CRYSTALLION – Heads Or Tails (2021)
Formed in 2003, CRYSTALLION started as traditional metal band an morphing their sound along the way. Singer Thomas Strübler, in May 2019, decided to leave the band after being a member for 15 years so founders Steve Hall (Bass) and Martin Herzinger (Drums) decided to give the band a new focus.
They added experienced and versatile guitar player Werner Hießl to the line-up, and the vocalist chosen was a female, Kristina Berchtold, to give CRYSTALLION a completely new music approach.
The result is “Heads Or Tails“, CRYSTALLION’s new album where they mix classic traditional melodic metal with hard rock groove, plus interesting touches of Journey, Saga, Rush, etc into their sound.
With a desire to go beyond their metallic past to involve more melodic & hard rock while still retaining the highly catchy melodies and powerful hooks that made their reputation, I have to say that “Heads Or Tails” pretty much nails it on this release with the 11 certainly heart stirring songs doing the job.
Songs like ‘Living On A Lie’ grab you right from the get go through a crushing main melody mixed with hard riffing and wailing tremolo, prominent basslines and hard drumming as Kristina hits it perfectly in her soul before belting out that irresistible chorus – great tune.
With scarcely a breath in between, Berchtold resonates her power and sultriness in the build-up to another shredding chorus on ‘I’m On Fire’, wailing in excellent contrast to the chugging guitars, slapping bass and pounding snare of Herzinger on another winning hit song.
Rocking in with plenty of style and sass on ‘The Wild Hunt’, Berchtold teases in her high tones along to Hießl’s guitar dancing out another monster hook while his solo is nothing short of bedazzling on this highly memorable song that is as much of a pleasure to singalong to as to air punch it out.
Streamlining the band to a quartet and dispensing with the frills in the music for the essentials of great songs, the new Crystallion now romances as much as it rocked in the past ever so stylishly.
Two thumbs up
01. Heads Or Tails
02. Knights And Heroes
03. Living On A Lie
04. Save Me
05. I’m On Fire
06. The Sleeping Emperor
07. Ready For The Sin
08. The King Is Rising
09. Under The Spell
10. The Wild Hunt
11. Thunderclouds
Kristina Berchtold – Vocals
Werner Hiebl – Guitars
Steve Hall – Bass
Martin Herzinger – Drums
PRE ORDER:
www.amazon.co.uk/Heads-Tails-Crystallion/dp/B08QBH1F17
