Crystal Ball - Time Walker
Nuclear Blast – 2005
By Adam McAuley
Crystal Ball play power metal with a slight tinge of traditional metal, somewhat similar to the likes of
Gamma Ray with the barely noticeable
Judas Priest influence ever so present. Their style is very streamlined, palatable and almost candy coated, but doesn't quite descend to the levels of cheesiness some of the bands in this genre do, despite containing that trait to some extent. I suppose what lends the band its moderate level of cheesiness is indeed the vocals, which are of course of a very high register and slightly accented, as with many other power metal outfits.
Track 4, "Walk Through Time" is notable for containing some very nice operatic vocals to liven up the mix and its immediate sequel, "Mozard Symphony", continues the theme with a compelling introduction and piano line. The guitar work is probably the most notable aspect of the album, being brisk and catchy, but far from spectacular. In the future, if the band tried incorporating more of those types of moments into the album, they would sound even better. However, the vibe of the album is fairly vibrant and uplifting, which is exactly what it needs to be, without descending into levels of boredom of which power metal can be so prone. I suppose merely being exciting is important, as no one has ever really even beaten early
Helloween in quality to this point in the style.
Overall, the album is a fun listen recommended to pretty much any fan of metal because it has a very limitless appeal. Despite being fairly grounded in the aforementioned genre, there is enough variety to hold my interest. Not a stellar album by any means, but relatively enjoyable nonetheless.
7/10
Official Crystal Ball Website
Official Nuclear Blast Website
