When Chantilly, Virginia's
Twisted Tower Dire began flying the flag of traditional/power heavy metal in the mid-'90s, the alternative rock revolution was in full effect and they may have had a better chance of getting noticed by playing polka. But as irony would have it, not only did metal duly make a comeback in America during the years that followed, but the group's particular musical persuasion has of late been healthier than ever, making 2011's
Make It Dark -- their fifth studio album -- something of a victory lap. And a victory lap is exactly what this shiny chrome machine was built for, if turbocharged, pedal-to-the-metal speedsters like "Mystera" and "The Stone" are any indication, with drums pounding the asphalt, riffs revving the engines, twin guitar harmonies pumping like dual pistons, and vocalist Jonny Aune blowing his horn, as it were. Other offerings like "Snow Leopard," "White Shadow," and the title cut slacken the pace just enough to remind one and all that it's actually fantasy themes -- not racing stories -- that interest
Twisted Tower Dire, and the eight-minute epic "Beyond the Gate" definitively hammers the, errr...hammer home on that matter. At the end of the day, "The Only Way" and "Torture Torture" are the only disappointments to be found here, yet parts of them still roar and the solos traded by guitarists Scott Waldrop and Dave Boyd are typically highlights in their own right, thus making it possible to ignore some of these two tunes' cornier ‘80s metal transgressions. And hey, give
Twisted Tower Dire a break...they've fought their way from the back of the pack and richly deserve this glimpse of the checkered flag. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia