The band unleashed their self produced, full-length debut in 1999. Despite a modest budget, "The Curse of Twisted Tower" won over many dedicated fans that appreciated Twisted Tower Dire's traditional yet unique sound. From 1999 to 2000, the band embarked on a relentless, self-financed world tour in support of "Curse". This tour included U.S. appearances at the Milwaukee Metal Fest, March Metal Meltdown, The Powermad Fest, Phantasmagoria Metal Fest, and The North Carolina Metal Fest. A European stretch of the tour followed with fellow metal heathens The Lord Weird Slough Feg and Solstice including several club dates and appearances at the Wacken Open Air Festival and the Bradford Metal Inquisition.
In 2001, Twisted Tower Dire released the critically acclaimed "The Isle of Hydra" on The Miskatonic Foundation and Hellion Records. The album featured mature song writing abilities and improved production, but retained a certain underground grit. In support they played several shows in the Mid Atlantic Region and beyond, including an appearance at the Classic Metal Festival and a second appearance at the Milwaukee Metal Festival. In July 2002, Twisted Tower Dire returned to Deutschland to continue their relentless assault on small clubs and festivals abroad with a headlining appearance at The Headbanger's Open Air Festival.
In September of that year, Twisted Tower Dire signed to Germany's Remedy Records. Their third release "Crest Of The Martyrs" was unleashed upon the masses on May 26th, 2003. The song "Axes & Honour" was released as a limited vinyl single and picture vinyl single. The release of "Crest" was accompanied by a European tour including festival gigs at the Metal Bash Open Air Fest and the Wacken Open Air Fest.
Twisted Tower Dire has gone through countless trials and changes through its 10 year history but the seminal vision has remained the same from early basement practices to today. The "Tower Brethren" continue to fight for the legacy of Classic Heavy Metal with their strongest line-up and forthcoming 4th album “Netherworlds” in 2007.
On February 6, 2010, Tony Taylor, their former vocalist, died in a motorcycle accident.
The band appreciates the support of its dedicated fans and hopes to see you soon in the audience banging your head!
Current Members
* Jonny Aune – vocals
* Scott Waldrop – guitars
* Dave Boyd – guitars
* Jim Hunter – bass
* Marc Stauffer – drums
Former members
* Anthony "Tony" Taylor – vocals (deceased)
* Hayes Elkins – guitars
* Mike Engel – bass
* Nick Mertaugh – guitars
* Jim Murad – bass
* Tom Phillips – vocals
* Janet Rubin – vocals
Discography
* The Curse of Twisted Tower (1999)
* The Isle of Hydra (2001)
* Crest of the Martyrs (2003)
* Netherworlds (2007)
Ride the Night
Twisted Tower Dire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That makes three days running
Out of the night, a new start
But I will find another morning
Yes I will find another morning....
The sun will rise, the day will break
There will be no more give and take
Yesterday was so heartless
Under the waning moon beneath the darkest star filled skies
Forever damned to ride, forever ride the night
Ride the night, the night.....
A new day is here, the night it was so long
Our journey here was a hard one
Our ride will never end, our enemy's the sun
Now with the dusk it's time to run
The lyrics to Twisted Tower Dire's "Ride the Night" convey a sense of transformation and endurance. The first two lines set the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer declares the setting and the emotional state they're in after three days of darkness. However, instead of wallowing, they quickly move towards the possibility of a new start. This theme of change and the duality of light and darkness continues throughout the rest of the song.
The second verse furthers the idea of transformation, with the singer acknowledging that the day will eventually come, but that doesn't mean the situation won't change again. The lines "There will be no more give and take / Yesterday was so heartless" suggest that the darkness has been a time of struggle, but there's still hope for something better.
The chorus of "Ride the Night" is powerful and symbolic. The image of riding forever under the waning moon and the darkest star-filled skies speaks to the idea of endurance, purpose, and the unknown. The last line of "the night" repeated twice emphasizes the sense of never-ending darkness, but also the determination of the singer and their ability to face it head-on.
Overall, "Ride the Night" is a song that encapsulates the feeling of being in the thick of things, facing struggles, but also recognizing that the cycle of change and darkness will continue.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun has set over my heart
My heart is overwhelmed with sorrow as the sun sets.
That makes three days running
I have been feeling this way for three consecutive days now.
Out of the night, a new start
A new beginning can arise from the darkness.
But I will find another morning
I will eventually find hope in the future.
The sun will rise, the day will break
A new day will come and the darkness will disappear.
The light will fade into the darkness
The light of day will give way to the shadows of night.
There will be no more give and take
The struggles and negotiations of the past will be left behind.
Yesterday was so heartless
The past was filled with cruelty and insensitivity.
Under the waning moon beneath the darkest star filled skies
We are surrounded by total darkness, with only the stars for light.
Forever damned to ride, forever ride the night
We are stuck in this situation forever and must continue on through the night.
Ride the night, the night.....
We must continue to move forward through the darkness and uncertainty.
A new day is here, the night it was so long
After a long night, a new day has finally arrived.
Our journey here was a hard one
The path we took to reach this point was very difficult.
Our ride will never end, our enemy's the sun
Our journey will continue indefinitely, with the sun being our only obstacle.
Now with the dusk it's time to run
As night begins to fall again, we must continue our journey with haste.
Contributed by Caleb K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.