CRYSTAL VIPER - review added 23rd June 2010
Live Album Review: Defenders Of The Magic Circle: Live In Germany (Live) (2010)
For fans of: Heavy Metal... and glass snakes
Crystal Viper - Marta Gabriel on guitar and vocals, Andy Wave on guitar, Tom Woryna on bass, and 'Golem' (presumably not THE Golem) on drums - is a female fronted metal band formed in Poland in 2003.
Their debut album, a concept piece entitled The Curse Of Crystal Viper arrived in 2007. The second release, Metal Nation followed in early 2009. This live album - Defenders Of The Magic Circle: Live In Germany - is a precursor to another studio album scheduled for late 2010, and is the first release on the band's new label, AFM Records.
Crystal Viper's studio work has been highly rated by magazines and webzines alike, with many giving the debut full marks. I'm not sure this live release lives up to that standard, but it's kind of enjoyable all the same.
There's plenty of passion from the band, especially singer and chief audience-communicator Marta. Her vocals are hit and miss - she clearly lets the excitement of the show get to here on a few occasions - but overall she sounds decent enough. The musicianship is standard fare; nothing exceptional but more than ample at conveying the full heavy metal atmosphere.
To be honest there's little to criticise here, but it's just hard to get excited about the album. I would certainly look at getting the studio albums first. If you do end up with Defenders Of The Magic Circle: Live In Germany on your doormat, you shouldn't be too disappointed. For a quick live hit of Doro-esque metal, it's okay...
Check out... The studio albums, then this.
Track List:
01. Breaking The Curse
02. Metal Nation
03. Legions Of Truth
04. The Island Of The Silver Skull
05. Shadows On The Horizon
06. The Last Axeman
07. Secret Of The Black Water (taken from the forthcoming studio album)
08. The Wolf And The Witch (first time on CD)
09. Stronghold: Under Siege (taken from the limited edition CD single)
10. Obsession (It Burns For You) (Virgin Steele cover song, previously unreleased)
Label: AFM Records
Artist's website(s): Crystal Viper | MySpace
