Italian band Crystal Skull have honed a thrilling power metal sound that conjures images of fantasy legends and mythical worlds, and they describe as “evocative, powerful and engaging.”
The saga of Crystal Skull began around 2007/8, born out of guitarist Claudio ‘The Reaper’ Livera’s “wild ideas.” Claudio had been playing guitar for heavy metal band Black Raven and bass for thrash metal band Violent Assault. However, songwriting was his passion and the music he was creating didn’t fit into the path of those bands. So that laid the seed for a new power metal project.
That dream lay dormant as Claudio waited for years to find the right warriors to join his quest. He eventually discovered one in Marco Falanga, the guitarist of fellow Italian power symphonic metal band Moonlight Haze, who convinced him to fly the flag and bring the project to life. That resulted in Crystal Skull’s debut album Ancient Tales, which was released in 2020, before Claudio was joined by drummer Fabio Tomba and lead vocalist Lorenzo V. Nocerino to end a five-year wait for new music with the release of Arcane Tales last month.
On the sound they’ve crafted, Claudio told us: “I have always loved Power Metal for its ability to stir the soul, sweep the listener into grand worlds, and make voices rise in unison for choruses worthy of the halls of legend. From the very start, Crystal Skull has been a torchbearer for the kind of Power Metal that shaped my youth – the unvarnished, glorious sound now too often forgotten or over-modernized.
“I grew up on the mighty works of Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray, Running Wild, Helloween, Iron Savior, Rage, and Grave Digger. Our listeners can expect epic rides and thundering choirs, fantastical atmospheres, and battle anthems worthy of a grand fantasy soundtrack. I like to call it Power/Fantasy Metal.”
To give us a taste for this, they sent us Stormbreaker (Turok’s Axe) from the new album. It opens up with chunky guitar chords and rolling drums under a fun guitar lick, which kicks into life with a big cry. A fast-paced riff dives in as Lorenzo’s engaging vocals take over. That builds up to a powerful chorus of “Stormbreaker, Breaker of the chains.” A lively riff bridges into another big verse supported by driving guitars and drums, before a chorus gives way to a delicious guitar solo that picks up pace with a scintillating flurry. It suddenly drops into dramatic echoey vocals that tee up big renditions of the chorus in a powerful conclusion.
On the track, Claudio said: “Stormbreaker was our first single to herald the arrival of the new album. I will admit, I wondered how our audience would react to a sound more mature and forged with greater precision than our debut. To my surprise and delight, the reception was immediate and resounding – praised by critics and embraced by fans, with airplay on radio stations across the globe and countless shares on social media.
“The song was born to channel the might of Turok’s new battle axe – one of the three central heroes of our saga – and had to strike like a lightning-fast sonic assault: direct, sharp, and unrelenting. For those yet to hear it, my advice is simple: turn it up to the limit… and be ready to roar the chorus with all your might.”
Arcane Tales is packed with plenty more power metal goodness, starting with effective first track Gates of Skull opening up with lively drums over a fast-paced riff. That’s followed by the six-minute banger Prisoner in the Night, which also opens up with a wild smash of guitars that drop into echoey vocals. A personal favourite is Ancient’s Ritual, which dives straight into a cool riff that explodes into a powerful guitar romp, and there’s a very different vibe to The Underdark, which starts out with slower guitars that drop into stabbing guitars under a laid-back lick but swiftly picks up pace and drops into a filthy stabbing riff.
Claudio calls out Queen of the Black Moon as a “galloping, choral epic,” and the album concludes in fittingly epic fashion with the nine-minute-long Homecoming (Regdar’s Trophy). Claudio calls the final track “Perhaps my proudest creation – a long, intricate piece that moves through time and emotion, weaving a tapestry of moments both grand and intimate.” It starts with light guitars and vocals, before, two-and-a-half minutes in, blasting into heavier guitars and engaging vocals in a big chorus. A delicious riff takes over and lively drums tee up a more powerful verse. Five minutes in, a darting guitar lick jumps in and tees up a huge solo, which tees up a vicious conclusion to the album.
On the album, Claudio told us: “Arcane Tales is the next chapter in the saga that began with Ancient Tales. It is a perilous and adventurous journey across the lands of Arendal, leading our heroes through battles, trials, voyages, and even personal struggles with their past, present, and possible future.
“The artwork of the lavish digipack CD, released by Underground Symphony and illustrated by Fabio Babich (renowned artist for Sergio Bonelli Editore), was crafted to resemble the cover of a great fantasy novel. We want the listener to lose themselves entirely in Arcane Tales, as though turning the pages of an epic.”
As mentioned, Claudio’s main musical inspirations have been Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray and Running Wild, especially albums like Land of the Free, Somewhere Out in Space, Imaginations from the Other Side, Follow the Blind, Tales from the Twilight World, Pile of Skulls, Masquerade, Black Hand Inn and Blazon Stone. He also draws inspiration from the likes of Judas Priest, Manowar and Iron Maiden, soundtracks like Conan and The Lord of the Rings and the works of Ennio Morricone and Goblin.
And on what inspires them to write music, Claudio explained: “The saga we are telling now stands in its second chapter, and will conclude with the third – already in the making. It tells of Arendal, a world under siege by the dark ambitions of the shadow lord AmAras. This tale is my own creation, yet shaped by a lifelong passion for the fantasy realm – the books, films, and series I devoured as a boy – and by the influence of great authors such as Tolkien, Brooks, King, and Poe.”
Crystal Skull’s second album Arcane Tales is out now through Underground Symphony Records. The band is currently dedicated to promoting the album, including working on a special show that will include backing vocalists and stage effects. They’re also planning a special Christmas gift for their fans with a limited edition of 100 copies, before moving ahead with the third chapter of the saga.
And Claudio added: “To all who have supported us by purchasing the CD or our merchandise (t-shirts, patches, posters etc…) through Bandcamp or at our shows – know that your support not only brings us great personal joy but also fuels our future creations. And finally, my gratitude in advance to everyone who will keep listening to and supporting Crystal Skull in the days ahead. Step into our songs on all digital platforms… and sing them with us, loud and proud, as if the gates of Arendal themselves stood before you. May the Lords of Crystal ride with you… May the Lords of Skull rise again!”
You can follow Crystal Skill on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.
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