CRYSTAL VIPER (Eng.)
– First off, thank you so much for answering our interview. How is the band currently doing?
Marta: Hello Paco, thank you for supporting Crystal Viper! Right now we’re just after premiere of our new album “Crimen Exscepta”, and preparing ourselves to a live heavy metal attack!
– Tell us a bit how has the evolution of your latest album, entitled “Crimen Excepta”, been. At first sight I think is something conceptual, isn’t it? Tell us a bit the story.
Marta: I’m interested in history, I’ve always been very interested in holy inquisition issues, and inspired by it, and by books like “The Name Of The Rose”, “Malleus Malleficarum” and many more – I decided to mix facts with fiction, and write a concept album. It’s a serious subject, lyrics are very emotional, brutal and cruel as the mankind’s history is… It’s also about killing in the name of nothing, or in the name of God, because of illiteracy: people who had something important to say, scientists, explorers, they also were sentenced to death or prison just because they said something that wasn’t right with the holy bible, like for example that the Earth is round, and revolves around the Sun – it was a heresy back then. “Crimen Excepta” is a little bit like a movie, where story was not told with pictures, but with music. It’s a story about the witch named Sarah, and her adopted son William, who became an Inquisitor… A pretty weird story I would say, and there is actually deeper meaning hidden behind this story, it can be interpretated as a story about intolerance and human cruelty.
– It has surprised me the fact of the intros before each track, like on those albums by RIOT, “Privilege of Power” or “Exorcist Nightmare Theatre”. Did you have something planned before the recording sessions started?
Marta: Before recording session, we knew that there won’t be a regular intro on the album, like on our previous albums, we wanted to do something different, something that would fit to the album, and make it more attractive, something to create a mystical atmosphere around songs. We are pleased with the final result, it’s now even more movie-like.
– Listening to the album I see CRYSTAL VIPER are still standing by Heavy Metal, though this time I think is more Heavy than epic. Did you have this clear since the beginning or did it just come out like this?
Marta: For sure our new album is darker, heavier, and more mysterious. “Crimen Excepta” is also more brutal, because of the lyrical theme, which tells the story about holy inquisition. For the first time, story was written first, so it influenced me pretty much as a composer, that’s why music is different, full of real emotions and drama. While composing songs, I wanted to express my real feelings, to “draw” a story with notes and melodies. “Crimen Excepta” shows new face of Crystal Viper – we will of course always stay within Classic Metal frames, but we don’t want to record the same album again and again.
– Coming back to the previous question, I could say on this release there are instrumental influences from the 80’s MAIDEN, and it also reminds me to the ZED YAGO albums with Jutta. Do you also notice this or is it just my perception?
Marta: Thank you so much for this comparision, Iron Maiden and Zed Yago recorded some of my favourite heavy metal albums ever. I think that everybody can hear on this album various influences, as Crystal Viper is a band inspired by many great heavy metal acts, for example bands like Virgin Steele, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, NWOBHM bands, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and old Zed Yago as well, plus many, many more.
– This time you have done a cover for VADER’s “Tyrani Piekiel”, how did you come up with the idea of featuring it on the record? It really surprised because of the tempo change that provides to the CD, but it just fits great.
Marta: Well, recording cover songs of our favourite bands and inviting special guests is a kind of tradition for us. Our goal is to show to our young fans where are the roots of our music, where we take our inspirations from. And also, as beeing a fans ourselves, we have a chance to show respect to the bands, that inspired us. When we were thinking about cover song for our album, we decided to do something original, something totally unexpected, so we took one of our favourite Vader songs “Tyrani Piekiel”. It’s a song taken from their old demo tape, it’s kind of underground classic. And it looks like we are the first heavy metal band ever, who recorded a song of a death metal band! We had a lot of fun, and it was a honour for us when Peter visited us in the recording studio to record his vocal parts. And you know, it was great especially for me, as I also listen to heavier bands, like Nifelheim, Immortal, Cannibal Corpse, Marduk, Watain, Dissection, Destroyer 666 an so on.
– There will be a special edition with some bonus for this opus; will there also be a vinyl version?
Marta: Our album is also released on a vinyl, of course. This edition is very limited, and has a special bonus track – cover of Demon’s “Night Of The Demon”. There is also limited, first pressing CD – limited to 3000 copies, which includes 2 bonus tracks and steel pendant with the Witch’s Mark!
– And about tour, how is the situation of supporting this new offering? Will you be in Spain this year?
Marta: We have a lot of offers, most of them aren’t confimed yet, but for sure we will visit Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, and we are extremly happy that we will play in Spain again! We will visit your country for the 3rd time, and we can’t wait for it, as every time we are in Spain we meet great people, you guys really rock!
– And about the band’s future; do you have something in mind for future recordings?
Marta: I have a lot of ideas for our next album, but it’s too early to talk abut it, for sure it will be classic heavy metal!
– Now as curiosity, I think you are singing better each time. I have always loved singer at the Jutta’s or Leather’s style, and I think you have a lot from them both. Tell us what are or were your influences when it came to hold a mic.
Marta: Thank you for a compliment, it means for me a lot when I hear comparision to my favourite vocalists. From the very beginning my “vocal mentors” are Tony Martin, Leather Leone, Jutta Weinhold, David De Feis, Rob Halford, Doro, Ronnie James Dio… All of them are and were fantastic musicians, and artists, and had huge influence on me.
– So nothing else from our side, has been a pleasure and our best wishes with this new effort.
Marta: Metallic regards to all the metal maniacs from Spain, I can’t wait to meet with you guys! Keep It Metal!
