Beyond Twilight
For The Love Of Art And The Making

Third work by Beyond Twilight, a brilliant Danish band that, after surprising with the captivating "Section X", continues to amaze with this small metal opera "For The Love Of Art And The Making", a concept unique in its genre: one single 38-minute track divided into 43 sections and 3 hidden tracks, fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. Each piece has its own story, but at the same time is part of the fast-weaving plot. This deserves a little more insight: as explained in the booklet, the album has a very specific meaning if listened to from start to finish, but if you press the shuffle button on the CD player, the work will acquire new forms and dimensions: the pieces continue to fit together perfectly and compose a different plot every time. This represents a true experiment, achieved thanks to innovative recording techniques: here the tracks are recorded "in reverse" (the process is illustrated in the booklet, and unfortunately is not easy to understand) to create precisely this effect of fusion among all (or almost all) the pieces regardless of the order taken.
Listened to from beginning to end, the album flows quickly and never bores, the listener's attention is always at its peak as the high number of tracks and the alternating and blending of various genres (from progressive metal to symphonic, from epic to power) give the album freshness, originality, and a brisk pace that never tires.

The recording quality is extremely high, each instrument can be enjoyed perfectly, the keyboard standing out, playing a dominant role throughout the concept, often used like a Hammond, interweaving touches and fugues that immerse the story in more gothic and dark atmospheres. Another positive note is the voice of vocalist Bjorn Jansson, powerful, clean, in my opinion one of the most interesting in the entire progressive scene of recent years. The drums leave a bit disappointed as, based on what was heard in the previous album, something more was expected; the patterns are fairly linear (perhaps too linear for a group that flaunts such evident technical and refined skills) therefore it does not stand out and merely completes the pieces, rather than enriching them.

In conclusion, it is a highly appreciable album played in an innovative way but not of the easiest listening. It might make those with untrained ears for this type of music raise an eyebrow, but it will surely appeal to those who are not afraid of novelty and know how to listen without prejudice.
Those who have ears to understand, let them understand.