CRYSTAL TEARS – Hellmade
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 11-04-2014
The third album for Greek speed/power metal band Crystal Tears also represents another vocal change, as Soren Nico Adamsen takes over on "Hellmade". Musically the 11 songs have a faster, heavier, and slightly speedier nature, although there are standard mid-tempo power efforts such as "Out of the Shadows" and swing shuffler "Rock N Growl" to balance out the crushing impact for "The Skies Are Bleeding" and "Resurrection Suicide" (think a more musical Slayer on this one). Double bass fanatics should lap up Chrisafis Tantanozis’ foot work and octopus hand coordination.
The album closes on a cover note, the Midnight Oil classic "Beds Are Burning". Of course the band choose to make the track their own, electrified and a little gallop-oriented, but I think Soren’s power vocal lessens the impact that made the Aussie original so special in the 1980’s. Overall "Hellmade" should appeal most to those into the recent albums from Mystic Prophecy and mid-period Firewind – it’s good, solid power metal firmly in the European mold.