Forbidden (3) – Twisted Into Form

J'ai beau essayé d'écouter ça , superbe visuel , musicalement c'est très bon , mais dieu que cette voix est immonde ⭐️ 𝟓/𝟏𝟎

There's new pressings, however I have a Yellow Indie exclusive that hasn't been added quite yet.
It came a bit warped, so first two seconds of audio has loud pops as the needle leaves the record for a split second. I attribute this to Combat's choice of vinyl weight and the VERY tight plastic wrap.
Sound is great though, the only gripe is the slight warping. Very clear, clear highs and the warm lows of 80's thrash recordings.

Similar to FORBIDDEN EVIL, just an all-around improvement

Originally released in 1990, TWISTED INTO FORM was the second of five full-length albums by Hayward, California’s Forbidden (which is just south of Oakland in the Bay area). The band plays technical power/thrash metal masterminded by guitarist Craig Locicero and have been on hold since 2012. (Singer Russ Anderson didn’t like touring and had an issue with alcoholism, but he has recently sobered up and has renewed energy & resolve. So let’s hope the band puts out some more albums).

My favorite opus by them is easily their last one, OMEGA WAVE (2010). That disc took the late 80’s technical thrash of their first two albums — FORBIDDEN EVIL (1988) and TWISTED INTO FORM— and superbly mixed it with the peculiar arty approach of their two mid-90’s releases — DISTORTION (1994) and GREEN (1997).

So how does TWISTED INTO FORM stack up in their discography? Technical power/thrash had reached its peak a couple of years earlier while death metal was emerging and grunge wasn’t yet a genre. So Craig & the boys simply took the foundation set with FORBIDDEN EVIL and made an all-around superior album. Nevermore played the same basic style with some success for twenty years from 1992-2011.

Everything about the band is technically improved on TWISTED INTO FORM, noticeably the production and songwriting. Like all great metal bands from Priest to Metallica to Kisser-led Sepultura to Iced Earth, Forbidden knows how to keep things interesting rather than be one-dimensional and boring. For instance, the album opens with a sweet acoustic piece before picking up speed with “Infinite,” which presents a nice mix of melody, thrash mania and heaviness. The divergent climax of “Out of Body (Out of Mind)” is another stunning example.

Of course the title track is the highlight here. I’ve heard so many songs rip-off that song’s notable riff since this album debuted. Meanwhile the lengthy “R.I.P.” is marked by the tribal percussion of its opening. “Spiral Depression” is another beautiful acoustic piece, albeit fittingly melancholic and haunting, paving the way for the punchy “Tossed Away.” The closer, “One Foot in Hell,” is arguably the best cut after the title track.

After TWISTED INTO FORM, the band would explore new possibilities with their craft and break away from the samey-sounding vibe that mars the songs on this album. But that’s the only negative I can think of concerning TWISTED INTO FORM.

The nine tracks run just over 41 minutes.

GRADE: A-/B+