TWISTED TOWER DIRE are a pure and unadulterated Heavy Metal band hailing from Chantilly, Virginia in the USA. They have always been forebearers of old school metal, with all bells and whistles. The songs as well as the production are set in eighties stone. They have been going since 1995 and haven't exactly sat still throughout their career. Even so, "Crest Of The Martyrs Demos" is only their seventh full length album (not counting the compilation album "Battle Hymns To The Pantheon" from 2002, and a special one at that.

As far as this release of "Crest Of The Martyrs Demos" goes, these are the demo recordings for the original cd that was released in 2003. And I can only conclude that this is quite evident when you really have a good listen. The sound is sometimes a little bare, once in a while somewhat shaky and the guitar solos sound a little hesitant. On top of that, especially the vocals are sounding as pure as Snow White must have been before she had her way with the seven dwarves. Even the slight mishaps and out of tune bits that Jonny Aune experiences have not been altered in any way. And that is very touching, as it shows the sincerity of these recordings.

But then again, if most demo recordings would sound like this a lot more bands would get proper exposure. Because let's not forget that cutting corners is the way to be caught out when you finally get to go forward. TWISTED TOWER DIRE doesn't have to worry about that, as the quality of the songs is so far above par that there is no way the record company would let them slip away. Doesn't matter what you listen to, you will find that these "Crest Of The Martyrs Demos" are justified in being rereleased, and will only enhance the positive vibes and experience you get when listening to the 2003 recordings.

Of course, there's no way I can rate these recordings higher than the finished product, but if you read carefully through my notes you will have to conclude that this is a good record. Yes, I realise this really is just for the fans the band already has. But, if you find the time and opportunity to get to know TWISTED TOWER DIRE by listening to "Crest Of The Martyrs Demos", then you might yourself positively amazed, which gives you enough reason to find out about the rest these guys have done.