Twisted Tower Dire: Wars In The Unknown (No Remorse, 2019)

It’s been too damned long since the metal world has had a new Twisted Tower Dire album to sink their collective teeth into. The long-running band has been a fixture in the US traditional heavy metal scene for more than 25 years, but the 8-year wait since 2011’s killer Make It Dark was tough. The guys haven’t exactly been kicking back and taking it easy though, what with side projects like Walpyrgus and Volture. Still, we needed a new Twisted Tower Dire album and the band delivered big time this year with Wars In The Unknown, their sixth full-length release.

The Make It Dark lineup is present and accounted for on Wars In The Unknown, and so is the unbridled energy and spirit that characterized that release. It also has more than a little bit of the melodic polish of Walpyrgus to go along with the high speed riffing and flashy solos. It channels classic Riot and early Iron Maiden in a huge way, which is always a good thing. Johnny Aune continues to be a huge presence on vocals, with more than enough power to go head-to-head with the catchy hooks and melodies.

Wars In The Unknown is a fantastic album from start to finish, and it’s crammed full of blazing heavy metal anthems. “Tear You Apart” and “And The Sharks Came In” are great examples of that, and “Riding The Fortress” and “A Howl In The Wind” have this great Accept meets Visigoth feel. And of course there’s “Light The Swords On Fire,” a song about lighting. Swords. On fire. How was this band going to top “Snow Leopard,” you ask? This is how. Nothing this year will be as metal as “Light The Swords On Fire.” Game over, man. Game over.

Needless to say, this one was worth the wait. Wars In The Unknown is worthy of the Twisted Tower Dire legacy, and is the best old school heavy metal album so far this year. If you loved Make It Dark (and how could you not?), you’ll love this one as well. And if you’re a fan of bands like Riot, Visigoth, Widow, Walpyrgus, Night Demon and old school metal in general, you definitely need to hear this album.