Nameless Grave Records is proud to announce our second reissue of a classic Twisted Tower Dire album, once again with a cool variation from the original version: The Isle of Hydra with an alternate mix from the original sessions and a brand new master, with the CD version being mastered by Andrew Lee and the vinyl version by Dan Lowndes!
Though they formed in the mid-1990s during an absence of heavy metal, by 2001 Twisted Tower Dire was starting to come into the peak of their popularity. They’d played Wacken in Germany for the first time, had a fairly good reception for their debut album two years earlier, and were ready to knuckle down to record a second album that was written collaboratively as a full band for the first time. They had an excellent experience with Kevin “131” Gutierrez at Assembly Line Studios and The Isle of Hydra came into being: sleek, catchy, and a perfect intersection of the band’s early years as an epic Candlemass inspired band and the power metal juggernaut that they’d become.
This alternate mix comes from an earlier session than the one we all know and love, and when it was unearthed by the band it became immediately clear that it merited a release. Powerful bass playing, in particular, is much more prominent than in the original 2001 masterpiece, showcasing Jim Murad’s final recordings in a way that the OG never did and giving a much larger nod to the epic leanings of the band’s formative years. Capped off with the glorious new masters and the band’s earliest recorded rehearsal of these songs as CD bonus tracks, this version will equally satisfy new fans using this as an introduction to the band and old fans ready to experience a favorite again.
The CD version comes with a 12 page booklet, and the LP version with a poster-style foldout insert. Both have lyrics, liner notes, and a wealth of previously unseen pictures. The CD version and digital download is out now and the LP version is available for pre-sale for a January release (or sooner, if it’s completed ahead of schedule as several of our other releases have been lately).
Highly recommended for fans of Visigoth, Pharaoh, and Omen.
Tracklisting:
CD:
Battle Cry
The Isle of Hydra
When the Daylight Fades
The Dagger’s Blade
Ride the Night
The Longing
Sign of the Storm
Final Stand
Dying Breath
BONUS TRACKS:
The Isle of Hydra (Rehearsal)
The Dagger’s Blade (Rehearsal)
The Longing (Rehearsal)
Ride the Night (Rehearsal)