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Reviews for SWEET
CRYSTAL & "Still Standing..."
THE NETHERLANDS:
This American Christian band comes out of the State Michigan and I can
easily inform you they are the latest new AOR sensation in the underground
scene. Their debut CD 'Still standing' is filled with high quality 80s
typed hook laden AOR with superb vocals, catchy choruses, and loads of
pure 80s AOR keys and in general the band has a big sound, comparable to
JOURNEY and SURVIVOR. If you think that SWEET CRYSTAL is a new band, then
you're wrong, because they have been around for over 25 years now, so I
guess you can say that they have gained some experience through the years.
It's amazing that they haven't been discovered sooner, because their AOR
is from a very high level and could have placed them next to the big guys
back in the 80s. The whole CD is sensational, as I couldn't find any weak
song. The vocals of lead singer/keyboard player/bassist Marq Andrew Speck
are definitely giving the AOR of SWEET CRYSTAL the finishing touch, because
his voice is quite superb and comes dangerously close to JIMI JAMISON from
SURVIVOR.
A lot of the songs are up tempo 80s typed AOR rockers that remind me of
WHITE SISTER, early FM, CRY HOLY, SIGNAL, AVIATOR, early ALLIES and most
of all SURVIVOR and JOURNEY. My favorite tracks are "When I think of you"
(straight-ahead 80s AOR a la WHITE SISTER), "In God we trust" (superb 80s
AOR keys and harmony vocals), "No two masters" (AOR ballad duet with a
great female singer) and "In your name" (hello JIMI JAMISON's SURVIVOR
Power AOR ballads!). On the other hand, why pick favorites, because the
rest is also fantastic, like "Do you believe in love" (semi AOR rocker,
very much like SURVIVOR) and "Soldiers of the crown" (up tempo 80s AOR
with cool keyboard lines and a sound like CRY HOLY and the very first ALLIES
classic).
The keyboard work on all the songs is very impressive and reminds me of
the 80s AOR, but also Pomp freaks will go nuts, especially on the live
track "Stand up and shout". There's even some Prog./Sympho on this record,
in the song "This way forever" where we get an impression of how ASIA sounded
with good old JOHN WETTON on vocals. All in all, this band is a must to
check out if you want to hear that perfect 80s AOR all over again.
(Points: 8.5
out of 10)
Gabor Kleinbloesem,
Editor
Strutter'zine
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/strutteraor
THE NETHERLANDS:
Everyone out there, let me tell you that there is still hope! Just check
out this Christian AOR/Pomp band from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, USA and
experience its quality and brilliance. This threesome has already been
together for over 25 years and had only managed to release one album before
as a cassette only, but with this second album available on CD, they are
going to conquer many more fans, mark my words. The band takes experiences
gained from opening up for such rock legends as Bob Seger, Nazareth, Foghat
and Steppenwolf.
Marq Andrew Speck
on lead vocals and keyboards, Bill Blatter on guitars and vocals and Steve
Wieser on drums are able to deliver an album full of guitar-laden hooks,
superb emotional vocals and walls of keyboards and synths. You can hear
influences of "old" bands like Allies, Sweet Comfort Band, Idle Cure, Whiteheart
and more recently Faith Nation, which should give you an impression of
what you could expect.
Just listen for example to "When I Think Of You", which starts off as a
ballad, but before you know changes to a fantastic AOR killer track, with
a chorus-line straight from heaven, the lovely ballad "This Way Forever"
or the sensational pomp rocker "In God We Trust", with magical chorus that
kept on spinning in my head for days and you should get the picture.
The album closes
down with two instrumentals, namely "Looking Back" (a gorgeous Journey
like melody) and Ominicity, which in no way downgrade the high level of
this album. Sweet Crystal definitely deserves to be checked out, so surf
to www.sweetcrystal.com and get yourself a copy of "Still Standing..".
Ed Kruijskamp
http://home.pi.be/rockreport/
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