Review: Crystal Viper – Queen of the Witches
Whilst the (un)holy death metal trinity of Behemoth, Decapitated and Vader are the names at the forefront of Polish metal, several other acts work on the periphery, slugging away and doing their share to strengthen the national scene. Crystal Viper are one such act, delivering no frills, hard hitting music for close to fifteen years now, in which time they’ve strung together a strong sequence of ball busting, no nonsense heavy metal records. After a little over three years of radio silence on the studio front due to front woman Marta Gabriel’s medical issues, they are ready to bounce back with their sixth full length album, Queen of the Witches.
2013’s Possession was something of a blip for the band. Whilst not a poor album, it felt a bit uninspired, lacking the song writing quality and memorability of previous efforts. It most definitely suffered coming off the back of the spectacular one two combo of Legends and Crimen Excepta. In this regard, Queen of the Witches is already off to a flyer, as it is certainly an improvement on its immediate predecessor. The music feels much more engaging and vibrant, with plenty of variety in tempo and riffing style. The guitar tone is thick and muscular, with a mighty bass sound pushed up in the mix, though at times the production drops out slightly, leaving it feeling a little sparse and weak (thankfully, these instances are few and far between). Whatever minor (and they are minor) shortcomings there are on the production side are made up for on the compositional side however.
There’s no question the intent of the Viper as “The Witch Is Back” blares through the speakers, Marta Gabriel’s high scream a call to arms as the band unleash a speed metal inferno. “Flames and Blood” rattles along at a similar pace, as does the spectacular “Rise of the Witch Queen”, the full throttle thrashy assault only subsiding for a rousing chorus. Never ones to shy away from melody, Crystal Viper again dispense their fair share to soften the mighty punches they throw. “Flames and Blood” adds little melodic flourishes to a blistering heavy metal set, whereas “Burn My Fire Burn” doubles down with a dual harmony over a melodic riff, the good work unfortunately undone slightly by an underwhelming chorus. “Do or Die” makes good use of a mid paced gallop and some effective gang shouts in the refrain, whilst the razor sharp riffing of “I Fear No Evil” make it an album highlight. The slow trudge of “When the Sun Goes Down” gives Gabriel more room to flex her vocal muscles; an opportunity she does not squander, with her powerful chorus line working a treat in sync with Andy Wave’s guitar. Token ballads “Trapped Behind” and “We Will Make It Last Forever” also give Gabriel the spotlight, but neither song really amounts to much at all. She does her vocal credential no harm with the cover of Grim Reaper’s “See You In Hell”, where her ear shattering wail closes out their fine rendition of one of the genre’s greats.
I approached Queen of the Witches with a bit of apprehension, but Crystal Viper have proved that the lacklustre Possession was just a small blemish on their record. They have since shed that damaged skin and once again shine brightly as a bastion of the European heavy metal scene.
Rating: 8/10 – Crystal Viper strike back with another set of punishing heavy metal songs
Highlights: “I Fear No Evil”, “When the Sun Goes Down”, “Rise of the Witch Queen”
Links: Facebook, Official Website
Queen of the Witches is available worldwide now, via AFM Records.
