Category:
Rock / Metal

Try if you like:
Joe Satriani, Steve Vai

Crystal is the ambitious, goth rock concept album of Italian born, UK based composer Alessandro Monopoli, and the follow up to his 2009 debut The Emancipation of Elizabeth. While Elizabeth was more of an instrumental affair Crystal sees Monopoli forming a full band, Chantry, which include vocalist Francesca Vernaccini, who is featured on nine of the ten tracks. If you can follow the narrative of the songs, it’s a dark story of an individual who moves into a new house and finds a telling crystal older than the Earth. Upon spending time with the crystal it reveals a dark clouds, energy, and, ultimately, an untimely and anonymous death at the hands of the protagonist. Needless to say, this isn’t a sit back and relax listening experience. 

Musically, Crystal is an intense assault on your ears. It’s a constant barrage of hard-driving rhythms and odd time signatures backed with dark, complex undertones. There are songs where Vernaccini’s airy vocals work seamlessly into the music, like the first track “The Moment My World Stood Still,” that perfectly fits the mood and story of this album. On the whole, if you’re a fan of progressive math/goth rock, which this reviewer isn’t, you might find this a rewarding. Each songs pounds at you with detailed guitar work and haunting vocals. Overall, it’s extremely intense and never lets up.