Crystal Viper are a Polish heavy metal band and this is their ninth album.
Despite being nine albums into their career, this is my first encounter with Crystal Viper. Containing 11 tracks of classic heavy metal, The Silver Key is 47 minutes, (with the Bathory cover song), of solid, old-fashioned metal.
The Silver Key is metal through and through. It beats with a strong heart that runs with molten lava, and has a fire in its veins that blazes with metallic intensity. Crystal Viper clearly know how to write a storming heavy metal tune, and The Silver Key is packed with meaty metal anthems that assault the listener with screaming leads, blistering solos, galloping bass, and ripping riffs. That’s not to mention the band’s singer either, who has a powerful voice that has a potent presence. Her performance is first class throughout.
Despite its clear old-school heavy metal lineage, Crystal Viper haven’t ignored all other eras or styles. Elements of power metal are incorporated into their sound, as are more modern influences here and there. Essentially, The Silver Key is an 80s metal album that has a few tricks it has picked up over the ensuing decades. It’s damn good, and it’s infectious stuff.
Fast and furious, this is frequently on the high energy side for heavy metal, but not always. In fact, the slower songs I favour slightly – unusually for me – as they tend to lean into the band’s power metal side a bit more. I find I prefer Crystal Viper when they embrace the power metal aspects of their sound rather than purely replying on their traditional heavy metal core, although as a whole they have a satisfying sound that’s easy on the ears either way. The songs are well-written and performed. It’s a solid and enjoyable record, and has some really catchy moments – The Key Is Lost was a particular favourite of mine from the first time I heard it.
Bands such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden are the obvious reference points for The Silver Key. Fans of those acts should definitely check this out, but I’ll also mention bands such as Dragonforce, Gamma Ray, and Burning Witches too.
Wonderbox Metal 