BEYOND TWILIGHT

To give this four or three stars? Well, I feel inclined to give it three but the concept and ambition forces a four. Intended, I suspect as a single track, this reasonably short album has 43 parts that make up one 38 minute song. Just that the song as it is presented in the order it is isn't that fantastic - musically yeah it's pretty sound, there's plenty that gets said, but the short track length and noticeable transitions between tracks makes the flow unsettling, (which is a part of prog I'll admit, but here seems forced and a bit lazy). The four star rating stands because ideally it can be reordered in almost any way and still make cohesive sense. That shows ambition and for a surprising change,quite a bit of audience participation - though this novelty isn't enough to really pull together the effort however vast into a masterpiece. It's clever and instrumentally engaging at times, though it may not appeal to everyone on equal terms, myself - I don't really love it, but its showing that there is still uncovered territory in prog land, and it's always good to see something original come out.

This is BEYOND TWILIGHT's second album released in 2005. The big change from the debut is the new singer Kelly Sundown Carpenter an American vocalist from the band OUTWORLD. I actually purchased this just because he was singing on it because i'm a big fan of his. I'm one of the few I think who prefer this album to the debut. I like the vocals better and I find this one more interesting and challenging.Tommy Hansen helped mix it and the sound is fantastic.

"Be Careful It's My Head Too!" is a short intro track with processed spoken words that end with "You are in Section X". "The Path Of Darkness" opens with outbursts of sound until it stays heavy with vocals. It settles back then kicks back in before 3 minutes as themes are repeated.The vocals are so good. "Shadow Of Self" opens with heaviness with these background synths. Nice.The tempo picks up quickly and vocals join in. I like the scream 4 minutes in then the synths take over as the drums pound. Ripping guitar after 5 minutes. "Sleeping Beauty" is heavy to start then it settles to an unusually lighter sound including the vocals. It turns nasty after 2 minutes then back to the lighter vocal / piano led sound as contrasts continue. An interesting soundscape before 5 minutes as it gets theatrical.

"The Dark Side" is intense with spoken words then it picks up with vocals. Nice rhythm section with synths 3 minutes in as Kelly continues to spit out the words. Intense stuff. "Portait F In Dark Waters" opens with piano and synths then the tempo picks up before settling again with piano out front. A cool instrumental. "Ecstacy Arise" is heavy and we don't get vocals until before 1 1/2 minutes. A thunderous rhythm section here. Love the instrumental section 5 1/2 minutes in. Vocals are back after 6 1/2 minutes. "Section X" has this bombastic and punchy sound early on with vocals. A guitar solo 3 1/2 minutes in then the tempo picks up a minute later. It settles back before 6 minutes with vocals.

This didn't blow me away by any means but it's one of those albums that grows slowly which I like.

This is Denmark's BEYOND TWILIGHT's debut released in 2002. So far they've released three studio albums and each has had a different lead vocalist.This one features Jorne Lande who has sung with Norway's ARK among others. I'm not a fan of his Coverdale-like vocals unfortunately but I admit the man can sure sing. I have to agree with UMUR that the music here is pretty generic and safe. It might be because it's a concept album as the focus seems to be on the lyrics more than the music. It's not very dynamic at all instrumentally.

The highlight for me are the opening words where this guy is on the computer trying to get into some program and he's coversing with the computer. Anyway you'd have to hear it to appreciate it. The music then takes over and vocals arrive 2 minutes in on this opening track called "Hellfire". Some male choir-like vocals 6 minutes in followed by a guitar solo. "Godless And Wicked" opens with synths as drums and vocals join in quickly. Synths are back leading the way before 3 minutes then the vocals return.

"Shadowland" is dark and heavy but slower paced with vocals. Surprisingly it turns into a ballad-like section 3 minutes in and these contrasts continue. "The Devil's Waltz" is kind of eerie then the piano and bass take over. Guitar joins in as drums pound. I like it. "Crying" reminds me of a WHITESNAKE tune. Not a fan although I like the heavy rhythm 4 1/2 minutes in. "The Devil's Hall Of Fame" has a great intro then it settles some when the vocals arrive. Still heavy though. The vocals 5 1/2 minutes in sound like they're out of an opera. "Closing The Circle" opens with spoken words then synths wash in with piano. Very mellow. "Perfect Dark" is again laid back with vocals. It's fuller before 2 minutes as drums come in. Male choir-like vocals 3 minutes in.

3 stars is all I can muster for this one. Cool cover art though.

It is really remarkable that albums like this one can bring something new and innovative in todas's music!It's really essential that music moves forward with this kind of albums,and this music must be autitioned by any amateur of what is new and original!Nowadays is extremelly rare to bring a touch of inovation and to dare to break some barriers and to cross some boundaries in terms of creativity and imagination!Definitelly the musicians from the North of Europe,and I speak here about the Scandinavian countries have the will to push a little the musical scene with all kinds of musical directions,in metal especially- trash...power...death...black and,of course,progressive! !BEYOND TWILLINGT is something like a fresh breath in music,and they don';t fallow any musical traces,they have their own way trying permenently to surprise their fans and not only...Well,if we realise the fact that the sensational JORN LANDE was on the first album of the band,of course,we have great expectations from the actual vocalist,which is not bad at all,but sometimes I've got the feeling that he really tries to immitate Jorn,because BEYOND TWILIGHT's music sounds like it's been made for Jorn's amazing voice!FOR THE LOVE OF THE ART AND THE MAKING has so many tracks,and it's almost a torture to read all the titles,musical interludes-that's a little more...too much for the simple purpose to make even more complicated the message of this unique,in it's way,album!We have plenty of sensational moments,the basis for the music,the roots come from black metal sometimes and pure metal ingredients too,and the fabulous imagination of the mastermind of the band FINN ZIERLER .The orchestration,instrumentation is-in my opinion-....far superior to the voice of the vocalist!Sometimes thetre are too many musical ideas in a single song and that makes the audition a little pretentious,but in a good direction!Definitelly,it's metal,but it's not at all 100 % prog metal,it's almost impossible to classify it... and that's good!Almost unbelieveble the timing of the album- 37 minutes,because in the end we have the feeling that the album auditioned had at least 1 good hour!Very recomandable album,not an easy listening ,but it worth the effort at 100 %!!! 4 STARS for an ambitions musical direction!

In my humble opinion there isn't much that stands out on the debut album of Beyond Twlight. The music is progressive metal, never really taking any long strides outside of the confines of the genre. They're basically splashing around in safe, familiar water. One thing that is quite striking about it though is the extremely slow tempo of the songs. While most bands of the same genre push the limits of fast sweeping and double bass drum blasting, these guys have really gone to some length to go (in a slow-motion voice, please) sloooooow.

The songs are dark, omnious things, with some great instrumental moments. But there is really just one thing that stands out clearly with this release. The vocal work of Jorn Lande. Yes, yes, I know that people always go on about the vocal ability of this man, but on this album he makes such a remarkable display of virtuoso singing ability that it's impossible not to give it a section of its own.

Being a singer myself who has studied music and vocal techniques of all sorts, I always listen to the vocalists of bands with a more critical ear than for the other instrumentalists. It's unbelievably rare to find a good singer who stretches his/her limits both physically and creatively, yet this is exactly what Jorn does on this album. There are so many absurd vocal parts and arrangements throughout the album as Jorn howls, growls and roars his way through the songs, never losing credibility or intensity. This feat alone is impressive, but that he manages to pull it off in such a manner that it sounds fantastic as well is just beyond words. I can't think of any singer in modern metal that can match the vision, power and skill Jorn provides on this record.

This is an ok album with a few standout tracks and catchy melodies, but mostly it should be considered a source of inspiration and awe for singers everywhere.

3/5

"The Devils Hall Of Fame" is the debut full-length studio album by Danish progressive/power metal act Beyond Twilight. The album was released through Massacre Records in July 2001. Beyond Twilight was born out of the ashes of keyboard player and main composer Finn Zierler´s old band Twilight. Twilight released a couple of album in the nineties before changing their name to Beyond Twilight. The albums were called "Eye for An Eye (1994)" and "The Edge (1999)" and the band played power metal with some progressive elements.

The music on the album is keyboard driven progressive metal/power metal (not the fast double bass drum Euro power metal kind though). Even though the most dominant instruments are keyboards this is not softer styled progressive metal. The music still features lots of heavy guitars and pretty raw vocals by lead singer Jorn Lande (Mastermind, ARK... among others). The music is a bit generic to my ears though, and even though there are loads of great keyboard parts and a few but great guitar solos and strong vocals, the compositions are basically traditional heavy metal/power metal with only a few progressive elements. Traditional heavy metal/power metal soaked in keyboards is a style of music that needs to be something really special to win me over and "The Devils Hall Of Fame" is a bit too standard for that to happen.

The musicianship is excellent and keyboard player Finn Zierler really needs to be mentioned for his outstanding skills and inventive playing. In addition to that he is a clever composer too even though I could have wished for a few more adventurous song structures.

The production is professional but the guitars are way too low in the mix for my taste.

"The Devils Hall Of Fame" is overall a pretty strong progressive/power metal album and deserves a 3.5 star (70%) rating. It´s recommended to fans of song oriented keyboard driven progressive/power metal with memorable melodies. My minor issues with the album is probably not something that´ll disturb the listening experience for fans of the style.

For the Love of Art and the Making came out of nowhere last year, at least for me, and I know a lot of forum members were stunned at how this album by somewhat unheard of prog-metal band (Beyond Twilight) was gearing to be one of the top rated releases off 2006. So, I wanted to see what the hype was. I've not heard anything else by Beyond Twilight, but after hearing this, I think I might. I'm not sure if I knew that the album would have the chaotic setup it has when I ordered it, but I'm glad I wasn't deferred in some other way. For the Love of Art and the Making is full of gorgeous melodies and creative riffs, even if they are not always strung together in the most condusive way. But given the premise for this album (being able to randomize the track order for a different listening experience each time--something I've not done yet), I think it works very well. I think the album is much more tasteful than any recent Dream Theater or Symphony X album (though Paraduse Lost cut back on the cheese significantly), without the constant showoff soloing which becomes far less impressive as one becomes more familiar with that type of songwriting. For the Love of Art and the Making feels much more orchestrated, with flourishes, dynamics, movements, recurring themes, and a variety of orchestrated synths (tasteful, mind you) mixing with heavy metal guitars very well. The album always manages to keep my attention, though one might see this as a sort of Attention Deficit Disorder with music, as it seems to jump from theme to theme constantly. This chaos is both good and bad, because there are fleeting moments which I wish would stay longer than they do. Luckily, there aren't any poor moments I wish to be over with before they wear out their welcome. It all works together, both the sometimes brutal and often beautiful aspects of the music. For the Love of Art and the Making was on my list of top Progressive music from 2006 and it should be a great listen for a fan of melodic and somewhat orchestrated progressive metal.

For The Love Of Art And The Making is the most mysterious and complex concept album in Music History. After several months puzzling about it, I think I´ve found something. IMHO, this album develops 6 CONCEPTS, or layers of concepts, simultaneously:

A first meaning (MYTH), with a storybook that continues where Section X ended, relating a "virtual descent to Hell" somehow inspired in Orpheus and Eurydice and the legend of Ariadne, the Labyrinth and the Minotaur.

Three meanings more (RITE), in witch the structure of the album is related to that of an initiation rite, musical creation and BDSM.

A fifth meaning (MEMORY) that shows us Beyond Twilight´ history, in its foundation´s tenth anniversary.

And a sixth meaning (TRUTH AND JUSTICE), about the falsehood of Jorn Lande´s words about Section X.

But there´s more, much more: number 6 as a symbol, baroque emblems, Stravinski and Liszt, Paul Dunbar´s poetry, egyptian goddess Ma´at.

Absolute masterpiece!

The question is,can only one man with his voice raise a band onto the top?And the answer is yes.Jorn Lande has made his miracle again.Of course the music of the band is very good,of course the other members are talented but there are points in this disc where Lande simply takes over 100% .Surely not a gem,but a very good and powerful disc for lovers of theatrical progressive metal.If KING DIAMOND is the best actor in the heavy metal scene,then Jorn Lande is the leader of the vocalists in the prog metal scene.3.5 stars...

This album has many scattered moments of genius, but it isn't a satisfying experience overall. The concept of 43 tracks is a great idea, but it just doesn't work in practice. Sadly, this album is brought down to an average level by its inaccessible structure and inconsistence of quality.

On the brighter side, the creative genius of The Devil's Hall Of Fame and Section X is also present here. However, it seems to be without a solid, focused concept to accompany it (like the stories served in the other two albums). Either way, this isn't a generic progressive metal album and it is worth getting (but isn't necessary), if only for the moments of pure genius in melody, emotion and style.