ALBUM REVIEW: Dawn Of The Dragonstar – Twilight Force

After an agonising three year wait, power metal heroes TWILIGHT FORCE have returned to the fray with their third record Dawn Of The Dragonstar. There has been one significant difference in those three years, with Allyon stepping into the vocal ring in place of Chrileon, as the band look to continue their journey into the world of power metal.

The new record kicks off with the title track Dawn Of The Dragonstar. The opening seconds begin with a haunting voice-over introducing the new record, and straight away you know exactly what the album is all about. It doesn’t take long for Allyon’s vocals to kick in, and anyone familiar with TWILIGHT FORCE will immediately notice the difference form the preceding records. His voice is deeper, and, somehow, even more powerful as he tells his tale from start to finish. In terms of the overall sound, TWILIGHT FORCE have certainly defined their own identity, and the keyboard solos intertwined with the neck breaking riffs create something very special, and is a superb opening track.

The following track Thundersword has much more of that classic TWILIGHT FORCE sound and echoes in particular back to their 2014 debut record, Tales Of Ancient Prophecies. The intro is composed of trumpets and leads you deeper into the fantasy world the band have created, and as the intro fades away the keyboards pick back up and carry the sound through. While the opening track had a very rapid pace, Thundersword takes it down a notch and the chorus is one that will get any crowd joining in at a live show.

One of the highlights of the entire record is With The Light Of A Thousand Suns. It’s a near seven minute epic which gradually builds up, first through the keyboards and a harmony of vocals before the drums come into play and the tempo picks back up. It really showcases much more of Allyon’s vocal range, with his pitch differing between high and low and the song progresses, as well as a number of long notes which he holds majestically. There are a number of other fantastic tracks which make up the record as well, Hydra adding a darker twist to the album, as well as Blade Of Immortal Steel, one of two epic 12 minute songs that lead Dawn Of The Dragonstar it its climax.

It’s a well-known idiom that a band’s third album is make or break. Dawn Of The Dragonstar has certainly got the potential to make TWILIGHT FORCE, defining their sound and standing as their magnum opus thus far. It’s never easy when a band has to change its line-up at any point in their careers, let alone having to change a front man, but the transition has been very smooth and no doubt Allyon will carry on the legacy of TWILIGHT FORCE, and it will be very exciting to see what the future holds for the band.

Rating: 8/10

Dawn Of The Dragonstar is set for release August 16th via Nuclear Blast Records. 

Like TWILIGHT FORCE on Facebook.