Crystal Viper

Crystal Viper is a Polish heavy metal band founded in 2003[1] by singer and guitarist Marta Gabriel.

Crystal Viper
OriginKatowice, Poland
GenresHeavy metal, power metal, speed metal
Years active2003–present
LabelsAFM
Websitewww.crystalviper.com
MembersMarta Gabriel
Andy Wave
Eric Juris
Blaze J. Grygiel
Cederick Forsberg
Past membersVicky Vick
Tomasz Targosz
Tomasz Woryna
Michal Badocha
Tomek Danczak

History

During first three years Crystal Viper was a project featuring Marta Gabriel and other musicians, with whom she recorded bunch of demo and rehearsal tapes, compilation tracks, and with whom she played several local live shows. In the summer of 2006 the first official line up got established, and Crystal Viper turned from a project into a regular band, with Marta Gabriel as vocalist and composer, Andy Wave (real name Lukasz Halczuch) on guitar, Tomek "Golem" Danczak on drums and Tommy Targosz on bass guitar. The same year the band recorded their first official track (cover version of "Flaming Metal Systems" for the Manilla Road tribute album), and inked a deal with the German label Karthago Records. The debut concept album entitled "The Curse Of Crystal Viper" came out in early 2007, and was by "The Last Axeman" EP (2008). The second studio album, entitled "Metal Nation" - featuring new bass guitarist, Tomasz Woryna, and co-produced by the King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque[2] - was released in 2009. Between 2006 and 2009 Crystal Viper was a four piece band in the studio and a five piece band on stage, featuring different musicians at the position of the live rhythm guitarist, until Marta took over the duties of a rhythm guitarist as well. Since then, Crystal Viper is a four piece act both in the studio and on stage.

In 2009, Crystal Viper signed a multiple record deal with AFM Records. The third studio album entitled "Legends" (with lyrics based on old Polish legends and stories)[3] came out in 2010, and in 2012 was followed by "Crimen Excepta" - concept effort about witches and holy inquisition. Due to occupational obligations Tomasz Woryna was forced to take lesser part in band's activity, and most of the bass guitar parts on "Crimen Excepta" were recorded by Marta Gabriel. The band didn't stop to tour, so Michal Badocha stepped in as the new bass player. In 2013, after several live shows in countries such as Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden and Denmark, Crystal Viper returned to the studio to record the fifth studio album, "Possession". Sadly soon after its premiere, due to health issues relating to the band's front woman and founder, Marta Gabriel, the band was forced to stop its activity. In 2013, for the first time since 2006, after regular touring in 15 countries, and after releasing 5 studio albums, 7 singles and compilations - the future of Crystal Viper was placed into question...

In late 2016, the band finally broke the silence: the witch is back! The comeback album entitled "Queen Of The Witches", was released after a four-year silence, in February 2017. Like all the previous ones, the album has been produced by Bart Gabriel[4] (known for his collaboration with acts such as CirithUngol, Pagan Altar, Hexx or Sacred Steel). The album's cover artwork has been created by the legendary German artist, Andreas Marschall,[5] known for the iconic artworks which he created for acts such as Running Wild, Blind Guardian or Kreator. "Queen Of The Witches" is also the first Crystal Viper album recorded with the new bass player, Blaze J. Grygiel. As it's already a tradition that Crystal Viper pays a tribute to the classic '80s Metal acts of which legacy they proudly continue, it couldn't be different this time, and the band both invited several special guests to take part in the recordings, as well as recorded two cover songs, for the CD and the LP version of the album respectively. The Manowar co-founder and guitar hero Ross The Boss appears in the headbanging hymn entitled "Do Or Die", while Mantas of Venom slays a shredding guitar solo in the speed Metal monster entitled "Flames And Blood". Except that, in the surprising power ballad entitled "We Will Make It Last Forever", Marta shares vocal duties with Steve Bettney, vocalist of the NWoBHM cult heroes Saracen. The album has been promoted by two video clips, and a European Tour in March and April 2017, during which the band visited Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland.

In 4 June 2018, rhythm guitarist Eric Juris joined the band.

Members

Current
  • Marta Gabriel – vocals (2003–present), guitars (2009–present)
  • Andy Wave – guitars (2006–present)
  • Blaze J. Grygiel – bass (2016–present)
  • Eric Juris – guitars (2018–present)
  • Cederick "Ced" Forsberg – drums (2019–present)

Former
  • Tomasz "Golem" Dańczak – drums (2006–2019)
  • Vicky Vick – rhythm guitar (2006–2008)
  • Tomasz Targosz – bass (2006–2008)
  • Tomasz Woryna – bass (2008–2013)
  • Michal Badocha – bass (2013–2016)

Timeline

Discography

Albums
  • The Curse of Crystal Viper (2007)
  • Metal Nation (2009)
  • Legends (2010)
  • Crimen Excepta (2012)
  • Possession (2013)
  • Queen of the Witches (2017)
  • Tales of Fire and Ice (2019)
  • The Cult (2021)

EPs
  • At the Edge of Time (2018)

Compilation
  • The Last Axeman (2008)
  • Sleeping Swords (2009)

Live Albums
  • Defenders of the Magic Circle: Live in Germany (2010)

Singles
  • The Wolf and the Witch (2009)
  • Stronghold (2009)
  • Witch's Mark (2012)
  • Fight Evil with Evil (2013)
  • The Witch Is Back (2016)
  • Still Alive (2019)
  • Bright Lights (2019)
  • The Cult (2020)

Demos
  • Rehearsal Tape (2003)
  • Live Demo (2004)
  • Strike One (2005)
  • The Soundhouse Tape (2005)

References
  1. "Crystal Viper - Encyclopaedia Metallum". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  2. "Crystal Viper zet vier nieuwe songs online". Metal Fan (in Dutch). Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  3. "Crystal Viper: Legends". Sea of Tranquility. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  4. "CRYSTAL VIPER Release Sixth Studio Album 'Queen Of The Witches'". Metal Forces. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  5. "Crystal Viper – Queen of the Witches (AFM Records)". Dead Rhetoric. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
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