(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): TITAN

Saturday, 22 November 2014

TITAN

Band: TITAN

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metal / Thrash / Doom / Ambient / Screamo
Related artists: Fires of Mammon, Struck By Truth, Ispoke, Panserbjorne, Gates and The Sustained Low 'C' Of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra".
Country: Toronto, Ontario CANADA
Years Active: 2006-2013
Song: "Warmer Months (demo)"
Album: "Warmer Months"
Year: 2013
Label(s): Self Released / React With Protest / Hypaethral Records / Empyreal Records / Inkblot Records / Erode Releases / Feast or Famine Recordings
This post's artist is from the November 2014 Mix. This is track #13.
You can download the October Mix#11 right here or get the new November Mix#12 here.
For fans of: Buried Inside, Tephra, Amber, Isis, Monuments Collapse, Back When, Alaskan, La Kraken, Crestfallen, AmenRa, Breag Naofa, Castle, Belladonna, Botch, The Minor Times, Gray Ghost, Nous Etions and The Sustained Low 'C' Of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra".

TITAN was Toronto's powerhouse for just over half of a decade. They played absolutely massive and punishing songs with some long, drawn out and repetitive riffing not unlike some other well known bands, but mainly the most obvious due to sound and location would be Buried Inside. The band interested me for quite some time after I initially picked up their June Paik split 12" and was impressed with "His Eminence" which straddled the screamo/metal barrier.This is kind of funny, as I live next to Toronto but only found out about the band because of a split with one of my German favourites! After becoming engrossed in their discography a while back, I realized with the release of 'Burn' that the previous releases were stepping stones to get to that insanely ridiculous 10-song LP completed. Really, the cd/2x12" 'Burn' album from 2012 is a masterpiece and belongs up there with Buried Inside's 'Chronoclast' and Tephra's 'Tephra'.

TITAN played epic metal/hardcore with some black metal influences, was sometimes fast and sometimes plodding, toyed occasionally with two vocalists and dropped some serious double bass. The vocalist, I should quickly mention, was able to seamlessly jump from shrill scream to bellowing growl in an instant. I would recommend starting with 'Burn' and my favourite song "Warmer Months" (which has the greatest ending, starting at just past 7 minutes) and working your way back in reverse chronological order. My personal favourites by the band besides the June Paik split track and In First Person split song "Throne of Blood" are "Next Winter" and "His Eminence" from the 'Colossus' album, the "Warmer Months" demo from the 12" of the same name as well as "Feast", "Myopic", "Warmer Months", "Little Seeds" and "The Fire Sculptures" from the band's final album. I was lucky enough to see the band play (what I believe ended up being) their final show with Loma Prieta and White Ribs back on April 8th, 2013. Here's a picture of me with the vocalist, who ended up looking identical to my Uncle Tony living down in Australia. They sound a bit different ;) You can check out a brief show review here which I posted before this blog was officially launched and a video of "Warmer Months" which I've also linked in the audio/video section below. Check the video out for sure, especially from 7:00-8:41 which just made me headbang (with my eyes closed) by myself sitting in front of the computer. RIP, you bunch of heroes.

A final random note, I spoke with a member from the band (via Zegema Beach Records) about a year ago hoping to release 'Burn' properly on cd (the cd I have is a burned copy in a cardboard sleeve) but after the breakup I never heard from them again. Boo-urns. The vocalist joined The Sustained Low 'C' Of Richard Stausss "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and I think that may or may not have been the catalyst for the breakup, but I dunno. The 2-track 7" is linked here.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here (for pt.1) and here (for pt.2)<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2007 - The Chrysanthemum Pledge cd/12"EP
2007 - June Paik split 12"

2008 - In First Person split 7"

2009 - Colossus cd/12"EP

2010 - Scraps of a Feast cdEP (3 'Burn' demo tracks + "JCN")

2012 - Burn cd/2x12"LP
2012 - Warmer Months 12"EP (contains the demo version of "Warmer Months", that is all)

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(2013) TITAN - "Warmer Months" live