Album Reviews

Maiden Voyage:

Address: http://truemetal.org/snakepit/reviews/reviewsT.htm#43

By: Heinz Konzett

You awaited a bit more from ARMORED SAINT's comeback (not live but with the studio album)? Here is the alternative. TITANIC! The singer IS John Bush's brother, at least he has to be. And the rough Metal sound with the traditional, basic US Metal riffing reminds on "Delirious Nomad". Absolutely great. "Ocean Of Blood", "Gods Of War", "Fight Back" - classic US Metal stuff. The album is produced by Robert Sweet (STRYPER) and the label is one of the Christian scene, so TITANIC comes from that side that delivered some outstanding outfits as SACRED WARRIOR, RECON, GUARDIAN and the Thrash gods BELIEVER in the 80's, early 90's. And now TITANIC.

Address: http://www.tollbooth.org/2000/reviews/titanic.html

By: Alex Klages

Titanic's album, released originally as an independent in 1995, still has plenty of crunch and kick in 2000.  Magdalene Records states that its purpose is to re-release "classics that have gone out-of-print."  While I'm not totally convinced that this album is a classic, it's pretty good.

Simon K. Tyler, the lead vocalist, has plenty of growl and snarl to his vocals, for that attitude factor that makes a good hard rock album.  The songwriting and guitar playing by Bill Menchen is consistently solid on both counts.  The rhythm section of Ray Kilsdonk and Tim Palmatier are solid.  In fact, Tim Palmatier's drumming seems to better fit into the overall band dynamic than Robert Sweet's drumming on the three bonus tracks.  Somehow, it seems that Sweet is trying to take over the show on those tracks, whereas Palmatier is more of a team player.

Some of the better tracks are "Freak Show" with its look at how "everybody is weird to somebody," "Ocean of Blood" with its redemptive imagery, and "Gods of War" simply because, well, it rocks.  That's the sort of album it is.  The band makes no pretensions about trying to be radio-friendly or overtly bland.  They aim to rock, and rock hard, and, by and large, succeed. 

This is one Maiden Voyage that doesn't get wrecked on the iceberg of the compact disc format!
Rating: 3.5/5

Address: http://www.nolifetilmetal.com/titanic.htm

By: No Life 'Till Metal

This is one of those discs that I get tons of emails about asking why I don't have it yet. I had heard it a few years ago but was not immediately impressed, so I didn't bother to purchase it. Well, when M8 re-released the disc I decided I should give it a second chance. I must say that the music began to grow on me more after a while. The music is no-frills heavy metal. There are no ballads, no radio friendly songs, just straight forward, mid-paced heavy metal reminiscent of Saint, Judas Priest, and especially Armored Saint. Unfortunately some of the disc is rather generic. Favorite track is the hook laden "Gods of War." Coolest lyrics "I Don't Believe." This re-issue features previously unreleased bonus demo tracks with Robert Sweet (ex-Stryper) on drums, who apparently joined this band for a short time. The bonus tracks are a bit annoying though as the mix is not very good. The drums are way to out front.

Address: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Underground/2649/m8.html

By: M8 Distribution

Okay King James and Zaxas fans, perk up your ears, this disc is for you. Here are ten Pop Metal, hook laden songs which are very much retrospective of the big bands of the 80’s. Musically, while it resembles some glam metal, it has a more organic sound. I’m sure there is no spandex at a Titanic concert! However, the three bonus tracks added to the end of the CD were produced by Robert Sweet (ex-Stryper). Robert also plays drums as he joined this band shortly after the original release of “Maiden Voyage”. Robert’s drumming is noticeably better. The lyrics are clever and often scathing, pronouncing Jeremiads against the corruption and wrongdoing so prevalent in modern American society (I call it the “Springer Generation”). Like the famed luxury liner that bears the name “Titanic”, the band describes America’s gilded image in terms of the “unsinkable ship”. Beware America! Icebergs are ahead.

Address: http://www.metal-reviews.com/tuv/tit-mv.htm

By: Andrew Smith

This album was originally released in 1995, then reissued in 2000. The music here has a slashing hard rock, melodic metal feel to it. There's lots of energy everywhere, and the vocals are snarling and tough--think of an edged John Bush, perhaps. Heavier versions of Velocity, Teer, and 'Chameleon'-era Von Groove are brought to mind. What really grabs your attention, though, is the heavy and dominant guitar sound the band employs.
The opening trio of "Nightmare," "You've Got Nothing On Me," and "Gods of War" is strong, with "I Don't Believe" being chunky and heavy. "And the Dead Shall Rise" and "Fight Back" are steady tracks, and a good heavy/light mix shows up in "Hollywood Blvd."

Rating: 8/10

Screaming in Silence:

Address: http://www.tollbooth.org/2003/reviews/titanic.html

By: Shawn Pelata

As much as mainstream Heavy Metal has gone back underground in the last several years, Christian Heavy metal has gone even deeper. With once metal heavy publications as HM (formerly Heaven's Metal) steering into a more pop and rock oriented direction, and White Throne and Cephas extinct, its getting harder and harder to find out about any new Heavy Metal bands in the Christian underground. 

One good thing about metal being underground again is that the bands that play metal do so because they want to, and not out of some delusional "make it big" idea. Titanic have an obvious love for, and history in, the glorious field of Heavy Metal; and it shows in the energy and zeal put forth in this group of songs. Their bio sheet compared them to the likes of Saint, Judas Priest and other masters of mid-tempo, head-banging riffola so I was anxious to give their new CD Screaming In Silence a spin. After letting it sink in for a while I have come to this conclusion. I have heard better metal recently, but I have also heard much, much worse. 

Where a lot of bands in this particular genre of Metal fall short, Titanic manages to hit the ground running. Vocalist Simon Taylor has a solid, gutsy mid-range metal voice that really helps put this material over the edge. A band lives and dies by their vocalist, it doesn't matter what style of music you play. You can have the best guitarist in a thousand mile radius and the best drummer since John Bonham, but without a vocalist of equal caliber, you're doomed to a career of mediocrity and "we once opened for so and so." Kudos to Simon!

The band itself is just as hot. Guitarist Bill Menchen, bassist Ray Kilsdonk, and drummer Timothy II (Stryper's Robert Sweet also guests on 3 tracks) have this Metal thing down to a science. In the fine tradition of bands like the aforementioned Saint and Judas Priest, as well as Armored Saint and early, pre-pop Def Leppard, these guys deliver on all cylinders musically! They combine biting, thick guitar tones, beefy bass and pounding drum fills into quite a tasty concoction. Musically and vocally, Titanic is batting a thousand. 

Lyrically is where I feel like they can do a better job. Song titles like "Time," "Carnival Of Souls," "Gods Of War," and "Broken Toys" alone do a little more than hint at worn out themes. I know that the ills of a fallen world are generally the same, but that doesn't mean that artists can't look for more creative ways of shedding light on them. I don't want to use the word "trite", but a lot of the lyrics are dripping with "been there, heard that". "Question" offers "Do you Rock n' Roll? - Does it take control?" There are also several more instances with obvious rhymes like "head" and "dead," or "way" and "pay," or the ever popular "dream" and "scream." I will say that not all the lyrics are as bad as this, but this is definitely an area with room for improvement on the next album (which I am looking forward to).

I realize I am being a little nit-picky with the lyric thing, but when a scene (even one as underground as Metal) has so many bands clamoring for attention, a band needs to do what they can to stand apart from the masses, within their chosen framework. All in all though, Screaming In Silence is a strong metal record that I think tons of metal fans can get into. If Classic Heavy Metal is your poison, Titanic will serve you well. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Address: http://www.nolifetilmetal.com/titanic.htm

By: No Life 'Till Metal.

Titanic are a true rarity. While styles like thrash, progressive and power metal have all made comebacks in the underground in recent years, traditional, mainstream heavy metal has all but disappeared. Well, Titanic are certainly bucking the trends, because this is exactly what they continue to play. Most people would compare them to old Priest, Armored Saint and Saint . Well, the comparisons are not far off, but I don't know that this particular Titanic release has the same charisma as any of those bands. However, this is certainly not a bad CD. Actually I quite enjoyed it. "Hypnotic" will instantly have your head banging along to it's infectious rhythm and the repetitive chorus will have you shouting along within the first listen. "Your Hypnotic, and you got it". Likewise "As I Am" sticks out as one of the albums choice cuts. "Gods of War" manages to make an appearance on this disc again. Not sure why they decided to re-record this song as this version is not much different from the version that appeared on their first CD. However, I will say that I think this is one of their strongest tracks. These guys do have the metal sound down, right down to the head banging riffs and striking leads. The guitar tones are beefy and crunchy and the drums are pummeling. Speaking of the drums, Stryper's Robert Sweet also guests on 3 tracks. However, I think that it is vocalist Simon Taylor's solid, mid-range metal voice and vocal melodies that really makes this CD as enjoyable as it is.

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