Twins Crew
Judgment Night

August 2011
Released: 2011, Unsigned
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Erich

Twins Crew is yet another Swedish band, founded by twin brothers and guitarists, Dennis and David Janglöv in 2007. Their ambitious goal for the band was to fuse the aggression of Pantera and In Flames with the power metal sounds of Helloween and Stratovarious and then round it out with some good ‘ole Maiden and Priest. Yeah, I know that you are probably wondering how does a band fuse all of that together? I guess the best answer is that they didn’t. However, the album suffers none whatsoever as JUDGEMENT NIGHT is a triumph, pure and simple.



Helloween and Stratovarious won the day, but there are also many elements of one of my favorite power metal bands, Labyrinth, infused within the music. Album opener “Eternal Nights” is a tour de force that briefly captures a chugging Pantera riff before transitioning into full-on harmony guitars followed by outstanding aggressive vocals come chorus time, and acoustic interludes. It is an excellent showcase track. The rest of the album is equally impressive, with some expected power metal cheese moments such as the Manowar-like spoken track “Judgement Night” and the obligatory ballad, “Tales Of A Hero” drawing inspiration from “A Tale That Wasn’t Right”. Then follows a song like “Light” which is sugary aggression, executed with a perfect understanding of power metal’s origins and righting a slight list of the ship.



Man, I have to say I like this album. No, it is not reinvention of the wheel but it is expertly performed and catchy as hell. There are no weak links in the band, Andreas Larsson vocals always reaching for, and finding the perfect melody accompaniments to the Janglov brothers speedy riffs, while the rhythm section of Hammar and Ericsson propel things along. This album is not likely to convert detractors of power metal that derides the speedy guitars and high falsettos, but fans that might be on board are the cautious power metal fans, the ones that find certain bands in small doses rewarding. Twins Crew employs enough aggression to offset some of the saccharine melodies, and the songs are really songs, not wank fests. Fans of traditional power metal need not ponder this one, just go out and buy the damned album.