CRYSTAL VIPER – The Silver Key

Crystal Viper - The Silver Key album cover art
  • 8.1/10
    CRYSTAL VIPER - The Silver Key - 8.1/10
8.1/10

Summary

Label: Listenable Records
Release date: June 28, 2024

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8.5/10 (1 vote)

Marta Gabriel and gang are back with more Heavy Metal based on the works of the great H.P. Lovecraft, as their impressive new album Silver Key is a follow up to the excellent 2021 release The Cult. The band has refined their style to a more heavy sound, with lots of harmony guitars, tons of rapid-fire double kicks, and shredding solos. Marta Gabriel’s voice rises over the thunderous sound clear and true with epic melodies, and sing a long anthems.

The Cult II

The band had considered calling the new release The Cult II, as it continues with more Lovecraft inspiration, but the album is different enough to earn its own title: The Silver Key. The record was produced and mastered by the Heavy Metal veteran Bart Gabriel, and was recorded and mixed by Rafal Kossakowski, with whom the band already worked in the past.

Final Notes

Marta Gabriel has an amazing voice, and she is perfection on this album. Crystal Viper has been doing their homework in adding elements of their heroes Judas Priest and Iron Maiden to their special form of Modern Power Metal, and it works! “Fever of the Gods” absolutely shreds, and “Heading Kadath” has the twin guitar attack that reminds a little of older Iron Maiden. Every track has something great to offer, making this one of those releases that you should make a point of adding a physical copy of to your music collection. Whether you prefer to stream, download, have a full sized vinyl, or even a cassette, Crystal Viper has you covered, so what are you waiting for?

Crystal Viper band photo - 2024

Lineup

  • Marta Gabriel – vocals, bass guitar, guitar, piano
  • Lukasz ″Andy Wave″ Halczuch – lead and rhythm guitars
  • Kuba Galwas – drums and percussion
  • Eric Juris – lead and rhythm guitars

The Silver key – Tracklist

  1. Return To Providence
  2. Fever Of The Gods
  3. Old House In The Mist
  4. The Key Is Lost
  5. Heading Kadath
  6. Book Of The Dead
  7. The Silver Key
  8. Wayfaring Dreamer Escape From Yaddith
  9. Cosmic Forces Overtake
  10. Gods Of Thunder Of Wind And Of Rain – CD bonus track
  11. Scream! – LP bonus track
Marta Gabriel - Vocals
Marta Gabriel

Check out the new video for “Fever Of The Gods” by Crystal Viper off of their new album: The Silver Key

Author

  • Bryce Van Patten

    Bryce is an audio engineer and a graphic designer here at Metal Express Radio. From the day he purchased his first album (Machine Head by Deep Purple), he has had a passion for heavy music, which has influenced his whole life. Bryce is from the great Pacific Northwest in USA, and has played in metal bands like Babylon, Holy Terror, The Wild Dogs, Warhead and Egypt through the 80s. He had his first interview for the Portland, Oregon publication The Rock Rag with guitarist Paul Gilbert in his Racer X days. Then he was honored to get to have drinks, and talk for an hour with the legendary Dan McCafferty of Nazareth for his second interview. In 2013, he spent an amazing hour talking to Andi Deris of Helloween, which was the high point of his heavy metal journalism.   In the year 2001, he formed Man in Black Music Publishing. They released recordings by several local bands, and in the spirit of the old Metal Massacre compilations, he created a 2-album series called The Defenders of Metal. The albums featured classic styled Metal bands from all around the world, with bands from Australia to England, and from Argentina to Russia. Currently, he is the producer/creator/vocalist of the Metal band The Black Tuesdays.

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