CRYSTAL SKULL
"Arcane Tales"
(Underground Symphony; 2025)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Power metal and fantasy go hand-in-hand, and there's no better proof of that than Crystal Skull's "Arcane Tales."
It all starts with the album cover, which clearly tells you in what direction the album is going. Then, there's the song titles: "Gates of Skull," "Stormbreaker (Turok's Axe)," "Hall of Eternity," "Ancient' Ritual, "Queen of the Black Moon" "Glory or Damn (Turok's Damnation)." They almost sound like chapters from a Conan novel.
Then, there's the music, starting with the opening intro, "Prelude to a Darkness," which sounds a lot like the opening to the 1982 Conan film with its gnarled-voice narrative and pounding cinematic sound.
And then there's the songs, starting with the aforementioned "Gates of Skull," which rockets out of the gate with fiery speed, drums and guitars blazing, with powerful vocals that bring to mind the legendary Bruce Dickinson. And it roars that way throughout the rest of the album, closing with the mammoth, over nine-minute "Homecoming (Ragdar's Tragedy). Throughout, the music is epic and grand, the lyrics telling tales of swords and sorcery, the entire project feeling like s single unit, a story that has to be told in this order, from the beginning, each time you listen. It's a fantasy novel told with heavy metal.
Goes without saying that the musicianship and songwriting are first class, dynamic and vigorous. I was never bored for a moment, and I don't think you'll be either. Buy this album, find an hour of time for yourself, slip on your headphones and enjoy the stories told here. Go on this journey with Turok, Ragdar and the others. I think you'll be glad you did.
For more information, check out https://www.facebook.com/CrystalSkullProject/.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
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Copyright © 2025 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
