Crystal Joilena "The High Priestess"
New York-based alt-metal songstress Crystal Joilena continues to release powerful tracks that combine pop melodies with hard-edged levels of darkness. Her latest single is the spiritually charged and emotional track, “The High Priestess.” The song is representative of Joilena’s approach to her art which combines the power of metal with an appreciation of beauty and introspection.
In “The High Priestess” Joilena utilizes shadow work and tarot imagery to uncover the secrets that lie behind falsehoods. The video depicts Crystal Joilena as a sorceress using a ritual to connect with her higher self. Mysterious shots of swords with glowing blades, black mist, and goddess iconography help portray Crystal as a powerful force of dark feminine energy. The song has been described by Crystal Joilena as her pushback against the corporate music industry and a commitment to stay true to herself.
Crystal Joilena displays a diverse range musically in “The High Priestess.” Obvious comparisons to the woman-fronted alt-rock of Garbage and Evanescence are inevitable, but the dark ambient rock sound of Crystal Joilena also has a debt to the hip-hop and R&B blend of The Weeknd and the electro-pop of Pvris.
The release of “The High Priestess” continues Crystal Joilena’s steady rise in metal dominance. She came out strong with her first EP, Numb Until Further Notice. With nearly 300k streams, Numb Until Further Notice introduced metalheads to raging tracks such as “Lilith” and the eerie, yet beautiful “Siren.” Joilena would soon after attracting attention from notable figures in the metal scene. Jesea Lee would include Crystal Joilena in Matriarchy, his curated list of the best woman-fronted metal bands in the scene today. Joilena not only covered Motionless In White, but she also collaborated with the group on the hit song “Eternally Yours” for the Eternally Yours: Motion Picture Collection.
In 2021 came Crystal Joilena’s well-regarded debut album, War on My Soul. Produced by Joakim "Jolly" Karlsson, guitarist of Bad Omens, War on My Soul features songs that deal with deep personal issues and experiences that Joilena explores with sharp insight and creativity. Topics such as mental health and relationships are explored in her songwriting.
The response has been highly appreciated by the rock community. The single, “Holy Misery” featuring Tommy Roulette of Jynx had the right among of metal grit and strength to get heads banging. Alongside original tracks like “Holy Misery,” Joilena performed exceptional covers of the Evanescence classic “Bring Me to Life” and the Motionless in White song “Another Life.” Both covers went viral. Fantastic songs like those are why War on My Soul gained over 200k streams.
With “The High Priestess” Crystal Joilena shows an even greater level of maturity and confidence in her music. If this latest single is any indication, there is a great deal more from Crystal Joilena we should expect. The enticing mix of dark and insightful lyrics within a dark and edgy soundscape is highly effective when performed by a talented chanteuse of caliber as Crystal Joilena.
