NWOTHM

I was so highly unimpressed by the over the top cos-play power “metal” of Sweden’s Brothers Of Metal, that I easily decided to give em a pass at Sweden Rock fest after a momentary pass by their stage proved to be a futile experience and as another band that I actually wanted to watch was performing at a different stage. I thought they were exactly the type of band that Napalm would sign and cherish. Ohh Napalm.

A couple of weeks ago I was whining as usual, discussing with our dear editor in chief about newest releases while getting links to them and also exchanging gossip about the scene when he sent me a link to this – of all things Chinese Speed Metal combo… I sort of dismissed the notion, going like – a Chinese speed metal band – wtf… but intrigued; I sort of went to their bandcamp page and pressed play… I was expecting some really mediocre result and while Dressed To Kill didn’t set my world on fire, all the way, I was left thinking wtf… these guys are a

I’ve always considered Crystal Viper to be a decent but not overtly exciting trad metal band that neither annoyed or excited me; I would even go as far as to say, I found them rather likable. Somehow however this latest offering from them (there must be at least more than a dozen albums preceding this) feels a lot more glossed over… in a multitude of ways.
 

These Swedes are celebrating a decade of existence this year, by releasing their fifth outing. Sounding like a less refined version of Enforcer and Ambush, they have a penchant for writing that straightforward, samey, simplistic metal that’s easy to enjoy, but hard to appreciate for more than the cheap thrill it is. The main issue other than the somewhat flat songs, is Andreas Wikström, the singer, who is not terrible, but is a far cry from being great.