Crystal Viper: Queen of the Witches (AFM)

Polish heavy metal band Crystal Viper is back after a 4-year absence with a new album, titled Queen of the Witches. It’s the band’s sixth full-length album, and it picks up right where their previous album (2013’s Possession) left off.

Crystal Viper is one of those bands that lets you know exactly what they’re about right up front. In this case it’s metal, specifically old school metal that follows in the footsteps of bands like Judas Priest, King Diamond, Accept, Exciter and Warlock. The high speed guitar riffs and machine gun rhythms are a perfect match for Marta Gabriel’s not too raspy, not too light vocal style.
Unlike Possession, which was something of a concept album, the main concept on Queen of the Witches seems to be a message of strength and defiance. It’s full of great ‘80s inspired anthems like “The Witch is Back,” “I Fear No Evil” and “Do or Die” (which boasts a Ross the Boss solo). Other highlights are the ripping “Rise of the Witch Queen” and “We Will Make It Last Forever,” which finds Gabriel trading vocals with Saracen’s Steve Bettney. The album closes with a rousing rendition of the Grim Reaper classic “See You in Hell” (speaking of classic anthems).

If you’re a fan of powerful, classic heavy metal along the lines of Accept, Exciter, and King Diamond, or old school metal disciples with female vocalists like Benedictum, Burning Point and Battle Beast, Queen of the Witches will not disappoint.