The genre of Power Metal to me has always been that medium which represents escapism, for it constructs a soul that is fashioned from that of sound, a soul that is woven together from every facet of fantasy element and whosoever possesses such spirit is shaped to be the hero whose armour shimmers under the orb, whose steel cuts the stygian sea and whose presence heralds the coming of minstrels that sing forth the praises of such valiance.

Maybe my description may have given off a pretentious demeanour, but it is just my humble opinion about the genre and the magic that resides within, the ability to transfigure even the meek and frail into voyagers of their adventures. This sentiment bleeds into the album, "Drifting Into Insanity" by TRISTAN HARDERS' TWILIGHT THEATRE , a work of art that reconfigures the confinements of one's listening experience creating a splendour for the senses to bask in it's awe.

To express this album's magnificence would be to compare it to a dialogue amongst stars with each body shimmering in its luminosity, each one radiating differently, but together their presence laminates and cuts through the ink of night. For the vocals and musical compositions, while both can be separated and discerned for their meritorious qualities, it is the unification of these elements that acts as one glorious body where tales of triumph are etched upon it's skin.

Songs such as "Quest Into The Mountains of Steel" and "Save Me From Insanity" showcase the fusion of both the vocals and orchestral structures that manifests a surge of energy, enough to reinvigorate the light within one's halls where darkness begins to recede. For these factors never appear false in it's candour, rather than drowning the delicate moments on the album, it is the orchestrated components that stirs a breath of animation to these finer qualities, like a gentle breeze that flows upon a garden, where it carries with it the subtle aroma as it caresses the earth. From my listening experience, the atmosphere that is birthed from these symphonic melodies aids in magnifying the incandescence brought forth on the album.

But the jewel in which this album bores is found in it's vocal presence, for if the instruments crafted the sword which blade would be the pen that chronicles such stories of greatness, the vocals would be the valiant being who wields it, dictating it's flow and pace. "The End" and "Halls of Glory" represents certain pinnacles upon "Drifting Into Insanity" where like an epic journey that unfolds itself with meandering paths so too does the vocals feel in it's delivery exuding a grandiose aura in patterned formation.

I believe TRISTAN HARDERS' TWILIGHT THEATRE has honed into everything beautiful about this genre with this album, for it is truly a musical experience that should be ritualized into a listening session where your imagination is allowed to roam free without shackles. It is not just a piece of music but it is the aura of fantasy and dreams encompassed into a singular work of art.