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I've been trying to figure out this new Crystal Viper album for a while now. The jury is still out on Possession, the band's fifth album of (mostly) original songs, but there are some things I can say for sure. There has been a noticeable shift from the smooth, speedy Power Metal of Legends and Crimen Excepta back to the chunky, aggressive Traditional Metal of The Curse of the Crystal Viper. Tracks like "Voices in My Head" and "Julia is Possessed" feature chugging riffs and punchy choruses delivered, as always, by the inimitable Marta Gabriel. The entire band is in top form and, if you've never heard Crystal Viper before, buckle up. It is a wild ride.

I think where I'm getting hung up is the songwriting. It seems like Crystal Viper has sailed these waters before and perhaps more impressively on previous albums. That isn't to say there aren't some standouts, like the killer "Fight Evil with Evil," a catchy, powerful song that I'd be pissed if they didn't play live if I ever get a chance to see them, or the excellent cover of Riot's "Thundersteel." But these songs are the exceptions, not the rule, on Possession and the album is, frankly, underwhelming.

Crystal Viper remains a high-quality band and even though Possession isn't destined to go down as one of their best albums, it still beats the shit out of a lot of others you might run across in your quest for Heavy Metal.