Adventure metal at its finest – review of Twilight Force’s fourth album “At The Heart of Wintervale”

Swedish symphonic metal band Twilight Force will release this month their fourth album, “At The Heart of Wintervale”, and here at Chaoszine, we cannot miss reviewing such an outstanding band as they are. And the record starts straight away; without even realizing it, you’re in the flow with powerful guitars and remarkable vocals. But purely for introduction’s sake, I would have put the second track (which is the album-titled one) as first, because it sounds more majestic and glorious than “Twilight Force“.

As I have stated in previous reviews when the band has two guitars, it simply sounds better than a single one: and this album isn’t an exception to this. The melodies and the sounds intertwine and give more structure to each track. But unfortunately, the guitar riffs aren’t that exciting, and they often sound similar. Allyon’s voice, though, is more sensational than ever: I am pretty sure that he could sing anything he wanted, and “At The Heart of Wintervale” is the definitive proof. From belting high notes and caressing the low ones, his voice is just a pleasure to the ears.

The two 10-minute suites are well-positioned instead, not to tire the listener but to give a necessary change of pace to the record. “Highlands of the Elder Dragon” and “The Last Crystal Bearer” both highlight the symphonic flair of the band, with a big choir, orchestra and, of course, sophisticated sounds. My favourite track has to be “Sunlight Knights”, with many notable tributes to symphonic masterpieces of the past.

Twilight Force have described themselves in the past as “adventure metal”, and I couldn’t find better words to describe the journey that this album is. Adventure metal at its finest. While the composition is very uniform, there are a few surprises that won’t leave the fans disappointed. The production is close to perfection, the level of involvement is very high, and the storytelling is more compelling than ever.

Tracklist:

1. Twilight Force
2. At The Heart of Wintervale
3. Dragonborn
4. Highlands of the Elder Dragon
5. Skyknights of Aldaria
6. A Familiar Memory
7. Sunlight Knight
8. The Last Crystal Bearer
9. The Sapphire Dragon Of Arcane Might is Back Again
10. Skyknights of Aldaria (orchestral version)
11. The Last Crystal Bearer (orchestral version)