Crystal Ball - Secrets (2007)

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Crystal Ball - Secrets (2007)

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To state that the mid-2000s were a time of transition for the European power metal scene would be stating the obvious, but it was a particularly turbulent point for one of its most prolific and conservative affiliates Crystal Ball. Though they had been gradually modernizing their throwback mid-80s AOR sound meshed with elements of late 90s Stratovarius bluster to keep up with trends upon signing with Nuclear Blast in 2002, they had distinguished themselves largely by keeping one element constant throughout a decade of toiling in the European scene, namely keeping a 100% stable lineup. This came to an end in 2006 following the exodus of original bassist Dany Schällibaum and, more importantly, guitarist and keyboardist Tom Graber (arguably the one most responsible for their signature retro sound in the early days and still a highly intricate part of their developing sound afterward), not to mention cutting ties with Nuclear Blast after an impressive three album run. Nevertheless, given their core sound remained relatively intact due to the retention of vocalist Mark Sweeney and interest from AFM Records, the massive shift in prospects had minimal impact on the quality of the 2007 return to the studio.

Though definitely a noticeable shift from the Chinchilla-influenced affairs that were Hellvetia and Timewalker, the end product that is Secrets has far more in common than said albums than otherwise. The raspy mold of Joe Elliott swagger mixed with occasional flashes of Joe Lynn Turner that Mark Sweeney has always exhibited is still largely present, though occasionally showing a bit more affinity towards the latter at times and with a somewhat less overt Def Leppard character of the backing vocal work despite Michael Bormann continuing to reprise his guest roll and even taking up bass duties to cover for Dany's absence in a respectable fashion. On the other hand, the greater emphasis on guitar work and the reduction of the keyboard presence to more of an atmospheric device rather than a secondary lead instrument results in a sound that's a bit closer to the signature sound of the rock oriented heavy/power outfit Eden's Curse, who had just hit the scene earlier the same year. In truth, barring the fact that Scott Leach is less of an overt technical than Thorsten Köhne and keeps his lead work shorter in duration, this album could almost be considered a doppelganger of said band's eponymous debut.

From one song to the next, it's pretty clear that this band's commitment to continually conforming to the songwriting formula most palpable to 80s rock radio has remained unshaken, though the surrounding aesthetic is more in line with the largess and polish of the late 2000s. Perhaps this is to be expected since this album features cover art that's wildly similar to what Pagan's Mind was using to draw people in, and to an extent Heavenly and Saidian a couple years later. Most of the songs have a mid-paced rocking demeanor with an atmospheric backdrop that sort of blurs the lines between Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime and Def Leppard's Hysteria, with such anthems as "I Will Drag You Down" and "Wings Of Fire" leaning in on the former album, while the more bluesy stride of "Face The Truth" and "It's Not Love" could almost pass for a b-side off the latter album if the rock organ was dropped from the equation. There aren't any notable slouches on the album, but much of it follows a fairly safe formula, with only the speed-happy title song "Secrets" and the relatively fast rocker with a bunch of sampled chatter about Neil Armstrong "Moondance" showing signs of true metallic thunder.

As was the case with every album that Crystal Ball has fielded prior to this one, there is a very specific target audience in mind here, and it's more along the lines of older fans who are nostalgic for the days when old school heavy metal bands were filling up arenas and guys were popping their cherries in the backseat to something that features a prominent electric guitar. There will likely be fairly minimal appeal for those who want an album that cooks at warp speed like Dragonforce or Gamma Ray, let alone brings on the aggression the way mainstays of the German speed metal side of the millennial revival such as Primal Fear and Iron Savior were known to do. All the same, there is a sort of charm to this album that will likely make it at least somewhat accessible to those who like their power metal a bit more dangerous, and it does seem to occasionally hint at the more aggressive tone that this band would later strike upon their return in 2013, though a big part of that would be due to the exodus of Mark Sweeney. It's sort of an stand alone transitional album in a sense, despite resembling their past efforts more so than not, but it pretty far from this band's weakest offering.

by hells_unicorn, metal-archives.com