For nearly three decades, Twisted Tower Dire have championed traditional heavy metal with a sound rooted in NWOBHM but unafraid to explore thrash, doom, and speed metal. Formed in Virginia in 1995, the band has built a cult following through hard-hitting albums, underground grit, and unwavering dedication. In this interview, guitarist Dave Boyd walks us through the band’s origins, evolution, and the road ahead; with stories of passion, perseverance, and a few wild detours along the way.

Interview

TheNwothm: Can you start by introducing Twisted Tower Dire to those who might not be familiar with the band? Where are you guys based out of?

T.T.D: Thank you so much for the interview! TTD formed in the northern Virginia area in 1995. Our style can be described as traditional metal, epic metal or NWOBHM. We have a pretty distinct style that incorporates thrash, speed and even doom metal elements. Right now I live in Richmond VA, Marc is still in northern Virginia and the others live in Raleigh NC. Scott just moved to CA a few days ago.

TheNwothm: How did Twisted Tower Dire come together in the early days? Was it a gradual formation or more of a lightning bolt moment?

T.T.D: TTD formed out of the ashes of a band called Golgotha. Scott has historically been the principal song writer with the rest of contributing as well. The first line up featured Tom Phillips (While Heaven Wept) on vocals and when I joined in 1997 we had Janet Rubin behind the mic. She soon left the band to pursue a career as an opera singer in Europe. Tony joined at that point and we recorded the first album soon after. From that point on, the line up remained fairly stable until Jim Hunter replaced Jim Murad on bass and later Tony (RIP) was replaced by Jonny Aune on vocals.

TheNwothm: What was the local scene like in Chantilly, Virginia when you first formed back in 1995 compared to now?

T.T.D: I actually grew up a bit south of Chantilly, but I know the death metal scene was strong in the area. There were some thrash bands too, but not much NWOBHM. It seemed at the time that most players had moved on from that genera and considered it worn out and passé. I guess the joke is on them now, haha! It’s hard to believe how many bands are doing the trad metal thing now. We had a hard time finding similar bands in the mid to late 90s. We felt like dinosaurs and we often questioned about our choice of style.

TheNwothm: Have any elements of Southern or East Coast metal scenes filtered into your music over the years?

T.T.D: I don’t think we necessarily followed one certain scene or another. It was just choice bands from all over the place and some locals that we followed. Deceased was the big band in the northern VA area and King Fowley arranged a lot of the underground shows. I grew up watching and following a local band called Hedonistic Cravings from my home town. They were speed metal and my good friend Don played drums for them. I worked with the singer too and he encouraged me to go to college and look at playing metal as a serious hobby and not a profession. That was a big deal to me because it kind of gave me permission to do so in a way. We’ve never made any real money playing in TTD and that’s the way I’d like to keep it! Any money we make goes into recording or merchandise and there’s none left over for expensive guitars or cocaine!

TheNwothm: What’s a non-metal artist or band that you secretly (or not so secretly) enjoy?

T.T.D: I love RUSH! I listen to them almost every day. I’m definitely into prog rock and the older I get, the less I listen to fast and heavy stuff…although I still do. Thin Lizzy is also a huge influence on me and the other dudes and I listen to them often.

TheNwothm: Let’s go back to your first full-length, The Curse of Twisted Tower (1999). What was the atmosphere in the band during its creation? What did you want to establish with that debut?

T.T.D: I joined the band right before Curse was recorded, as did Tony. I played on the album but very little because I was still learning the songs. I think it’s safe to say we all thought we were recording our one and only album, haha! Scott has mentioned in the past that he was trying to do “all the stuff” guitar wise…like look at me, I can do this! A lot of the songs were kind of long and had unique arrangements. We tried to streamline things later, but it’s still a fun album. The atmosphere was about excitement and trying to have fun while we learned how to record. The original recording has a very underground sound that we often compare to a nice speaker with a pillow over it…kind of muddy. Marc and his friend remixed it later and it’s amazing to hear the difference. A lot of stuff got buried in the original mix.

TheNwothm: As the band moved through releases like The Isle of Hydra (2001), Crest of the Martyrs (2003), and Netherworlds (2007), how did your approach to songwriting and storytelling develop across those albums?

T.T.D:We definitely tried to streamline the writing and make things a little more catchy. Crest is a good example…more “sing a long” worthy songs, etc. Netherworlds was written largely by Scott during a difficult period in his life and therefore took on a darker tone. I didn’t start writing lyrics until the latest release, but Scott and Tony liked a lot of the familiar heavy metal themes…dragons, battle, magic, kinship and brotherhood.

TheNwothm: Make It Dark came out in 2011. What was the creative direction during that period, and how did that album reflect the band’s mindset or lineup at the time?

T.T.D:MID is the first release with Jonny on vocals. Scott had been listening to a lot of super catchy stuff, like The Ramones, and I think he was trying a similar approach with TTD. That approach then pivoted to the band Walpyrgus and TTD eventually went for a more heavy approach with Wars in the Unknown.

TheNwothm: After several years, Wars in the Unknown(2019) brought new material. What inspired the band to return with a full-length at that point, and how did the album come together?

T.T.D:We never meant to take so long to write and record an album. Scott at some point asked me to attempt to do the bulk of the writing. I hadn’t done anything like that before and it took a while for me to pull together tunes that I liked and knew the band would like. I hoped the fans would like them too. Like MID and Netherworlds, we recorded the tracks ourself with help from our good friend Johnny Wooten with recording the vocals. Marc has always had an interest in engineering our records and helped a lot with that. We were lucky to reconnect with Kevin 131 who had recorded Hydra 20 years earlier. He’s quite the big dog now and his rates went up (haha) but it was worth every penny. He mixed it and we reviewed the tracks providing feedback for edits. We were never in the same room together, but trusted Kevin to pull it off…and he did! He also re-amped the guitar tracks to make them sound better.

TheNwothm: With recent releases like Rippin It Live and Raw at the Pour House and the Knights of True Metalsplit, how would you describe where Twisted Tower Dire stands today, musically and creatively?

T.T.D:Honestly, we’re just trying to remain relevant, be as productive as we collectively can be and keep moving forward, albeit slowly. We all still enjoy and appreciate the band, but we have other bands and other interests that are important to us too. I’d honestly rather put out an album every 7-8 years that we can stand behind and enjoy the whole process than push through more frequent releases that all bleed together and sound similar. I love that each TTD album sounds different and is a reflection of where we are at that time. Time capsules!

TheNwothm: Outside of music, what do the members of Twisted Tower Dire enjoy doing? Any hobbies or unusual interests the fans might not expect?

T.T.D:Scott is an ultra marathon runner and I (Dave) like to hike and spend time outdoors. We’re also doggie daddies and Marc has a posse of cats ruling his household. Jim is in a ton of bands and Jonny is in a few as well. I’m really into puppets (yes, that’s right) and stop animation and I’d love to get involved in that somehow.

TheNwothm: If you could step into any fantasy world — one that fits the tone of your lyrics — which universe would it be?

T.T.D:Here’s a really non-metal answer, haha. I’m really into hiking and the outdoors, so stepping into the world of the snow leopard would be pretty cool?! They live in rugged mountains that would be challenging and fun to climb, if it’s even possible. I’m sure someone does it!

TheNwothm: Thinking ahead, are there any plans for new music in the works? Can we expect another full-length or perhaps an EP soon?

T.T.D:We can expect new music in the future. Right now we have about six songs roughed out with enough other ideas for a full length. That’s what we’re shooting for, we just need to finalize a few arrangements, write some lyrics and record it all. I’m hoping we can wrap it up towards the end of 2025, or be very close. The new songs we finished so far are pretty rad and cover a lot of different influences and styles. I’m pretty stoked about it!

TheNwothm: What’s the most ridiculous or unforgettable gig moment you’ve experienced?

T.T.D:We seem to have a propensity for finding ourselves in ridiculous situations! I think the one gig that takes the cake is an impromptu performance at a brothel in Germany. We were in no condition to play and used the rusty acoustic instruments that were on the stage behind the stripper pole. This wasn’t our idea and the owner insisted on us playing. We’re also driven long distances to play in front of almost no one. That seems to be our superpower as a band, haha!

TheNwothm: Are there any upcoming tour plans for 2025, either in the U.S. or overseas? Any festivals you’re especially excited about?

T.T.D:We just played the Stormbringer Festival outside of Boston and it was excellent! We had a fantastic time and met a ton of fans who were really excited to see us play. We don’t have any other plans to play in 2025. Scott just moved to CA and we’re not sure how the live shows will work moving forward. We’re making it up as we go, like we always have in the past.

TheNwothm: How do you see the future sound of Twisted Tower Dire evolving — or are you more focused on sharpening the core style you’ve always championed?

T.T.D:I think one thing that sets us apart from most traditional metal bands is we’ve never been scared to roll in influences from thrash, doom, speed, death, prog…whatever we like. First and foremost it’s our band, and I think what we consider good music is constantly evolving. There are a lot of great bands out there in this genre today, but I wish more would experiment and stop writing songs with a boiler plate approach. We need to keep things interesting and keep evolving. I’m honestly pretty bored with a lot of new bands (sorry y’all!). It’s not just about looking into the past for inspiration. Creativity is appreciated and being pleasantly surprised by music is a good thing. Be courageous and push the boundaries! Trailblazers don’t play it safe.

TheNwothm: How can our readers buy your music and merch?

T.T.D:We have a bunch of reissues and recent releases on Nameless Graves Records. Brandon has been a huge supporter and we appreciate him! Our bandcamp page is another place to check. We don’t have anything we control on Spotify because selling our music is the only way we can afford to e record. That might change in the future, but that’s where we are now. Everyone expects music to be free these days and it’s kind of a bummer. Thanks to everyone who continues to support us by buying our music and merchandise!

TheNwothm: Where can fans follow you online?

Bandcamp: https://twistedtowerdire.bandcamp.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TwistedTowerDire

Instagram: www.instagram.com/twistedtowerdire

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

T.T.D:Thanks to everyone who listens to TTD and supports us. We would have stopped doing this already without you! Stay metal, stay true! As Tony used to say, cheers and metal!