Album Review: Crystal Viper – Tales Of Fire And Ice (AFM Records)

Crystal Viper will release their new album ‘Tales Of Fire And Ice’ on 22nd November 2019 on AFM Records.

A female fronted heavy metal act from Poland, founded by the singer, guitarist and composer, Marta Gabriel. Regular touring and festival appearances in more than 15 countries, 6 studio albums, and multiple singles and EP releases since 2007 have, established their position and made them known as one of the most hard working and determined bands of their generation.

While the band is often labeled as an NWOTHM act (new wave of traditional heavy metal) their new album, “Tales Of Fire And Ice”, presents a different approach. The title of the album refers to the lyrics inspired by legends, mysterious stories and secrets of the world, such as Bermuda Triangle, the Dyatlov Pass incident, alien abduction etc.

An album themed around legends and mysterious stories by a band with their feet firmly planted in the traditional heavy metal sound is pretty damn promising. Happily too, the head-bangers that are Crystal Viper absolutely deliver on that promise.

Tales of Fire and Ice is a banger. 11 tracks of hyper, energetic and exciting heavy metal built on foundations of a wicked rhythm section and the great vocals of Marta Gabriel.

The hairs will stand up on the back of the neck with the super-catchy Still Alive before Crystal Sphere erupts with power. The former’s chorus is so good and the latter has the vocals absolutely firing on all cylinders. Marta Gabriel has got an impressive set of pipes on her.

Breathing fire with their heavy metal way, Bright Lights is very punchy. Neverending Fire is a bit of an epic without the ‘epic’ length before Interlude gives peace with a short keyboard break.

The second half of the album doesn’t change up the winning formula but it’s so hard to not get super excited when the peppy rhythm of Under Ice comes rushing out. Incredibly catchy, it drives you to sing along even if most would struggle to hit the highs that Gabriel can.

The one track that is a little less exciting comes next. Aside from another killer vocal performance, the high-tempo beat of One Question doesn’t quite hit the heights found elsewhere on the album. It’s as simple as the track just being good amongst an album of great tracks.

No such problem with Tomorrow Never Comes (Dyaltov Pass) though. A subject matter that comes with much intrigue and is reflected in a cold and weighty metal track. It’s a great metal number on a great metal album that wraps up for many with the sweet ballad of Tears of Arizona.

However, should you pick up the CD version of Tales of Fire and Ice, you’ll get one more track. Called Dream Warriors, it’s got slow groove that almost seems ‘horror movie’ like and hearing the lyrics it seems as though it’s based around A Nightmare on Elm Street, in particular the third one which is of course called Dream Warriors.

Crystal Viper – Tales of Fire and Ice Full Track Listing:

1. Prelude
2. Still Alive
3. Crystal Sphere
4. Bright Lights
5. Neverending Fire
6. Interlude
7. Under Ice
8. One Question
9. Tomorrow Never Comes (Dyaltov Pass)
10. Tears of Arizona
11. Dream Warriors (CD Bonus Track)

Links

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