Crystal Throne – Chantry Of Sacrifice

Crystal Throne
Chantry Of Sacrifice
Out: 2^nd October 2026
Playing time: 01:03:10

The Heavy/Prog Metal band Crystal Throne was founded in 2019 in Metz (France) by guitarist Max Waynn and singer Terry DeFire.

Blending melodic heavy metal, power metal, and progressive influences with the spirit of the 1980s, the band delivers technical songwriting, soaring melodies, and a rich universe inspired by science fiction, mythology, and fantasy.

This is how the press release describes their sound. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2021. The follow-up, ‘Chantry Of Sacrifice’, is due out in October.

‘A Hero’s Call’ is an intro lasting almost two and a half minutes, featuring a brief sci-fi(?) radio play scene at the start. Is this a concept album? However, I couldn’t find any mention of this in the extremely brief press release. Towards the end, at least, the guitars and drums kick in, preparing the way for the transition to the first regular song, ‘Children Of The Ruins’. And that’s when things really get going. The two guitarists trade solos and riffs back and forth. Singer Terry DeFire impresses with his powerful Rock voice. But spoken words can also be heard at times, which certainly reinforces the impression of a concept album. After the lively opener, the French band step it up a notch on ‘Tides Of Ages’. The riffs literally blast out of the speakers, driven by the fast drumming. The singer keeps up with this high tempo too, letting out a few high-pitched screams. Influences such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden are clearly audible. The Metal anthem ‘Electrical Savior’ is then noticeably calmer. Terry sings with a darker timbre in places, but also masters the higher tone ranges. At the start of the next anthem, ‘Walls Of Silent Mourn’, a fragment from a radio play can be heard once more, before majestic riffs sweep everything aside. ‘Antagonists’ starts with a hellish laugh. Then it shifts into high-speed mode. And I think I can hear a female vocalist in a duet with Terry DeFire here. Unfortunately, there is no information on this. Or do the feminine-sounding vocals come from the master himself? There are also spoken words on ‘Insurgent Outcry’. Once again, Crystal Throne’s guitarists are attempting to set new speed records. This can also be heard in the brief bass line, as well as in the powerful drumming. In contrast to this are the synths, which lend the track an epic feel. The title track, ‘Chantry Of Sacrifice’, is the next Metal anthem, in which Crystal Throne once again demonstrate a fine knack for beautiful melodies. The anthem ‘Sleeping In The Void’, with a running time of nine and a quarter minute, is the longest track on the album. The track begins quietly with epic, at times sacred-sounding choruses and majestic riffs. This continues throughout the entire track. Synth strings provide an epic, bombastic atmosphere. It is only towards the end that the guitars bring about a dramatic increase in tempo. The album ends just as it began, with a short radio play excerpt.

‘Chantry Of Sacrifice’ features well-crafted Progressive Melodic Metal. What bothers me a little, though, are the constant interludes of Radio Drama-like fragments. Musically, however, I really like the album – particularly because, despite its progressive leanings, there’s hardly any – or indeed no – over-elaborate ‘fiddling’. The cover artwork is also very well done.

Crystal Throne – Children Of The Ruins: https://youtu.be/qpwnVwoQjow?si=y0PeY4EQnl3gSWOZ

Lineup:

Terry DeFire – Vocals
Jefferson Brand – Bass
Max Waynn – Guitar
John Lemoine – Guitar
Will Ram – Drums

Track list:

• A Hero’s Call
• Children Of The Ruins
• Tides Of Ages
• Electrical Savior
• Walls Of Silent Mourn
• Antagonists
• Insurgent Outcry
• Chantry Of Sacrifice
• Sleeping In The Void