Delirium Veil

In a day and age when Finnish giants Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius reigned supreme over the Scandinavian world of power metal, many metalheads thought that there was nothing new to be found in the genre. However, at the same time that these bands were recording “Winterheart's Guild” and “Elements” respectively, an unknown but extremely well supported band called Twilightning was piecing together their debut.

Now, I have to take a step back and say that I enjoy Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica as much as the next Finn-metal fan. But when asked to be honest, I've got to say that THIS is the Finnish metal album (heck, THE album) of 2003. The music here is different from that of most artists in a number of ways, and Heikki Pöyhiä's vocals are one of the first. This man has a powerful voice that reminds me a bit at times of Jarmo Pääkkönen of Excalion. Tempo-wise, this album swings back and forth a little bit, but most of the better tracks are up-tempo. I've heard some describe this album as progressive, and I can't say that I really agree with that at all. By and large, this album is fairly strophic, but certainly not in a way that you'll tire of. Particularly not with the guitar hooks! Though it leans ever so slightly in the direction of hard rock at a few points (a trait of this band that sadly deepens and takes the music downhill after this album), the guitar work on this album is nothing short of stellar. Not perhaps the fastest, showiest, or most technical, but so very well rounded and absurdly catchy!

Not only are the riffs and vocals good on this album, but I found the percussion above-average and well mixed. The guitar solos are truly excellent, particularly in “Gone to the Wall” and “Return to Innocence”. Every song is brimming with catchy guitar licks and great vocal hooks. Even the weakest tracks on this album are enjoyable and comparable to “good” tracks produced by many other groups. The studio production is done extremely well to top everything off, especially for a debut album. One of my few complaints is the extended tinkly instrumental sections that precede or follow a couple of the songs. They're not bad by any stretch of the imagination, and sometimes I enjoy listening to them. But more often than not, I'll barely be able to hear it. This makes me wonder if there's just dead space, which leads me to skip it.

As for high and low points, I'd generally describe this album as starting and riding high throughout the first four songs, then coasting downhill through the still great “Return to Innocence” to reach the not unpleasant valley (in terms of tempo) of “Under Somber Skies” through “Enslaved to the Mind”, before streaking upwards and ending on the second pinnacle of musical brilliance on the album, (and my personal favorite) “Masked Ball Dalliance”. A slower, sweeping song with a good balance of vocals and guitar work, this song presents some of the most brilliant melodies on the album. The title track is the other high point of the this album, with a straight-forward fast paced metal race through vocal acrobatics, machine-gun snare drumming, and fantastically executed flourishes of guitar. My opinion of “Under Somber Skies” and “Enslaved to the Mind” as the weaker tracks here is not shared by everyone, however, as I've heard the former referred to as a favorite by several other reviewers. You'll just have to pick this one up yourself to find out :)

It would be hard to believe that this album could disappoint any fan of melodic metal. The musicianship is really just top-notch in every way, and the band members truly have a gift of melody. High marks for following a successful metal mold while adding a lot of their own color. Twilightning may have sunk after the release of their incredible debut, but this album is a testament of what a band is capable of at their creative peak. Stunning in its execution, “Delirium Veil” sweeps up the listener to a plane of musical rapture that few bands have ever reached. Absolutely essential.

Original review written for Black Wind Metal

Wow, this album grew on me rather heavily. I've played the shit out of it for years now, actually, and now the time has finally come to add to Encyclopaedia Metallum's chorus of praise, scrapping my six year (holy shit) old, none too favorable review in the process. I can only hope that my past dissenting views didn't steer too many people away from this absolute masterwork, clearly one of the finest debuts in power metal history.

For a general idea of what this sounds like, picture early Sonata Arctica, but with much more guitar-based songwriting, and a big flavor of 80's rock. 'Delirium Veil' is exactly as good as that combo sounds on paper, which is to say, it's pretty much pure audio porn in my estimation. This thing just fucking ROCKS; cool riffs and licks are goddamn everywhere on this album. It has that slick and poppy vibe you expect from Finnish power metal, but the unusual wealth of stellar guitar work also gives the album plenty of bite and metal edge. Much like Sonata, there's tremendous songwriting growth and finesse shown, especially for a debut. There's a lot packed into all the songs, but without them ever feeling clogged up; every guitar lick, riff, keyboard melody and solo adds something and feels in place. Again, like Sonata, the arrangements are sophisticated as hell and the individual songs exhibit plenty of character and don't feel samey. This is what elevates 'Delirium Veil' into a more enduring and rewarding listen than comparable output from peers such as Dreamtale or Celesty, which is good but doesn't quite hold up beyond casual listening. In addition, as if not ripping my face off enough already, vocalist Heikki Pöyhiä absolutely kills it on here. What a screamer, what a voice and what passion and energy he brings, bringing to mind such vocal gods as Mike Matijevic and Tony Harnell, while at the same time retaining that "soaring" power metal edge when called upon.

What's more, catchy hooks are practically in never-ending supply, given its 80's rock influence - why I did not instantly fall in love with this one, I will never know. For highlights, I refer you to the entirety of the tracklist. On a metal album, you know it's a good sign when even the ballad manages to be great. Every fan of power metal needs to hear this, needless to say, and the sheer guitar workout offered here is bound to attract the more classical inclined metallers as well. Boasting ridiculous catchiness, real meat to the songs and an outstanding presentation, 'Delirium Veil' is one of those albums I simply cannot live without.

Name is still bloody stupid, though.

I don't even know where to begin with this review. This album is just so mindblowingly awesome that it needs no introduction. All I can say is that this is power metal at it's absolute best. Twilightning's debut, Delirium Veil, is so goddamn great that it even puts Sonata Arctica to shame, and they're an awesome band as well.

Put aside the fact that this is indeed a "flower metal" band complete with keyboards that sound cheesy to some. However, for those who are more open to the lighter side of power metal, this album has pretty much everything to offer. It has talented band members, plenty of speed, like Sonata Arctica, lots of emotion, a singer who has a powerful soaring voice that at times can compete with Bruce Dickenson's (not saying that he's better than Bruce though), 80s sounding keyboards that have a nostalgic vibe to them. For fans such as myself, you just can't help but love those keys, though other fans would probably detest them for sounding too "cheesy". I really cannot find anything wrong with this album. It doesn't suffer from pointless filler unlike most other power metal albums, nor does it suffer from stupid lyrics and songwriting unlike bands like Blind Guardian (seriously, if I wanted to hear songs about The Lord of the Rings, I'd watch the damn movie myself), and it's consistent all the way through.

It's hard to pick out a stand out track here, because evey song is so damn good. However, there are a few stand out tracks, these would be At the Forge, the title track, Under Somber Skies, and The Jester Realm. The first two metnitoned are upbeat fats rockers with happy sounding choruses and nice tasteful use of the keyboards which adds to the quality of the songs. Under Somber Skies is a great ballad, which is something similar to what Sonata Arctica would do, as it's sad and sappy, yet that's what a ballad is suppose to do. It's suppose to mess with your emotions, rather that would be helping you feel happier, or more sad, or whatever. However, none of these songs compare to the absolute brilliance of Jester Realm. This would be my favorite song on the album, as it displays what this whole album is about. It's fast yet very emotional, and that keyboard intro is simply amazing. I don't care what anyone says. More tasteful use of the keys again makes this song.

Once again, there is nothing worng with this album, and if you're a fan of european power metal with a bit of an 80s tinge to them along with a hell of a keyboardist, then look no futher. Twilightning is the band to look for, and Delirium Veil is a must have album. It's just too bad that this band does not get the credit they deserve, as they are miles above other power metal bands in quality. Hell, I feel ashamed of myself for downloading this album, as it's defiently worth buying at full price. While some may argue with me here, this in my opinon is the greatest power metal album ever. It's even better than Helloween's Keeper of the Seven Keys 1. This band may sound cheesy to some, but for those who like keyboards in their metal will love this album. If you're a fan of power metal, get this album now!

There is an unfair stigma of anti-intellectualism and fluffiness attached to power metal, mostly by those who champion the various pet political or social causes of whatever more extreme genre they purport to love. This attack, however, misses the actual diversity of the genre both in style and lyrical approach. Some say it’s all about knights and dragons, magic and sci-fi, and too melodic to carry any real sense of depth or intensity. While the implied hostility towards melody that this implies can not be answered with anything other than bewilderment and a brief shake of the head, the other can be answered with Twilightning’s artistically impeccable debut.

“The Delirium Veil” meshes a slightly derivative, yet in many ways unique sound, with a rather intricate set of lyrics that delve into cognitive unrest, psychological turmoil, and epistemological inquiry. There is a balance of light and darkness to the tone of the lyrics that puts right dead center between the woeful fatalism of Sonata Arctica and the often sappy optimism of Stratovarius. The music invokes similar comparisons to both outfits, although their arrangement has a good deal in common with Dreamtale, who also share the same influences and released their greatest album in 2003. But by an interesting contrast, Twilightning has opted to craft their compositions in a much looser and fluid style than the strict repetition and variation approach of most of their European power metal brethren.

When you hear a power metal song from most European acts and even to a large extent their American and British fore-fathers, you have a very clear cut structure with an extremely symmetrical approach to variation, resulting in a predictable yet enjoyable experience. Particularly in the area of guitar and keyboard parts, this outfit instead chooses to develop their ideas in rapid succession, resulting in 2 or 3 variations on the same riff in just the intro of a few songs. Even when the vocals are in your face impressing your ears with its commanding range, you can catch little fills and snippets on one or two of the guitar tracks that will keep you guessing. The bass and drums tend to adhere more to the strictness of the style, giving the album the needed continuity to keep it from morphing into a Pagan’s Mind worship fest, though you could make some comparisons to them in the case of this album in terms of the competency of the instrumentalists.

Even the way that the album is mixed and ultimately produced is a departure from the strict, almost baroque-like approach to instrumental arrangement, which tends to designate certain tracks to specific parts of interest in order to have a highly controlled sound. Instead, we are treated to what sounds like a perfectly produced live album with one track for each player, rather than a series of overdubs in order to give the illusion of there being 8 or 9 people in the band on the CD. Only Heikki’s vocals, which sound like Koltipelto but with twice the attitude, and a few keyboard tracks are overdubbed to fill out the dimensions needed to give the arrangement a bit more studio punch.

Picking a highlight proves to be difficult if you like your power metal somewhat eclectic, as there is a little bit in here for everybody. If you want an elaborate version of a triumphant Stratovarius anthem, just hit play and let “Gone to the Wall” take control of your ears. Emotionalist Sonata Arctica fans will likely go for the intellectual yet fast “At the Forge” and the mellow “Under Somber Skies”. But if you’re like me and you like it fast, epic, and full of virtuoso madness, blast out the title track at full volume and become possessed with the urge to roll down the windows and let the whole world know what they are missing.

Probably the hardest choice to make was choosing a single best power metal album of 2003 because there were just so many landmarks, both by established and new acts. This is up there with Stratovarius’ pre-Infinite material, and is equally as musically significant as Sonata Arctica’s “Silence”, my favorite album by them to date. If you like this genre, this is definitely something worth blowing your greenbacks on, and this is coming from someone who blew a good amount to get this baby imported, without the bonus tracks I might add.

Twilightning's newer efforts may be some of the most laughable and tepid piles of horse dung that ever graced the metal world with their presence, but their debut album Delirium Veil wasn't quite in the same ballpark. Here, there's a much more definite balance between their power metal sound and the 80s pop tendencies, as opposed to how they underwent a rather disturbing transformation into full-on butt rockers by their atrocious third effort Swinelords. This disc is packed chock full of infectious synth and guitar melodies and the catchier-than-AIDS vocal performance of Heikki Pohyia, and the rapid-fire double bass drum assault courtesy of Juha Leskinen. This was the only Twilightning album where the band used their over-the-top musicianship and stunning talents to their full extents and created a solid, well played album of Sonata Arctica/Stratovarius-esque melodic power metal. There are really no bad songs here; it's just one great song after another. Standouts from the already solid track-list include the hyper-melodic opener "Gone to the Wall", the title track (which packs one of the coolest fucking guitar solos I've ever heard from a modern power metal band), and the stunning, jaw-dropping balladry of "Under Somber Skies." Seriously, I never expected a Finnish power metal band to do a ballad this damn good.

The vocals of Heikki Pohyia are also a point to be noted, as on this album, they're crystal clear, controlled, and they soar right up to high Heaven and back to Earth. Unfortunately, he lost most of this raw, soaring power on the later albums due to the banal vocal lines he was given to sing, but that does nothing to dent his fantastic performance on this album. Picture Tony Kakko on Sonata Arctica's debut album except even more in control of his voice and with a far better range, and you'd have something close to Pohyia's work on Delirium Veil.

The only downside that I can think of is that this album is almost too catchy, and I found myself aggravated out of my right mind a few times when songs like "Enslaved to the Mind" or the title track couldn't and wouldn't be pried from the darkest corners of my mind. But that doesn't matter too much, as this is is an extremely solid and virtuous exercise in high-octane power metal, and few bands can do such a thing with the level of sheer fucking class and joyous energy that Twilightning have done here. Go get it.

My friend sent me his Guitar-Pro tab of Gone to the Wall one day, and after a few measures I had already asked him from which album that was so I could get it. And oh no, was I not disappointed. What do you get when you mix the guitar work of Children of Bodom, the intensity and speed of Dragonforce and the harmonies of Avantasia? Fantastic music.

If you think you’ll get repetitive power chords as backing, forget it, you can hear right away in Gone to the Wall that this band has more interesting riffs to offer. As if good riffs weren’t enough, these two guitarists bring us some sweet harmonies leads and shredding solos that will quickly get you addicted. Add on a few varied keyboards (from chords to melodies, with a new sample every time) to create a more powerful, complete atmosphere. And then, just when you thought this album was perfect, Heikki Pöyhiä comes deliver some of the best vocals I heard. You know those vocalist that sound really nice on low notes and then the more they move up, the more it sounds like an old can? Well he is one of the rare ones that don’t suffer from that, as he is smooth and rich from low to high register. Needless to specify that the production is Flawless.

Highlight Song :
Gone to the Wall
I will remember that intro riff forever, and the reasons are blatant. Fast notes combined with some palm muting and the perfect amount of chromatic notes makes it something truly memorable. The verse is more directed towards vocals, and I quickly went to find the lyrics so I could sing along. Chorus contains the same riff than the intro, but with harmonized vocals and keyboards. Sweet. The solo in this song was a little week, in my opinion, but everything else fit perfectly.

Bottom line, if you like power metal and aren’t a keyboard-phobic, I cannot imagine how you could not enjoy this album. As I stated before, this band is pretty similar to Avantasia and Dragonforce.