Twilight Force's 'Dawn of the Dragonstar' - Album Review

I made the point during my review of Gloryhammer's latest opus Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex (which I reviewed here) back in July that there are two bands who seem poised to take the symphonic power metal throne vacated by Rhapsody of Fire following their splintering and line-up switcheroos - Gloryhammer and Twilight Force. Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione have since arguably reclaimed that throne with the crushing progressive metal masterwork Zero Gravity (Evolution and Rebirth) (which I reviewed here), which came out July, but that should not stop others vying for their title. Gloryhammer's ridiculously cheesy and self-aware Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex is one of the most fun albums to be released so far this year, but those who are craving the mysticism, fantasy sagas, and neo-classical stylings of early those Rhapsody albums should look no further than Dawn of the Dragonstar - the newly-released third album from the Swedish six-piece Twilight Force. The band's roots can be traced back to 2007, but it was not until 2014 when the band was truly launched - with the band's debut album Tales of Ancient Prophecies appearing out of nowhere on a small record label. The album is full of promise, and is a fun listen, but lacks the big budget production that symphonic power metal needs. The album has something of a high quality demo sound and this, combined with some of the absolute worst spoken word passages I have ever heard, makes listening to the album a rare experience for me. Three years the later, and now on Nuclear Blast Records, the band hit their fanbase with the expansive and ambitious Heroes of Mighty Magic (which I reviewed here) - an album that did so much right but just felt too big for its boots. The album sounds a hundred times better than the band's debut, but a thin production that left the guitars and drums at times feeling very feeble - as well as an over-long and bloated ending section made up of a lengthy spoken word part - again means the album does not get too many plays on my iPod. The promise has always been there however, so I have kept an eye on the band over the years (as well as seeing them live as a support act a couple of times) and have recently picked up a copy of their newly-released third album Dawn of the Dragonstar. From the off, it seems that it has been third time lucky for Twilight Force. The production sounds much better here than on either of the band's other two albums, and the theatrics have been reigned in somewhat (although there are a few short spoken word sections as well as maps and story exposition in the CD's booklet!). Overall, the album is a much tighter experience, and feels like the album the band have been trying to make all along. Five of the six who were responsible for Heroes of Mighty Magic have returned here, with Alessandro Conti (Trick or Treat; Luca Turilli's Rhapsody) - or Allyon as he is known within the band to fit in with the fantasy-esque stage names the rest of the band have - replacing Christian Eriksson.

Foregoing the usual orchestral intro that symphonic power metal albums often open with, Dawn of the Dragonstar opens with the fast-paced title track with only a short spoken word intro to ease the listener in before drummer De'Azsh launches into a fast double bass drum pattern and lead guitarist Lynd lays down a soaring, melodic lead. The change of vocalist has not harmed Twilight Force at all in my opinion. Eriksson was a great fit, but Allyon has already made the position his own. His Italian accent now gives the band more of an authentic symphonic power metal feel (many of the bands of the genre are Italian), and he has the range to appropriately deliver the material. The album's opening song is quite a simple one, with bombastic riffing and a soaring chorus the order of the day. Things become more complex as the album progresses, but the opening number perfectly lays out the band's stall. Thundersword is similar, but opens with a dramatic keyboard riff from Blackwald, before a fast-pace verse takes over with more twinkling keyboard melodies and tight guitar rhythms. It is songs like this that really show how far the band has come in terms of production. On previous albums this song would feel cluttered, but there seems to be much more space in the mix here. The rhythm guitars have a bit of bite this time around, and De'Azsh's drums are suitably punchy without ever overpowering the dynamic melodies. Lynd and Blackwald have once again written and produced the album, and their improvements can clearly be seen from album to album. It is perhaps fitting then that one of the best moments of the song is a lengthy instrumental section that sees Lynd laying down some neo-classical lead runs before Blackwald takes over for a synth solo - with licks being traded back and forth. Long Live the King is less of a speed-fest than the opening two songs, but still maintains a strong pace while introducing some folkier elements. The opening riff has something of a folk feel to it, while the verses seem a little stripped-back compared to the album's earlier moments - although this is probably due to the vocals being pushed more into the fore than anything else. The folky feelings do not come from a use of traditional instruments, but more from the choice of melodies used. The song on the whole is extremely jaunty, although the chorus takes things in a much grander direction with a prominent use of choirs and a dramatic vocal performance from Allyon. He has an impressive range, and hits some big high notes during the song's chorus - all while competing with the pompous and fabulously overblown choir.

With the Light of a Thousand Suns is one of the album's longer pieces at just under seven minutes in length, and it opens up with a gothic string and choral section that really sets the tone for the grandness to come. The opening three songs are characterised by more joyous feelings, but this one has darker overtones - despite still showing a very melodic front. Symphonic power metal by its nature is bouncy and jaunty, but there is something about this song that feels heavier and deeper. The choirs that are used throughout certainly add to this feeling, with booming gothic voices sitting nicely alongside Allyon's soaring efforts, and Aerendir's guitar rhythms certainly have a toughness about them which is more obvious. That being said there is still plenty of raucous fun to be had, with the song's chorus oozing big melodies. The biggest twist however is an Eastern-inspired instrumental section, that features some atmospheric keyboards and snaking acoustic guitar melodies; before the piece is brought back down to earth when Lynd launches into a shredded solo. Any concerns that the album was about to take a full-on gothic turn however are dispelled by Winds of Wisdom, a song that immediately returns to the band's core sound with a sparkly keyboard intro and a feel-good vocal performance from Allyon that sees him exclusively singing in his higher register. One of the things that stands out to me about this album in comparison to the band's previous efforts is just how instantly-memorable most of the songs are from a vocal perspective. While some of the instrumental passages and styles start to sound the same after a while, the vocal melodies nearly all stand out. It helps that pretty much every song here has a great chorus, and this one is no different. Allyon's vocal lines here are extremely catchy, while still retaining a dramatic flair, which really helps the piece to stand out from the crowd. Queen of Eternity feels heavier, with a tough opening guitar riff that is somewhat out of character for the album. While the guitars play an important part in Twilight Force's sound, with crunchy rhythms holding everything together and fluid solos providing plenty of excitement, they are always part of a larger tapestry of sounds rather than something that stands out. This song is different in that respect, with the opening riff setting the tone for the rest of the song as the guitars dominate a little more while the keyboards and orchestrations are dialled back somewhat. Despite this, the song still sticks fairly firmly to the band's established formula, but does benefit from a heavier vibe. Allyon once again delivers a masterful chorus, and a dramatic choral-led section part way through recalls bands like Epica. Valley of the Vale seems to be a reaction to the heavier riffing of the previous number, with an even more sparkly vibe thanks to Blackwald's keyboards and more folky melodies. This is the sort of song that makes a certain type of person really hate symphonic power metal, but on the flip side is also the sort of song that draws others in. It is over the top, somewhat saccharine, and almost devoid of any real metal grit - but yet it is still extremely satisfying. It is a short song, and not one of the stand-out cuts here, but it still manages to tick all the right boxes.

Hydra is a pacey number, with plenty of double bass drumming early on and lots of lightning-fast shredding. Despite this however, the piece does end up taking a few twists and turns as it goes along, with a few heavier sections that see the strings and keyboards drop out somewhat to allow Allyon to sing in his lower register to great effect. These moments are only short, but when coupled with the rest of the song which is fast and cheesy, they do help to inject a little power. The chorus might be my favourite on the album too, with the pace slowing down a little and some marching drums whipping up a dramatic sound. The choirs do their bit too, all while Allyon lays down a thespian-esque vocal hook that recalls his days working with Luca Turilli. This is one of the most overtly Rhapsody-esque pieces here in my opinion, and those who love the Italian band should give this song a listen. In truth the whole album is cut from the same cloth, but this one feels more akin to those early Rhapsody albums than most. Night of Winterlight is another very catchy song, with the opening string melodies previewing the chorus to come while the first guitar solo that soon kicks in is a feast for all shredding fans. It is a song that really feels like it is built around its chorus, with everything written to build up to it. I often find that really fast paced songs can lack something when it comes to being catchy, simply because the melodies and lyrics whizz past so much that it can be hard to fully grab hold. That is not the case with this song however, and the chorus is one that really sticks with me. Allyon's vocal performance certainly helps, but in truth the song is very well constructed with Lynd and Blackwald's arrangements really bringing the best out of the melodies despite the speed. The album's closing track is the lengthy Blade of Immortal Steel which, at over twelve minutes in length, is the most ambitious and progressive number here. A gentle opening piano motif sets the tone, but it is short-lived as the song soon explodes into another fast-paced romp with double bass drums flying everywhere and an even-grander orchestral arrangement filling in all of the gaps. While the song sticks largely to the band's core formula, there are moments that change up the pattern somewhat. There are a couple more moments that explore Eastern-tinged ideas, and overall there seems to be more of a willingness to experiment with tempo. Much of this album moves along at a fast pace, with few moments that would generally be considered to be 'mid-paced'. There are plenty of moments like that here though, which really helps to keep the song feeling interesting. Long songs need to have lots of twists and turns to justify their length, and the tempo changes here help to do this. There is also an abundance of impressive instrumental breaks - largely thanks to Lynd and his guitar - with a melodic solo or lead never too far away. The complex, multi-part song helps the album to end on a high, and is probably one of the most epic songs the band have put together yet. Overall, Dawn of the Dragonstar is a strong album that sees Twilight Force moving up into the next division of modern metal bands. It is an album that should start to turn heads and, for me anyway, it is head and shoulders above their previous efforts. If the band continue to develop in this way, they could become a big name a few years down the line.

The album was released on 16th August 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Dawn of the Dragonstar.