Virginia based epic 'True' Metal act TWISTED TOWER DIRE have evolved from Doom territory to a trad renaissance, and highly respected, Heavy Metal band. TWISTED TOWER DIRE first made themselves public with the issue of a 1995 two track demo patriotically entitled 'Hail Northern Virginia'.

The band upon its inception comprised erstwhile KNIGHTFALL and GOLGOTHA personnel guitarist Scott Waldrop and bass player Jim Murad and two members from arch Black Metal act ARGHOSLENT in guitarist Nick Mertaugh, also of THOKK, and drummer Mark Stauffer, the latter also citing credits with ULTERIOR MOTIVES. However, it should be made clear that as TWISTED TOWER DIRE, the band members wished to disassociate and distance themselves from the undoubted inflammatory views voiced by ARGHOSLENT and simply pursue the craft of Heavy Metal.

TWISTED TOWER DIRE, so named after a lyric from one of Mertaugh's THOKK compositions, was rounded out by singer Tom Phillips of PARASITIC INFESTATION and WHILE HEAVEN WEPT. A split 7" single 'Mourner In The Nethermists' in league with COLD MOURNING, issued by Bad Posture Records in 1996, would mark the band's inaugural commercial release. Before too long Phillips, leaving to concentrate WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, made way for the classically trained Janet Rubin, another erstwhile KNIGHTFALL member, and Mertaugh departed.

The group would revert back to the demo process for a 1997 tape 'Triumphing True Metal' before being featured the following year on a split double pack 7" EP on the Game Two imprint 'Fourteen Inches Of Fury' donating the track 'Fuck You (Consume 24 Beers Before Listening)'. Other acts featured on this release would be Doom merchants REVELATION, Germany's NAEVUS and Hungarian band MOOD.

That same year the song 'Starflight Requiem' would be donated to the Bad posture compilation 'Metal Injection'. Rubin though had made her exit to pursue a career on the Opera stage in Germany and in mid 1998 TWISTED TOWER DIRE duly enrolled the imposing figure of the bald and heavily tattooed ex-FULL FRONTAL NUDITY singer Tony Taylor and second guitarist Dave Boyd.

In 1999 TWISTED TOWER DIRE made their presence felt on the IRON MAIDEN tribute album 'Maiden America' put out by Twilight Records.The track contributed, a medley of 'Powerslave' songs, would be found in unedited form as part of a batch of cover versions- also numbering MANOWAR's 'Revelation' and VOIVOID's 'Forgotten In Space' with drummer Mark Stauffer taking the lead vocal mantle, included as bonus tracks to the vinyl version of TWISTED TOWER DIRE's debut full length album 'The Curse Of Twisted Tower'. Although criticized for it's weak production the record nevertheless impressed many critics with the sheer integrity and strength of the material.

The band's second split release came with a Near Dark Productions 10" single union with SOLSTICE, the band offering up the track 'Mourner In The Mist' as their contribution.

TWISTED TOWER DIRE would enterprizingly self finance a 2000 European tour performing at the 'Wacken Open Air' festival and putting on shows in England. During February of 2001 guitarist Scott Waldrop and vocalist Tony Taylor seconded themselves to King Fowley's OCTOBER 31. The October 2001 TWISTED TOWER DIRE album, originally projected as 'Passages' but finally energing billed as 'The Isle Of Hydra', would see release through the Miskatonic Foundation label of SOLSTICE's Rich Walker plus licenses to Hellion Records in Germany and the Metal Supremacy imprint for a vinyl version. TWISTED TOWER DIRE was mooted to be in preperation for a version of BLACK SABBATH's 'Turn Up The Night' for a 2002 tribute album but this never transpired.

Murad was briefly supplanted by bass player Mike 'Mushroom'. A more permanent figure was drafted in the shape of Jim Hunter, known for his experience with REVELATION, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT and OCTOBER 31. In February of 2002 Taylor would also relinquish his role in OCTOBER 31 in order to apply himself more fully to TWISTED TOWER DIRE.

As TWISTED TOWER DIRE's prominence on the scene so did their projected release schedule. The Greek Unisound label would plan a TWISTED TOWER DIRE compilation album release in conjunction with their 'True Metal' magazine. The Maniacle label mooted a 7" vinyl release of 'Dagger's Blade' whilst Stormbringer Productions were set to issue a 12" vinyl picture disc comprising of album demos and two cover versions, namely QUEENSRYCHE's 'Queen Of The Reich' and the seminal RUSH classic 'The Temples Of Syrinx'. Another proposed cover version would be the rare UFO track 'Give Her The Gun' plotted for a Mid West Metal tribute offering.

The band signed to the German Remedy label for a third studio album entitled 'The Crest Of The Martyrs'. Recording in Hamburg, Germany during February of 2003 studio proceedings were overseen by IRON SAVIOR's Piet Sielck. In mid 2003 Taylor emerged fronting a new trans-Atlantic band venture, ISEN TORR. Joining him for this endeavour would be SOLSTICE guitarist Rich Walker, DESTINY'S END guitarist Perry Grayson with the RITUAL STEEL rhythm section of Oliver Zuhlke on bass and drummer Martin Zeller. First product would be an EP for the Metal Supremacy label 'Mighty And Superior', restricted to 666 copies of which 333 would be picture disc vinyl and the remaining half pressed on 10" vinyl.

The band engaged in themselves in a flurry of cover versions during late 2003 and into 2004. Included would be a version of BLACK SABBATH's 'Glory Ride' for inclusion on a tribute album to be released by Cleopatra Records. The Midwest Metal label's tribute to Schenker-era UFO, 'Spaced Out', featured TWISTED TOWER DIRE performing 'Give Her the Gun' whilst the band also donated their rendition of MOTȪRHEAD's 'Shoot You In The Back' for Remedy Records' 'Motömorphösis - A Tribute To Motorhead Part II'. Yet another homage came with their take on 'Chains And Leather' for a 2004 Remedy Records RUNNING WILD tribute.

Retaining his role with TWISTED TOWER DIRE vocalist Tony Taylor joined up with the Tom Gattis led BALLISTIC as their new singer in May of 2004. In November that year TWISTED TOWER DIRE entered Killabrew Studios in Annandale, Virginia with producer Matt Crooks to record their fourth album, 'Netherworlds', for Germany's Remedy Records. Bonus tracks laid down at these same sessions included covers of SLAYER's 'Crionics' for use on the digipack version and DIO's 'Stand Up And Shout' for the Japanese version issued by Spiritual Beast Records. An extra cover, a rendition of BLACK SABBATH's 'Trashed', would also be cut. The band also featured their take on 'Warrior for the 2005 Remedy Records SAXON tribute album 'Eagleution' and 'Port Royal' on the RUNNING WILD homage 'The Revivalry - A Tribute To Running Wild'.

In October 2006 TWISTED TOWER DIRE parted ways with vocalist Tony Taylor, announcing this split was "Because of some personal problems he's been having". Johnny Aune from Raleigh metal band VIPER took his position for live work. Meantime, Taylor joined German act CUSTARD.

Remedy Records issued the 'Netherworlds' album in February 2007, this set hosting cover versions of SLAYER's 'Crionics', on digipack versions, and DIO's 'Stand Up And Shout', as a Japanese bonus track. The band put in a high profile European festival show at the 'Keep It True' event at the Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany on April 14th 2007 alongside British bands DIAMOND HEAD and SABBAT, fellow US outfits LÄÄZ ROCKIT and LETHAL, Denmark's ARTILLERY, Canadians CAULDRON and PILEDRIVER, Dutchmen DEFENDER and Swedish band BULLET.

Garry Sharpe-Young