that put out essentially what are carbon copies of 80’s records, right down to the silly song titles sometimes.Tracks like “Mark of the Horned One” and “Voices In My Head” instantly reminded me of Michael Kiske-era HELLOWEEN, which is OK because that’s the only HELLOWEEN that was worth a damn anyway. “Julie Is Possessed” and “Why Can’t You Listen?” showcase vocalist / guitarist Marta Gabriel’s vocal prowess nicely, and she proves she can be as rough as the boys for sure. “You Will Die You Will Burn” was probably my favorite song, largely due to that medieval-sounding intro and meaty riffs throughout. Gabriel does her best Bruce Dickinson on this one, too, and it works really well. Got my attention right away.“Fight Evil With Evil” and opener “Voices In My Head” are honestly a bit generic for my tastes, but “We Are Many” is another bright spot on this record. I didn’t particularly care for the slower “Prophet of the End” either. I wasn’t a fan of it when it was any number of slow tunes in the 80’s, stuck somewhere on side two as filler, and I’m sure not a fan now. Bad call, in my opinion. And as is apparently their custom, CRYSTAL VIPER closes out the album with a pretty goddamn good cover of RIOT’s “Thundersteel” that I thoroughly enjoyed.As I said before, this album was good, not great. It’s nice…not thrilling, but nice. You can certainly tell where this band’s tastes lie, and again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I definitely can’t see them having more than a niche audience.
Line Up:
Marta Gabriel - Vocals, Guitars - See also: Börn Again, Jack Starr's Burning Starr (live)
Golem - Drums - See also: Black from the Pit, Börn Again, ex-Scream, ex-Darzamat, ex-Dragon
Andy Wave - Guitars
Michał Badocha - Bass (2013-present) - See also: At the Lake, Unsaint
Tracklist:
01. Zeta Reticuli
02. Voices in My Head
03. Julia Is Possessed
04. Fight Evil with Evil
05. Mark of the Horned One
06. Why Can't You Listen?
07. You Will Die You Will Burn
08. We Are Many
09. Prophet of the End
10. Thundersteel (RIOT Cover Song) (Bonus Track)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
