So instead of going totally progressive or outlandish, Twisted Tower Dire goes balls-deep into classic power metal running on adrenaline-charged riffs and choruses that stick like chewed gum on a shoe. That really is the whole album, but it's a phenomenal experience. I can't even begin to say how the galloping riffs and ripping solos twist and turn in a fast-paced frenzy, shaped for melody and fierceness while the vocalist's high-flying, versatile falsettos overlap the metallic bombardment. "Make it Dark" is ear-candy: fun, accessible heavy metal that appeals to a variety of folks and tastes, but Twisted Tower Dire are masters of this old-school method. Seriously, these guys know their stuff. More importantly, this band has so much passion and life in their music that it practically feels like a live show. The energy is indescribable; Twisted Tower Dire depends on heavy metal like plants need the sun, and it certainly shows.

The album begins with "Mystera" and "Snow Leopard," two zapping numbers suffocated in dazzling leads and choruses that are practically audio heroin. The title track and "The Stone" are a duo of zingers dumping a cornucopia of fun, addictive riffs and vocal lines over the steel-covered front, again making me drool. "White Shadow" runs on a giant-killing chorus utilizing clean guitars weaved magnificently into the band's galloping crusade; I can't stop singing along, seriously. The simple formula is thrown to the wolves during "Beyond the Gates," a closing number that stretches beyond the eight-minute mark and idolizes a collection of fierce riffs and melodies baptized in the atomic ecstasy that Twisted Tower Dire has mastered throughout "Make it Dark." Overall, it's a rush of heavy metal bliss.

So whenever you overhear someone blowing Hammerfall's horn or senselessly gloating over an ocean of mediocre power metal bands, punch him/her in the face and make them listen to Twisted Tower Dire. They will thank you once their wounds heal, and you can treat yourself to a well-deserved drink with a smile on your face, because you know one more person in our stupid world is now worshiping this amazing group. "Make it Dark" is far from the substandard garbage that mesmerizes the masses while this incredible band goes under the radar, and only a fool would waste time getting into Twisted Tower Dire or "Make it Dark," so immediately give these dudes a shot; no regrets will be found after the fact.