CRYSTAL BALL – Hellvetia [2017 Digipak reissue +1] (exclusive)

Reissued few days ago by Metalopolis Records on digipak and including a bonus track, “HELLvetia” is the fourth album from Swiss Hard Rock outfit CRYSTAL BALL.
Produced by ex- ACCEPT member Stefan Kaufmann it was originally released in 2003. For the fans it is still the band’s most popular album with the old line-up including great front man Mark Sweeney, and the title track is still part of every show nowadays.

“HELLvetia” is pure Euro Melodic Hard Rock, in the vein of JADED HEART, GOTTHARD, PRETTY MAIDS, etc, with some real hard edged guitars yet balanced by Sweeney’s melodious pipes.
As expected, this album is chocked full of infectious melodies and thick harmony vocals.
Mark Sweeney’s unmistakable, unique voice sounds great as usual, adding that special, personalized touch to the music of CRYSTAL BALL. He is very aware of his vocal abilities, as he doesn’t make the mistake of belting out high notes that are simply out of his range.

The rhythm guitar work is really sharp via the twin attack, while the solos are quite flamboyant and standout much more compared to the band’s previous efforts. Furthermore, this album is about as consistent as the sun rising each morning.
From the first track, all the way the guys deliver catchy, guitar driven melodious hard rock tunes. Each song flows very naturally into the next, meaning that the album seems to come to a close very quickly.

The CD opens with blast, the racing title track driven by a metallic riff. The first thing that stands out is the awesome sound, especially the drums are really impressive. Next up is the more catchy ‘Forever And Eternally’, a melodic hard rocker with that classic Euro feel.
The band is at its best on songs like ‘Misery Needs Company’ and ‘Opposites Attract’, where the punchy rhythm section contrasts with the melodic vocals.

There are no sleeper tracks on this disc, each song jumps on you instantly.
Well, there’s a midtempo semi-ballad in ‘Wasn’t It Love’ with pianos and an intimate atmosphere, but overall the CD rocks hard, with melody.
This digipak reissue includes the bonus track ‘Seeing Is Believing’ from the limited metal box edition, which is a very rare collector’s item now.

“HELLvetia” is a really strong, edgy melodic hard rock album from CRYSTAL BALL, plenty of solid songs, inspired performances and a bright production.
Highly Recommended

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

01. Hellvetia
02. Forever And Eternally
03. My Life
04. Last Dance
05. Opposites Attract
06. Want It All
07. One Day At A Time
08. Pictures Of Love
09. Misery Needs Company
10. Bird On A Wire
11. Wasn’t It Love
12. Seeing Is Believing (bonus track)

Mark Sweeney – Vocals
Scott Leach – Guitars
Tom Graber – Guitars, Keyboards
Dany Schällibaum – Bass
Marcel Sardella – Drums

BUY IT !
www.hotshotrecords.com/Crystal-Ball-Hellvetia-Digi-CD-MPR0051-794523.html
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