Hardly a year after the release of their highly successful album LifeRider, CRYSTAL BALL presents their 9th record: Déjà-Voodoo! (Release 02.09.2016). This fall, CRYSTAL BALL will be on tour with Shakra through Switzerland and Germany.
Prehistory
The band started in 1995 as a cover band ( Cherry Pie ). These years of stage experiences became the foundation of CRYSTAL BALL, under whose banner the band became one of Europe´s major forces in the hard rock genre. With In The Beginning CRYSTAL BALL started their crusade in 1999. The first album was very successful, but topped with ease from the follow-up Hard Impact, hailed as Album Of The Months in several magazines. Immediately tour plans came up, realised by supporting Pretty Maids and Gotthard. Nobody was able to hide from CRYSTAL BALL anymore. The result: a new record contract with Nuclear Blast.
Virtual Empire CRYSTAL BALL showed up more varied but still traditional and melodic in 2002. The band massively toured Europe, together first with Dokken and then with U.D.O., Doro and Krokus. In 2003 the fourth album HELLvetia, produced by former U.D.O./ Accept member Stefan Kaufmann, became a more edgy effort and increased the success of CRYSTAL BALL enormously. Successful tours with Axxis, Pink Cream 69 and Krokus saw CRYSTAL BALL increase their fan base following again.Timewalker delivered great catchy songs, full of freshness and power to the fans. Once again produced by Kaufmann the album displayed the exceptional class of CRYSTAL BALL. The band´s very first headliner tour with then-labelmates Thunderstone followed the release in 2005. In 2007 CRYSTAL BALL inked a new record deal with AFM Records. Secrets was their sixth album, a great piece of Hard Rock, produced by Michael Bormann.
2013 CRYSTAL BALL came back stronger than ever, with the album Dawnbreaker! The original members Scott Leach and Marcel Sardella reformed CRYSTAL BALL with fresh blood and a great new frontman, Steven Mageney from Wuppertal, Germany. Steven is an experienced singer and the perfect match for the new CRYSTAL BALL sound. The band signed a new record deal with Massacre –Records. After the release of Dawnbreaker the band played 40 shows in six countries. Their successful tours with Krokus and The Poodles made it clear for all the show attendants: The Balls are back … for good!
Just one and a half years later CRYSTAL BALL strikes again with LifeRider (2015). The album received very positive reviews all over the world and was titled as the best Crystal Ball album so far from fans and journalists. With LifeRider CRYSTAL BALL manages the balancing act between classical hard rock and modern metal. The guest appearance of Battle Beast singer Noor Louhimo (duet Eye to Eye) tops off the excellent production by Stefan Kaufmann. Tony T.C. Castell (ex-Krokus) joins the band and replaces Markus Flury. Successful shows as support for the Scorpions or Thunder followed. Also a collaboration with musicians of the Sinphony Orchestra Wuppertal who joined Crystal Ball live on stage.
Steven Mageney – Vocals
Scott Leach – Guitars
Tony T.C. Castell – Guitars
Cris Stone – Bass
Marcel Sardella – Drums