Back with their fifth album and a current line-up of bassist Jim Hunter (Revelation, October 31, While Heaven Wept), drummer Mark Stauffer (Krass Judgement) and guitarists Scott Waldrop (While Heaven Wept) and Dave Boyd (Volture) and new vocalist Johnny Aune, Twisted Tower Dire may well have made their best effort a long way into their career. The 1980's touch points still remain but there's certainly been an evolution in terms of song writing.
There are some seriously infectious tunes on Make it Dark with the Maiden-esque "Mysteria" being a prime example and at every turn Mr Aune acquits himself well in the metaphorical shoes of the late Tony Taylor. "Beyond the Gate" is a potential epic set closer yet the album clocks in at only thirty-six minutes long.
Given the retro nature of the band and their material there's nothing on show that hasn't been done many times before but it's all done with a great sense of panache and therefore it gets a whole three and a half stars.
Track Listing:
1. Mystera
2. Snow Leopard
3. The Stone
4. Make It Dark
5. White Shadow
6. The Only Way
7. Torture Torture
8. Beyond the Gate
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