Recent Reviews

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

[ More Music Reviews ]


Crystal Ball: Crystalizer
Crystal Ball - Crystalizer Music Review

Crystal Ball: Crystalizer

Melodic Heavy Metal
4.5/5.0

Constant consistency is a good thing for a band. For Switzerland's Crystal Ball it means their tenth album, Crystalizer, the fourth in six years, and another platter of melodic heavy metal, basically their musical calling card.

Crystal Ball Band Photo

Crystal Ball

Unfolding that description a little more,Crystalizer is exactly what you would expect from Crystal Ball: melodic metal infused with hard rock groove and wrapped in AOR accessibility. Sharp, brisk riffage, and a powerful rhythm section give Crystal Ball a metal edge. But the same rhythm section infects each song with rock groove. So bang your head and tap your toe to the tunes. Additionally, the band makes melody and harmony, whether by guitar lines or vocal arrangement, necessary parts of every song. The mixture of catchy riffs, melodies, groove, and refrains makes for a lethal combination.

When these things come together you have killer metal rockers like the brisk grooving S.O.S., the AORish Gentleman's Agreement, the heavy hitting Death On Holy Ground, and riff rich Dusty Deadly. For a lighter electric guitar start, there's the bonus track (available with the special edition digipak) Satisfaction Guaranteed, which quickly builds to a heavy metal rocker. The second bonus track, the metal anthem Exit Wounds has a softer start in the first half, then rises with thick riffage to a solo in the latter half. A metal ballad come with Let Her Go With Love, which is driven by a lilting light guitar line. Yet, the most interesting song here maybe Symphony Of Life, which features vocalist Steven Mageney's vocal humming in three parts, beginning, middle, and end. In between, sharp riffs and a catchy rock groove propel the song. As said earlier, Crystalizer is completely Crystal Ball: entertaining melodic metal infected with hard rock groove and sweetened with AOR accessibility. Recommended.



CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

The Bottom Line

Crystalizer is completely Crystal Ball: entertaining melodic metal infected with hard rock groove and sweetened with AOR accessibility. Recommended.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
New & Notable
Read the Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity Album Review

Once more we return to multi-national band Lords Of Black which features Ronnie Romero (v), Dani Criado (b), Jo Nunez (d), and founder, guitarist, and principal songwriter Tony Hernando. After a three year ... [ Read More ]