Twilight Force ‘Dawn Of The Dragonstar’
Album Review By Adam McCann
Nuclear Blast Records/Symphonic Power Metal
It is very difficult to not give a wry smile at the very mention of Twilight Force, the band which blend ‘Dungeons & Dragons’, with symphony and power metal. This band of adventurers struggled through their second quest ‘Heroes of Mighty Magic’, this was an album which although had enjoyable tracks, a technical production left many listeners feeling cold and alienated. This was unfortunately followed by the departure of vocalist Chrileon. Undeterred, Twilight Force rolled another character and returned with vocalist Allyon, setting out on their third quest ‘Dawn Of The Dragonstar’.
The first thing to note about ‘Dawn…’ is that the production issues which plagued the previous album are now resolved with Twilight Force opting for a more traditional power metal album sound. This makes ‘Dawn…’ powerful from the offset. Allyon stamps his authority throughout this album, making sure that those who hear this album remember that he is now the vocal point of the band with this voice soaring freely on tracks such as ‘Long Live the King’, ‘Queen of Eternity’ as well the title track. Furthermore, the return of a decent production allows the symphonic elements of Twilight Force to arise, demonstrating the advanced orchestrations which flow throughout ‘Dawn…’. These orchestrations give tracks such as ‘Thundersword’ the dancing fluttering of an 80’s John Williams blockbuster. However, where the previous album struggled with its more epic songs, the final track on ‘Dawn…’ ‘Blade of Immortal Steel’ manages to side step these issues with its oriental sound developing into a samurai saga, flowing well becoming both memorable and enjoyable.
Considering the changes that have occurred with Twilight Force, ‘Dawn…’ is the product of a honeymoon period. This is an album which is leaps and bounds beyond its predecessor, it is an album which has put the band back on track, it aims to be cheesy and enjoyable and with this it succeeds, but will it have the longevity to be regarded as a truly good album? Only time will tell.
Rating : 74/100
MHF Magazine/Adam McCann
