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Pow! Out of Poland – land of grim pagan Black Metal and savage Death – Crystal Viper come out of nowhere to kick your ass. This is a True Metal band cast in the same mold as killer acts like Valkija or Wotan – true metal with a kick of speed and a taste for the epic. Crystal Viper list both Running Wild and Manilla Road as influences, and you can hear both those fine bands in the mix here.

The truth is that there are no clinkers here. Opening up with the high-speed killer "Night Prowler" and never letting up. Through blazers like "City of the Damned" or pounding epics like "Island of the Silver Skull" Crystal Viper pack plenty of power and class. Their twin-axe riffs cannot be beat, and they do clean or crunchy equally well. "I Am Leather Witch", "Demon's Dagger" – fuck man, there is not a dull song on here. Frontbabe Marta Gabriel has power and charisma on top of being a hot little metal hellion – and I have to applaud her for looking good in a 'metal hottie next door' way, rather than trying to look like a porn chick. Overall the band is unbelievably tight and together, with tasty leads, riffs and vocal hooks falling all over the place.

Here we have the True Metal album to beat this year. Crystal Viper have it all: great riffs, cool lyrics, a hot chick who can really sing, and that indefinable something that can only really be called hunger – this band is lean and mean as a starving wolf, and they are here to rip your guts out. All the studio tricks on earth won't help if your band isn't passionate about what they are doing – and Crystal Viper obviously are. I cannot play this album loud enough. Absolutely killer.