Crystavox (Regency)Crystavox
Crystavox (Regency)
1. "Sacrifice"
(3:44)
2. "Power Games" (4:25)
3. "Wear It Out" (2:39)
4. "Turn It On" (4:10)
5. "Home Again" (4:39)
6. "All The Way" (4:10)
7. "It's All Right (to Rock n' Roll)" (4:10)
8. "All Around the World" (3:15)
9. "Never Give In" (4:12)
10. Tough Boys" (4:27)
Big hair, slick production and loads of pop metal choruses. Crystavox were Christian metal's answer to Warrant, Skid Row, and Slaughter. I actually prefer the lyrical content of Crystavox to that of many of the early 90's pop metal bands who all focused on the exact same thing. Crystavox write smart lyrics, with a few exceptions. For the most part they avoid the Stryper-ish Christian cliche's of "rockin for the rock" and write intelligent, thought provoking lyrics. Of course, what pop metal album would be complete without the hit ballad and Crystavox are no exception with the heartfelt "Home Again." I don't think it was a crossover hit, but it was a CCM charting song. This album is now out of print and extremely difficult to find. I bought my copy as a new release.
Crystavox-The Bottom Line (Ocean)
1. "The Big Picture"
(3:33)
2. "Break Down the Walls" (4:41)
3. "Rise Up" (4:59)
4. "Snakes in the Grass" (3:44)
5. "Stick to Your Guns" (3:34)
6. "Paradise" (4:45)
7. "Cry Out" (2:57)
8. "Shame" (4:40)
9. "Rockin' A Hard Place" (5:46)
10. "No Boundaries" (3:57)
Two years after the release of their debut, Crystavox release thier followup disc. "The Bottom Line" is a bit heavier and leans towards a wiser "accepted by metalheads" look of leather and straight long hair and heavier Skid Row "Slave to the Grind" sound. A few songs (ie "Paradise") even push the heavier, faster Judas Priest style of metal. I like this one much better than the first album. I should also mention that George Ochoa (Deliverance) and Jamie Rowe (Guardian) make guest appearances on this one.