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Crystal Viper - Biography


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2017-

2003-

Biography

Crystal Viper is a Polish female fronted Heavy Metal band, formed by vocalist Marta Gabriel (professional musician, 1st grade) and her husband Bart Gabriel (producer and music journalist). After several demo recordings, few local live shows and apperance on "A Tribute To Cirith Ungol" CD/LP and "A Tribute To W.A.S.P." CD compilations, the first official line up recorded the "Flaming Metal Systems" song for "A Tribute To Manilla Road" CD compilation and signed deal with the German label Karthago Records.

Debut concept album titled "The Curse Of Crystal Viper" came out in early 2007 (later re-issued on vinyl on High Roller Records), and received fantastic feedback from both press (several titles "album of the month", 8/10 in Rock Hard, 10/12 in Heavy, 10/10 in Metal Maidens, 7/7 in Heavy Metal Pages etc.) and Heavy Metal fans around the globe. In 2006 and 2007 the band played several live shows in Germany and Czech Republic, during which shared the stage with acts such as: Cradle Of Filth, Doro, Anvil, Blitzkrieg, Hammerfall, Stratovarius etc. During few recording sessions in summer '07, Crystal Viper recorded the "Atlantis" song for "A Tribute To Angel Witch" CD, and finished "The Last Axeman" CD - limited compilation album with bunch of new recordings & old rare songs (which was of course quickly sold out, and later re-issued on vinyl). There was also one very special song on "The Last Axeman" (different version on CD and different version on LP!) - cover version of the Virgin Steele's classic song "Blood And Gasoline", recorded with the guest apperance of David DeFeis and Josh Block of... Virgin Steele. Another version of this song was also placed as a bonus track, on the reissue of the classic Virgin Steele album "The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell" (Dockyard 1, 2008)

Crystal Viper played on several summer festivals in 2008, where shared the stage with old friends from Deathstars, and classic acts such as Primal Fear, Nazareth and Death Angel. In September 2008 Crystal Viper co-headlined the Hard Rocker Festival (along with their idols Omen, and friends from Sacred Steel)...

The brand new studio album "Metal Nation", was recorded in the MP studio in Poland (recorded by Mariusz Pietka, produced by Bart Gabriel), and mixed in the famous Sonic Train Studios in Sweden (used before by acts such as Hammerfall, Falconer, Evergrey), by the Grammy nominated guitarist Andy La Rocque (King Diamond). Album features three very special guests: Manni Schmidt (Grave Digger), Frank Knight (X-Wild) and Lars Ramcke (Stormwarrior). Album came out in early 2009 on CD on Karthago Records (Europe) and Spiritual Beast (Japan), and the vinyl version as usually was released by the High Roller Records from Germany. The same year Crystal Viper played serie of successfull shows in Spain (Battlefield Metal Fest), Greece (Up The Hammers Festival), Poland and Germany, where they were invited by the legendary Manowar, to play on stage of the mighty Magic Circle Festival in Loreley. In summer of 2009 Crystal Viper released the "Sleeping Swords" CD compilation, which was added for free to one of the biggest Polish rock/metal magazines, Hard Rocker... [ to be continued ]