LionHeart :: Interviews :: Twisted Tower Dire (August 2003)

Twisted Tower Dire come back with "Crest Of The Martyrs" and currently they are working on new material that will be released sometime in 2004. True metal is what they are playing staying true to their selves and tradition away from trends and money hunting. Dave is on the other line. Read on!

First of all let's talk about your appearances at The Wacken Open Air Festival and Hamburg's Metal Bash Festival. What is your general impression of these two Festivals?
This was the first year for the Metal Bash and attendance was a little low. It was still a great festival and should grow in the coming years. The W.O.A was fun although we were bumped from the main stage to the party stage. Only the true TTD fans in front of our stage for that set! We had a lot of fun and we had good crowd response.

What do you think of the organization, quality of sound, crowd etc.?
A lot of people complain because Wacken is getting so big. I can understand these complaints but it's still fun and we have nothing like it in the states. There were a ton of metal vendors and many food choices, much better than I remember in 2000. It is pretty well organized and no big delays or complications.

Describe your experiences (bad and/or good).
My biggest complaint about Wacken is that there weren't a lot of bands playing that I REALLY wanted to see. I'm kind of indifferent about a lot of the bands that played. I'm a big thrash metal fan and I was hoping that Death Angel, Forbidden, or Violence would play Wacken. Nuclear Assault is another band that I though may play and didn't. We also had to miss Slayer because we had to check into our hotel in Hamburg - no good!

Now I would like you to tell me about your playlist and peoples' reactions while you were on stage.
Most of the songs were off of "Crest" with the exception of a cover (The Trooper) and Dagger's Blade. The reaction was great and everyone seemed to enjoy watching us play. It would have been cool to be on the big stage, but the smaller crowds are more personal and you know that most people there and there to see you play.

Do you enjoy playing at live shows?
I love playing live. It's one of my favorite things about being in the band, and I think everyone else agrees. I got hooked on metal by watching small, local shows in my hometown so I think playing live and putting on a good show is extremely important.

What will be you next live appearance(s)?
We're playing at a small club called the Nanci Raygun in Richmond, VA in October 31. I live in Richmond and this will be our second show in my town.

It's been almost 3 months since the release of the album "Crest of the Martyrs". Are you satisfied with the response so far? Also, tell us what reviews it received.
The response has been really good for Crest so far. Some people dislike the production style because "it doesn't sound like TTD". The main issue is with the background choir vocals. We like the way it sounds but we're planning to do something a little different next time around too.

Are you satisfied with Remedy Records? What do you think of the distribution/availability? In which countries is the "Crest of the Martyrs" unavailable and why? Here in Greece I can't find any Twisted Tower Dire album.
Remedy is working on their distribution and right now it's strong in some areas and weak in others. Ironically, our album has better distribution in Germany and other European counties than in our own country! Anyone can order any Remedy release on their website and hopefully some things will work out soon to spread Remedy's releases around more.

Compare the "Crest of the Martyrs" album with the classic "The Isle of Hydra" album. What are the differences and similarities?

"Hydra" has a more stripped down production and isn't candy coated at all. "Crest" is a more polished production with a bigger sound. I really like the drum sound on "Crest" and certain other details, but I tend to prefer productions that are a little more raw too. The similarity is that both albums contain a lot of good songs that we invested a lot of energy in writing. I can understand people not liking the "new sound" on Crest, but I still think that the songs are better than most power metal bands running around these days. When you're in a band it's natural to want to try new things to make your songs come across better. A lot of things work, and some you may decide to do different the next time you record. It's a learning process and a compromise between all members of the band, the label, proucder, etc.

I have listened to a few Twisted Tower Dire songs (mp3.com, radio) and I've noticed that you don't use keyboards (do you?). Although I think that you don't need them I would like to ask you if you're thinking of hiring a keyboard player.
Keyboards are only used on a few tracks in the background to create atmosphere. We don't want, or need a keyboard player. I'd rather have someone playing a triangle in our band.

Who designed the covers of the three Twisted Tower Dire albums (The Isle of Hydra cover - personal favourite)?
All 3 covers have been done by different artists, but Scott really comes up with the ideas for the "layout" of the cover. I don't think this was as much the case with "Hydra" but we definitely told him that we wanted to base it on the lyrics of the title track (dragon, armor, etc.).

What are the lyrics about? Is there any concept?
All of the songs tell a story. Each one is different and some of the stories parallel something that happened to us personally. There's nothing too abstract and you can probably figure out the story be reading the lyrics in the album.

Can a heavy/power group survive in the US, the country of metalcore, trends and commercialisation? What are the differences between the american and the europian scene?
It's not easy to survive over here. We have more luck booking shows in Germany than our own country! The European scene seems to be open to more types of music and bands don't all jump on the same bandwagon with the trends. It's especially to hear your favorite bands slowly start to sound like a crappy metalcore band. We don't plan on that happening with TTD!

What new metal bands you like, and what was the last album you bought?
I just bought Forbidden's first demo and Violence's last, unreleased album on eBay. Those are both older releases, but I do like Nevermore and Opeth a lot. I've gotten picky about metal with my old age!

Groups like Twisted Tower Dire are considered to be "true metal". Do you accept this term?
YES ! ! And I think it has a lot to do with the attitude and goals of the band, as well as the musical style. True metal bands play this style because we like it, not because there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow waiting for us. I've been listening to, and playing this music for 15 years! Where was metalcore 15 years ago? Metalheads had more musical taste back then!

A lot of people believe that new heavy/power metal groups do nothing but copying the ideas and using the formulas of older groups so they have nothing to offer. What would you say to these people?
I've never heard a "new" death/goth/black/hardcore band that didn't sound exactly like some other band. We carry on the tradition of the classic metal style and throw in our own twist. All of the music is original sounding, the songs sound different and unique, and we don't sound "just like" any one band. There's very little progressive and experimental stuff out there that doesn't sound like complete crap. I'd rather write good mucic that sounds old, than play something in a newer style that sucks.

Meanwhile, groups with excessive female vocals pop, rap, hip hop, atmospheric, gothic, etc elements are considered to be special. Do you really need such things in order to create a unique sound?
The art of good songwriting has been lost from most styles of music recently. It's really disappointing. If a band can write good songs they're probably going to naturally sound pretty original too. I think it's hard to mess with experimental stuff while remaining tasteful. Raw heaviness and drive is often sacrificed for layers of keyboards, etc.

According to your site's news you have already started compiling material for your fourth album. Have you completed any new song? Have you recorded anything? If yes please give us details!
We have about 3 songs done musically and Tony's working on lyrics right now. We're about to go full steam ahead with writing and I'm excited to start creating new TTD songs. I'm really pleased with the first 3 songs, grade A metal ! ! !

Will you release your fourth album through Remedy Records?
We plan to release the next 4 albums through Remedy Records (5 album deal).

I don't have anything else to ask. Would you like to add something?
Thanks for the interview and please keep your ears open for new TTD material in early 2004. We're hoping to do a European tour in the spring of 2004 as well. We appreciate the interest and support!