KREYSON - 20 YEARS OF KREYSON

Coming from Czechoslovakia is Kreyson, “the first Christian metal band from the heart of Europe.” For many this will be their first exposure to this heavy metal juggernaut, even though the band has been around for 20 years. The reasons being only two of their previous releases were in English and they were never officially released here in the US. (If you can find them they would command a pretty penny I’m sure)

Appropriately entitled “20 Years of Kreyson” the bands first US release is a compendium of songs written over the bands entire career. Solid heavy metal from beginning to end. Kicking it off with the up-tempo “Judgment Day” and closing with “Warrior Angel” Kreyson show they mean business. Reminiscent of Armored Saint, Saxon and Barren Cross in the heaviness department this is heavy metal in the traditional ‘bang yer head’ fashion, yet retaining some ‘commercial’ sensibilities. There is a european flavor here that simply must be tasted.

I mention those band references in particular because all of them have written some fabulous melodies and Kreyson is no slouch in that department. Just a listen to “Endure the Night”, “Mary” or “Stay” and you’ll know what I mean. “Endure the Night” demands an immediate second listen, it’s encouraging lyrics and solid melodic foundation will have you humming and singing before long.

I’ve always been a fan of more upbeat and fast metal material. On this front Kreyson deliver, not speed metal or thrash but just up tempo material. “Warrior Angel”, “Cry Out”, “The Lord Will Come” fills that void nicely.

Many times I would hear reviewers say ‘melody’ and immediately I think of overtly commercial and rather weak songs. That is not the case here. The guitars are solid, with some excellent solos courtesy of Radek Kroc. Zdnek Pradlovsky (drums) and Ludek Adamek (bass) provide the backbone in the rhythm department. To these ears the vocals of Ladislav Krizek at times remind me of Ulf Christiansson from Jerusalem.

The production is strong and clean. Myself I coulda handled the guitars being a bit more upfront in the mix. In comparison to the other Kreyson releases I’ve heard this one had a slightly different feel and sound. Not as much of the ‘big sound’ but that doesn’t deter from the material.

What isn’t clear to me is whether this is actually new material or re-recorded material. Having checked track lists off of their English language releases I do not see any of the same song titles, so perhaps these are songs from their Czech releases. I understand these were fan favorites, picked for this release.

Another item to point out is the inclusion of a video clip for the song 'Salome'. A very cool slow song and a nice video presentation makes this a really nice addition to an already solid offering. (thanks to Matt for pointing out my neglect! argh...)

If you’re looking for some good heavy metal with the ability to sing along and have a chorus stuck in yer head this be the disc!

8 AXES