The Grand and Heroic Sounds of Crystallion
The Grand and Heroic Sounds of Crystallion
Crystallion is a female fronted heavy metal band from Germany ready to hard rock the world with their exhilaration soundscapes. Head Or Tails is the title of their latest magnum opus, now available worldwide through Pride & Joy Music. With their new vocalist Kristina Berchtold, Crystallion rides into their next sonic chapter of heavy metal glory. They recently played the Rocktober Fest and are ready to support their grand and heroic Head Or Tails manifesto. Highwire Daze recently interviewed bassist Steve Hall to find out more about Crystallion and their not to be missed Heads Or Tails album. Read on…
Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Crystallion, and how long the band has been together.
Hello Ken, my name is Steve Hall, I play bass guitar for Crystallion. Our drummer Martin and I formed the band early 2003.
Where are you based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
We are from the southeast of Bavaria, Germany. Our local music scene? Well, that’s easy…there is none. At least not a metal scene. Of course, there are a few bands, but that’s all very small. And the opportunities to play live are limited. But that’s ok, we’re still there anyway.
How did you wind up signing with Pride & Joy Music?
No big deal. We sent them an application. We got a couple of offers, and Pride & Joy’s was the best.
How did new vocalist Kristina Berchtold become involved with Crystallion and what is her musical background?
We found her ad on a relevant site. What we saw was coherent. Her musical background is pretty the same as with us. Maiden, Priest, Saxon, Doro, and that stuff…classic metal. We contacted her, made a few rehearsals, and the vibes were just right. And the most important thing…we agreed on the future of Crystallion.
Is there any overall story or concept behind the Heads Or Tails album title?
No, it just means “now or never”, “do or die”, “make it or break it”, or something like that…that’s all. No deeper meaning. We know what we can do…but of course, we also need a little bit of luck.
Crystallion
Select two songs from Heads Or Tails and what inspired the lyrics.
Thunderclouds: I wrote it for my little son. I hope he will appreciate it when he understands. But I think so.
Knights And Heroes: This is my reckoning with today’s dog-eat-dog society.
Who did the cover art for Heads Or Tails and how much input did you have on it?
The cover art was made by our Drummer Martin, the title was also his idea. The coin, I guess, was mine. But the whole concept was a result of brainstorming by the band.
What has it been like to record and release new music in the middle of a pandemic and so much social unrest in the world?
Well, all lyrics were done before. Otherwise, that would have had a big impact on it. We didn’t notice too much of it during the recordings and the whole production was not disrupted. But now the release is imminent and we can’t play live. That’s a slap in the face, but somehow we will handle it.
What is a live Crystallion show like for those of us who have yet to see you play?
It’s live! I mean…really LIVE! We don’t have overdubs or something like that. Everything is real. And that’s almost a rarity these days. And in my opinion we have a good stage acting. There’s a lot of movement on stage…and a lot of fun…and last but not least, great music!
What was the experience like playing the Rocktober Fest in October 2020 and were you nervous about playing at all due to the pandemic?
It was terrible! Not because of the event, but because of the general conditions. The audience was seated, everybody was wearing masks…very strange…but of course, still better than nothing. And the organizers did a great job. At the end it was a lot of fun. Grin and bear it!
If Crystallion could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Well, here you have to differentiate between what you would like and what makes sense. For me personally, I would say Ted Nugent, because he is my all-time favorite musician. But for Crystallion I would say Sabaton or Powerwolf or something like that, because these bands are on top in Europe at the moment.
Are you involved with any other bands or projects outside of Crystallion?
Yes, besides Crystallion, I’m with two other bands: Edenbridge and Chromantic Flash.
What do you hope 2021 brings for you and Crystallion?
Gigs, gigs, gigs…but to be honest…I don’t believe that this is gonna happen. So, 2021 will be, unfortunately, a sabbatical.
Any final words of wisdom?
Yes, I wish all people on this planet a happy and healthy life!
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions!
It was a pleasure. Thank you, Ken, and take care!
Crystallion:
Heavy Metal from Bavaria
Steve Hall (Bass), Martin Herzinger (Drums), Kristina Berchtold (Vocals), Sven Sevens (Guitar)
(Interview by Ken Morton)
