Band:	Twisted Tower Dire
Album:	Netherworlds
Style:	US power metal
Release date:	2007

01. Starshine
02. Dire Wolf
03. Fortress
04. Killing Kind
05. Netherworlds
06. Casualty Of Cruel Times
07. Tales Of Submission
08. No One Left To Blame
09. Firebird
10. Stand Up And Shout [Dio cover] [japanese bonus]
11. Infinitum [2002 Demo version] [japanese bonus]
12. Crionics [Slayer cover] [Limited edition release bonus]
13. Trashed [Black Sabbath cover] [Limited edition release bonus]
14. Reflection Pool [demo] [Limited edition release bonus]
15. Axes And Honor [demo] [Limited edition release bonus]
16. Fight To Be Free [demo] [Limited edition release bonus]
17. Infinitum [demo] [Limited edition release bonus]
18. Transfixed [demo] [Limited edition release bonus]
19. Sign Of The Storm [demo] [Limited edition release bonus]
20. False Orion [Limited edition release bonus]
21. Beyond The Gate [Limited edition release bonus]

When I first read that Twisted Tower Dire was a band of US Power Metal, I said to myself that it was probably something for me. I even read some really nice words about their previous album "Crest Of The Martyrs" (released in 2003) which was apparently a really good release of US Power so I was a bit excited to listen to their new album "Netherworlds". It was some bad hopes unfortunately, because I don't know what happened to the band lately but it seems that they're back to the prehistoric time?

When you'll listen to the album for the first time, I suppose that you'll have the same feeling than me. Are we listening to a real album or just a demo? The problem is that the production of "Netherworlds" is one of the worst that I saw lately. Weak as hell, with some really bad (and weird) reverb a lot of time it's a really hard to listen to this release. The fact that the release date of the album was initially for 2005 is maybe one of the reasons of this bad production or maybe that the band had some problems but damn, it's not good at all?

When you add, and that's the big real problem of the album at the end, that it's nothing more than a poor basic and unoriginal Power Metal, "Netherworlds" is nothing else than a real deception. It sounds like an old album of the 80's that is not inspired by anything and the best thing is that the singer is even out of tune in general (and good luck with the high pitched vocals?). I understand why they fired him lately? I can't understand how this band which was apparently a good one, came back to this level? I don't understand really?

In the end, I suppose that you can understand that this album is not a must. Some songs can be ok ("Firebird") but all in all it's deceiving and well I'm sure that you'll be able to find better releases somewhere else. Too bad for Twisted Tower Dire, they knew how to write good albums in the past, but they forgot it for this one?