Description

Crystal Phoenix is another in a large population of Italian bands whose music seems to flow freely between metal, classical folk and progressive sounds with fanciful themes that combine legends with loosely historical contexts. Musically they run somewhere between Sad Minstrel and Mago De Oz with instrumentation consisting mostly of electric guitar, woodwinds, electric keyboards and percussion. Twa Jorg-J-Draak Saga (The Legend Of The Two Stonedragons is their second and final studio effort. Like the band’s first record this one is a theme album, in this case a somewhat disjointed tale of apocalyptic nuclear war followed by a period of militant control in which the masses suffer genetic instability while the elite social classes possess electronic chips that manage to reverse deformities. A rumored cure has been developed by the military, who closely guards the antidote until a rogue group of military warriors form a rebel coalition to make the cure available to civilians. You have to read about the theme of the album to get this though, as the lyrics aren’t quite consistent with the liner notes story. Musically this is obviously an Italian album as it features beautiful piano passages (on Remembrance and War Again in particular); lots of recorders, flute and other woodwinds; and plenty of guitar arpeggios during the more strenuous parts. The band is the brainchild of Myriam Sagenwells Saglimbeni who sings, plays guitar, bass and harp and wrote pretty much all the lyrics in addition to creating the artwork. The style is a blend of Symphonic Progressive and Gothic Rock with elements of music of Baroque and, on a couple of tracks, the bits of Prog-Metal. Myriam Sagenwells has a truly remarkable compositional thinking so fans of folk-leaning music with metal nuances such as the 3rd & the Mortal, Sad Minstrel or Bluehorses as well as symphonic music in general should check this out.

Track list:
1. The Future: Total War
b) Gloria
c) Black Out
2. Remembrance
3. The New Times Hero
4. Renegade (Beyond The Glass)
5. Caleds Last Flight.
6. Reminiscence
The Past:
7. The Maid And The Willow
8. Dragon Lord
9. Lullaby
10. Springs Dance
11. War Again