TWINS CREW – Chapter IV (2025) *HQ*
Only 2 months on, and seems 2025 definitely this is the year of Old School Heavy Metal. We already heard and featured here a bunch of really good albums in this style and now we have “Chapter IV“, the 4th LP by Swedes TWINS CREW, their first in nine years. Well worth the wait!
It is always a great pleasure to press play on a CD and listening to tracks like opener “Choose Your God,” which is a very well put manifest against any kind of religious extremism, whose initial bass line and drumming reminded me a lot Black Sabbath’s “Heaven and Hell,” which by the way, has a similar lyrical theme. The song is also a dedication of eternal love to our beloved Metal music. Is it possible not to love a song like whose main chorus says “Metal is your god!”? I guess not.
“Chapter IV” bounces from ’80s Melodic Metal to Helloween’s most inspired era – however Twins Crew are a bit more melodic, with soaring vocals, anthemic choruses and huge accessible solos. This melodic grip and the agenda, of course, are what make them stand out from the retro-metal crowd and establish their own signature.
Despite the 80s/90s songwriting inspiration, “Chapter IV” production is modern, bombastic – heck, lovers of current Scandi Melodic Hard Rock scene will love Twins Crew as well. Just listen to the track ”Living In A Dream”.
The melody drenched “Never Stop Believing” is perhaps the best example of how the band deals with its melodic intent. There is no shadow of doubt in my heart this is the song to singalong louder than hell. This is the kind of larger than life song makes me keep my faith in Metal music no matter how time goes. Lyrically, this album shows this same faith.
Here and there are loud or silence dedications of eternal love to true Metal music in the form of songs like the aforementioned “Live in a Dream”, an hymn tailor-made for the arenas.
From all the problems that haunt us all anywhere in this sad and lonely and pathetic little planet comes the delicate textured “Fighting for the World” as an ode to the end of times we are living and a critique for the ones who deny it. It commences with a sweet mood to get harder in the end with striking guitar solos. It also makes the band’s stand. I just love bands with a clear agenda.
To some extent, “Chapter IV” is a kind of deceiving album because it gives the fan the wrongful idea it is going to take the sugared emotion drenched songs road. However, as soon as “Warrior of North” or “Fire” commence this idea sink as fast as both songs. Here Twins Crew let their hardest facets visible to the fan with tracks that makes them knock their heads off.
Twins Crew has something for everyone, and “Without You” is a metal ballad / midtempo, again, with a melodic sense appealing for melodic hard rock fans.
“Chapter IV” is the kind of album I would have loved to death if I had heard it in my teens – it’s strongly ’80s / early ’90s influenced, but arrangements and production are 2025, huge, multi-tracked, layered – and the guys write very good songs.
Highly Recommended
01 – Choose Your God
02 – Never Stop Believing
03 – Living In A Dream
04 – Warrior Of North
05 – Fire
06 – Without You
07 – Order 69
08 – Fighting For The World
Andreas Larsson (vocals)
Dennis Janglöv (guitar)
David Janglöv (guitar)
Fredik Hammar (bass)
Fredrik Nörgaard Graff (drums) *
* drums on album recorded by Uno Eriksson
BUY
scarletrecords.com/product/twins-crew-chapter-iv-cd-digipack/
