TITAN

Toronto’s Titan has definitely hit a stride in the last year—with the much anticipated release of their Colossus EP (now available through Feast or Famine / React with Protest) this band’s continuous hard work is finally paying off. With songs that are both crushing and beautiful, Titan’s music is hard to ignore. We were able to talk to Titan at their incredible Toronto show last month.
Titan is playing Sneaky Dee’s in Toronto again on May 27th with Buried Inside and Ken Mode. - AUX.tv

Maximizing their own skill set yet fuelled by the awesome spectacle the Metal Blade showcase had been up to this point, hometown Toronto heroes Titan were not about to let this event end on anything less than a high note. Captivating and fiery, the band took off like starved wolves freed from a cage with their sights set on the furry woodland creatures on the other side of the stage. Matching sheer volume with physical intensity, one could barely see past a rumbling blur that threatened to prove Mythbusters wrong in asserting implausibility to the theory of a pant-shitting note. Severe yet entertaining, Titan were massive in every context imaginable. - Exclaim!

1. Converge – Axe to Fall
2. Buried Inside – Spoils of Failure
3. Gallows – Grey Britain
4. All Leather – Hung Like a Horse
5. Ghost of a Thousand – New Hopes, New Demonstrations
6. Starring Janet Leigh – Spectrum
7. Titan – Colossus
8. Poison the Well – The Tropic Rot
9. The Chinese Stars – Heaven on Speed Dial
10. Gwar – Lust in Space - AUX.tv

Okay, I have a confession; I showed up over an hour late to this show and I missed the first two bands. This is a horrible way to start of a show review, I know. Pardon my inability to properly schedule my day. I’ll just assume that the two opening bands, URSA MAJOR and GORGASM, were god’s gift to music. Extra points to Gorgasm, who have chosen the most metal band name in music history. Sorry, guys. I’m a jerk.

TITAN took the stage with their amps comparable in stature to skyscrapers. Titan’s set was both powerful and moving. Their music was so crushing and loud, but also melodic and beautiful. Haunting feedback rang out of their amps in between songs, creating an intense atmosphere that often doesn’t happen at shows. These Toronto locals are about to release their Colossus EP which you can listen to on their myspace page. They also have numerous records you can also pick up on said page.

STRAY FROM THE PATH was an explosion of energy. Even though their music isn’t something that I’d typically listen to, they made for very fun to watch.
THE NUMBER 12 LOOKS LIKE YOU was probably my favourite set of the night. Their music pushes through the conventions of their genre to create something with a lot of layers and textures. The singer’s charisma was both captivating and entertaining—not to mention his intense shrill scream that made me green with envy.

Next played THE TONY DANZA TAPDANCE EXTRAVAGANZA. Again, I applaud the choice in band name. They were the band that the kids moshed the hardest for. Speedy riffs, heavy breakdowns, with a dose of tech-parts thrown in the mix. Remember the scene in Back to the Future where Michael J. Fox plays “Johnny Be Good” at his parents’ school dance? Their set was kind of like that.

Lastly, the main attraction: STARRING JANET LEIGH. This band has been pressing on for years—they’ve survived numerous lineup changes and the uphill battles that come with playing their complex brand of techmetal. Their new album Spectrum (released on Ironclad Recordings) is a testament to the band’s perseverance. Their music is inconceivably complex. I really don’t know how they memorize all those parts! Most people leave their shows either captivated or confused as shit. This night was no exception. The band played with a lot of heart and was clearly having the time of their life, which always makes for an amazing show-going experience. - AUX.tv

I'm gonna start by saying this was one of the best front-to-back shows I've been to in a while. There was no band on the bill that disappointed me. Even though I wasn't really familiar with most of the bands, I really got into it. Usually, if I don't know the band, I just stand there. But all the bands pulled me in. They didn't just come to play, they came to perform.

I'd seen locals, Kill Martyr, on plenty of bills, but I'd never actually made it out to see them. Well, I regret that! Finally a Kingston product, that plays shows (I'm looking at you, Excarnation) that doesn't sound like a million other myspace bands! It's hard to really describe their sound. Vocals are hardcore, that part's easy. But the the rest is like metal/jam/noisecore? Regardless of what they sound like, they believe in their stuff. The vocalist was all over the stage, the guitarists were headbanging right along, and the drummer was relentless. The bass player was kind of static, but I'll let it slide. I (used to) play bass and when I performed, I didn't move around much either. And, it wasn't a huge stage so there wasn't alot of room anyway once you have the backline up. I was really impressed by Kill Martyr and I would have bought a shirt, but I didn't budget for it and I know I can get one later. Because I will be seeing them again. Guaranteed.

Montreal's Barnburner are hard to really categorize too. Nice and fast. Great presence. They were a good compliment to Lords. They have a real Southern kinda swagger to them. When I thought about who they reminded me of, I kept thinking of Iron Giant and Bionic. But alot more "in your face". The vocalist sort of reminded me of Electric Wizard. Just his tone or the way he trailed off sometimes, I dunno. Great band. Lots of fun.

Titan. Who I came to see. Man, were they good. I'd seen them play with Fuck The Facts a few months ago for the first time and they blew me away. I knew of them before that because a good friend of mine was in a band with one of their guitarists. But, on their first EP, they were more hardcore oriented, and I'm not a huge hardcore fan so I never really paid them that much attention. Well, they've got my attention now! Their new EP, Colossus, is amazing. And much to my utter delight, they played most of it. The only song I didn't know was "Proceed". I believe that's an old one. Anyway, they played "Next Winter" from Colossus. Probably their heaviest song and one of my favourites. I was really into their set. My neck is pretty sore today. I probably looked like a damn fool, headbanging, little bit of air guitar, pounding on my leg and stuff. I don't care. That's what happens when the music speaks to you. All inhibitions are gone. (a couple beer help too) That light switch goes on and nothing exists but you and the music. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's a beautiful thing. No power outages this time. Good thing, I wouldn't have wanted to miss anything! (For more posts about Titan, check the archives for a previous show review and a review of Colossus)

I knew I had heard Louisville, Kentucky's Lords album, Fuck All Y'all Motherfuckers before, but I couldn't remember what they sounded like. I knew I didn't not like them. But I still had no clue as to what to expect. I guess when you don't expect anything, you can't be let down. Right? I wasn't let down at all. I was treated to a set of PBR-fueled intensity. Edgy, southern-fried punk. I think what impressed me most was the speed and nimble fingeredness of the bass player. They reminded me a lot of the band Speedealer. That's a pretty hefty compliment. My shit ass memory is rearing its ugly head again and is sapping me of further details. But I will tell you, if you have the chance to see them, fucking do it. Y'all. - Kingdom of Noise

Kathedral, Toronto ON May 23
By Denise Falzon

Seven acts helped a CD release show for Toronto ON's Starring Janet Leigh (pictured) but, although there were a plethora of opening bands, only a few are worth mentioning. The first of the commendable contenders was Toronto's Titan. The band combines technical hardcore with down-tempo, sludgy doom for an extremely heavy and powerful sound. Titan included tunes from their debut The Chrysanthemum Pledge in their set, which was intensely strong throughout. Their performance included the fast and heavy "Mothlike," as well as the slow-tempo chugging guitar driven tune "His Eminence," which ended their dynamic set.

Following Titan were two mathcore bands that echoed generic mathcore. What brought the show back to life, however, was the entertainingly energetic, non-generic mathcore masters the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza. The Tennessee band's set was comprised of tunes from their 2005 self-titled release, including the incredibly technical "Big Pun's Not Dead Because I Just Saw Him at Krispy Kreme," as well as "Go Greyhound" and "You Gonna Buy the Beer or the Whole Damn Bar" from 2007's Danza II: Electric Boogaloo.

But this show was in honour of the release of Spectrum, the debut full-length from technical metal band Starring Janet Leigh. Except for one track, the boys in SJL performed the album in its entirety, including opener "Noire," the intense "Mistress," and the intricate "Creation." Their progressive mix of death metal, hardcore, and modern jazz made for a vibrant yet severely powerful performance. The album's title track and "Ex You" transition especially well live, as the band's synchronized musicianship is displayed through an organized chaos of sound. With extremely technical instrumentals and unrelentingly vicious vocals throughout their set, SJL officially released Spectrum upon Toronto with a bang. - Exclaim!

Titan - Colossus EP: I have decided to redo my initial review of this EP because it was weak. Toronto's Titan truly come by their name honestly. Colossus is awesome. It carries some of the hardcore element of previous releases but there is plenty of doom. They have such a huge sound! They have a way of transitioning between styles effortlessly. As in "Next Winter", when it's going in this heavy hardcore mode, screamin' balls off assault and then at about the 3 min mark, everything drops away but some guitar plucking, and then WHAM!! crushing doom. Like funeral doom crushing. With some of the most evil belched vocals I've heard that don't sound like someone throwing up. The vocal range is fantastic. Colossus is full of energy and even when it slows down, there is still crushing power and a different kind of energy. It's like you can hear the train coming, you're on the tracks, you can't move. It's getting closer, you're waiting for impact. Then it hits. But it doesn't hurt. I feels better than before. As the train rolls through you, it transfers the energy. Making you feel larger than life. Infusing you with a sense of power. The piano moments in "His Eminence" allow for some much needed breathing room. Having seen Titan live only enhances the feeling of heavy. I can envision them playing the songs. I'll plan better for next time. I won't go right from the tattoo shop to the show. Colossus by Titan. Titanic. Colossal. - Kingdom of Noise

Quick & Dirty - Titan

By: Marsha Casselman
Quick & Dirty - Titan
Photo: courtesy of the band
Titan

Mar. 27, 2009 – Toronto, Canada

Toronto five-piece Titan are aware of the sensitivities involved with labelling extreme music.

"Metalheads are so defensive about genres. Like they'll say: ‘Hey man, that's not a math band, that's a tech band!' And we're like . . . what the hell do you mean?" laughs Titan frontman James McDonough over tea in a dark College Street pub one recent Saturday afternoon.

Titan is an enigma wrapped in a riddle when it comes to its own sound, defying the stereotypes of the metal and hardcore scenes it straddles.

"It depends who you talk to," says guitarist Chris Woodford.

"We're right in the middle," says McDonough, who tends to finish Woodford's sentences and vice versa. "We'll play a metal show and people will say, ‘Man, it's great to have a hardcore band on the bill!' Then at hardcore shows people are like ‘Wow, you guys are the heaviest metal band I've ever seen!'"

This coming from a guy who pulled out an assortment of vitamins he'd pop as we were paying for the bill. McDonough, 22, is strictly vegan and straightedge, works at American Apparel, and among other jobs has worked as a nude model; 27-year-old Woodford works for an IT firm and has a degree in philosophy. These are not your typical metal dudes.

Their attitude is also unconventional given the aggression behind their sound. McDonough's wail may be mistaken for heavy metal anger, but "we're not angry," he insists. "Though there is that darkness in everyone . . . we're people and we have all sorts of emotion, and part of music is exploring those."

The guys in Titan are definitely going for the deeper end of both metal and hardcore. With their sludgey drone, slow tempos and lyrical themes beyond the "fuck the world" punk attitude, they're not your typical hardcore dudes either.

"We're not just a bunch of young kids like Minor Threat singing about high school. I love songs about drinking or about how someone got in a fight with his step dad, but we want to make more mature music," says McDonough.

Despite the inaudible nature of Titan's screamo vocals, there's a theme and heaps of meaning behind the lyrics – kind of like an old school metal band.

"I like the idea of painting an atmosphere. Like Iron Maiden in the '70s" says McDonough.

"The '80s," Woodford clarifies. "Iron Maiden's first album was in 1980. Metalheads would be pissed if they read that!"

"So ya," says McDonough, almost ignoring the correction. "I'm definitely using metaphors in the lyrics – historical and scientific and political."

Their most popular track, "The Glory of the Fleet", revolves around an execution method set in the Marcus Aurelius era of ancient Rome. "I use this character who's dealing with being on death row, facing this extravagant execution method. I think he held that feeling . . . I use it as a metaphor for dread and pressure."

With lyrics and sound inspired by everything from folk to metal, the guys are trying to set themselves apart in the world of hard music.

"We are each distinct personalities and we want that in our music. I want our music to come off the same way as Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits – there's something in there you always recognize," says McDonough.

"Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath is a big influence," adds Woodford. "He was able to write these riffs that just stick in my head, stuff you could really grab onto. That doesn't exist as much in hardcore because it's supposed to be more about the vibe of the song, but I think our riffs are what make us identifiable."

"Having that [uniqueness] is so important," McDonough continues. "Especially in metal, where there's so much throwback. We're into creating interesting time signatures and rhythms, and lyrically I stay away from clichés."

With all their differences, one cliché Titan won't avoid is the signature of a good metal show.

"We go for the big head bang. The full body bang," says McDonough.

"Definitely," adds Woodford. "We want people to have bang-overs at the end of our shows." - Sound Proof Magazine

Marcello’s, Mississauga ON January 9, 2008
By Denise Falzon

Toronto’s Titan have proven again and again that they’ve mastered the art of a stellar live performance. Their show at Marcello’s in Mississauga with Indian Ocean was no different. Titan’s live sound is — as their band name suggests — immense and powerful. Add to that an extremely small pub, crammed full with people who were unable to move once they claimed their position to watch the show, and the result was utter sonic intensity.

The night started off with Hamilton’s Indian Ocean. The instrumental quartet, including the ex-drummer of Mare, delivered an impressive set with chugging guitars and vigorous drumming. Their sound was reminiscent of Explosions in the Sky and Mono, but with a deeply heavier atmosphere. Although instrumental post-rock tends to put me to sleep, Indian Ocean managed to keep my unwavering attention with slow-tempos that built up to strong dynamic riffs.

But the night clearly belonged to Titan as soon as they took the stage, which was just a small portion of the pub’s floor between diner-style booths and chairs that were made useful by being turned into pedestals for many attendants. As the five members struck their first notes, the entire room resonated with an onslaught of forceful sound — a combination of the hardcore style of Cursed, mixed with the technical elements of Botch, and anchoring it all down with the sludgy doom aspects of early Neurosis.

Titan’s six-song set showcased the band’s extreme energy and synchronized musicianship. They began with “The Glory of the Fleet” from their latest recording Colossus and linked it with the next four songs through feedback and short stops, including a medley of snippets from their debut, The Chrysanthemum Pledge.

Titan finished the night off with “His Eminence,” a song that combines slow-tempo melodies and crunching riffs in perfect unison. With intricately developed guitar work and larynx-shredding vocals, Titan’s performance was overall relentlessly heavy and strong from start to finish. - Exclaim!

Featuring an epic, heavy sound composed of catastrophic doom and
hardcore elements, this Toronto unit have building their name since
2007’s The Chrysanthemum Pledge. With planet-destroying new EP Colossus living
up to its title and still criminally awaiting a home and proper
release, fans of aural obliteration have to wait to be subjected to
their malicious and foreboding onslaught. Titan’s most recent work is
their finest yet, with seething feedback undone by vicious guitars and
battering bass rhythms.

Dave Synyard - Exclaim!

After a killer debut 12" In First Person returns on this split single with their massive sound of metallic hardcore. Pulsating and crushing guitars with extra textures of the second guitar start the song. Then it turns into a part that reminds me of the driving wall of sound from The Assistant. The calm parts have an eerie crescendo with Funeral Diner-alike vocals, twinkly guitars yet with a bombastic bass.

Screamo sure is dead, but Titan keeps playing their heavy hardcore drenched in One Eyed Prophecy riffs and screamy vocals like their is no tomorrow. I've seen these guys when they hit town a week ago and i was pleasantly surprised. I've noticed a slight evolution in the sound of Titan. They are more and more shifting away from the screamo thing and include more metallic chugging and riffs that reminded me of Angstzustand. The main riff here is simply crushing and hair raising which makes the sudden outbursts after a calm intermezzo even more mind blowing. I'm not too fond on the slick layout, but that is the only bad thing i can say about this release. This is a very sincere, heavy and intelligent combo that made one of the best split 7"s of the year so far. - mashnote.net

Annex Wreck Room, Toronto ON August 6 ..
By Dave Synyard

Etobicoke, ON's the Good Time lived up to their name to some degree, but to what amount is beyond me. While they tried valiantly to entertain some 20-odd people with their hybrid mix of the Bravery's pop sensibility and punk rock hardcore noise it was at times awkward and seemed unfocused. Whether you are a fan of the Veil or not, watching their last show, and my first one, brought out a little sadness considering the showmanship of the band and the fact that their hardcore sounds, tweaked with a little Dillenger Escape Plan mathematics, was completely absorbing. These guys went out swinging. Having just returned from a short stint in Europe, Toronto's Titan were very close to the starlets of the evening. Their hardcore rhythm and downtempo style throughout their set was churning and it seemed a little too obvious how much respect and influence Cursed has had on these guys, but with a set performed to the greatness that they gave made it worthwhile. Titan played from both their older EPs Colossus and The Chrysanthemum and it was truly gripping in both sound and scope with the exception of one fan whose lust for stealing the mic for a scream or four was at first funny but soon very lame. Dude, start your own band. Toward the end of their set they played one new song from their impending EP, the name of which I can't recall, and it was nothing shy of their top-notch quality music. If Fear Before The March Of Flames performance last night was a car chase scene you can be sure that it was as epic as the one in Death Proof. They got the mix started with their eclectic hardcore noise through "Drowning The Old Hag" to the now-filled venue and it was received with open arms and flailing bodies. The band gave an hour-long set that encompassed The Always Open Mouth, Art Damage and Odd How People Shake, which clearly went over very well with the crowd. Everyone was also fortunate enough to hear two new songs that are akin to their most current release. By the end of the night the only thing that seemed odd and out of place was the idea that FBTMOF were too big an act to be playing such a small stage, but considering that, they played like a band who were on the first night of a tour. - Exclaim!

By Cam LindsayYou won’t find Toronto-based metallers Titan in a simple Google search. Even if you throw "band” in there, it takes a while for them to become a result — largely because of a shitload of high school bands clogging up the net. It doesn’t help that they aren’t the only Titan. I remember a Mexican group shortly signed to both Grand Royal and Virgin called Titán, and a prog stoner band from NYC called Titan that released their debut last year on Tee Pee. That said, they are first when you Google "Titan Toronto,” of course, followed by a minor midget hockey team and a women’s lacrosse squad.

Sure, the name is a small distraction, but Titan’s chest-caving, doomy discharge doesn’t take long to demand your attention front and centre. Graduates from the school of "Neurisis,” the five-piece don’t sit back and imitate, however. Within their murky sound is an assault carried out by screeching riffage, dual blood-drenched vocals and a good, old-fashioned pummeling most bands aligned with doom are too stoned to find.

Taken from their recent EP, Colossus, "The Glory of the Fleet” kicks off the 28-minute disc slow and harsh, building up the tension with a menacingly coy string of guitar lines that eventually surrender to a cacophony of chugging and scraping. Epic is the word of choice, especially since the track just builds the intensity to a zenith that announces we’re all fuckin’ doomed.

Titan are currently on tour in Europe, making stops in the Netherlands, France and Germany and Denmark, no doubt tearing them all a new one. - Exclaim!

Terrorizer #180 (February 2009)

Buried Inside is an obvious point of comparison but Titan do drama without as much bombast and pretension. They take it slow, building songs and each individual piece visits novel territory with a lovable moody punk-rock flair. Five songs are a teaser but also a good indication that their progress should be monitored carefully. [7.5] - Terrorizer

The 7” record has to be the classic punk format. It’s been around since the start and won’t disappear anytime soon. Even for you readers who don’t like vinyl anymore, admit it, the 7” is just plain cute.

Crusades will be releasing their first 7” record full of 90s-styled hardcore at an all ages show on June 23rd. Peter Andrews, drummer and organizer of the show, told me the record has “more than enough ferocity, breakdowns and nerdiness to suffice” for the average listener.

The tracks were recorded by the band, mixed by their new second guitar player, and mastered by Adam Goodwin from the band Swords. Andrews says keeping a DIY aesthetic is important to the band and he wanted to keep as much of the process within his community as possible.

Sharing the floor with them that night is Toronto’s metallic hardcore outfit Titan. In the past year, the emotional heavy metal spectacle has toured parts of Canada and the USA multiple times with plans to head over to Europe in the near future. Also fans of vinyl, Titan just released their debut EP, The Chrysanthemum Pledge, on the German label React with Protest.

Titan (Toronto), Crusades, The Killing, Swords and The Fall From Here will be playing at St Bon’s Aula Maxima on Saturday, June 23rd. 6:00PM. $6. You can hear Crusades at myspace.com/crusadeshardcore
— D. Murray - http://thescope.ca

English Translation (Babelfish):
With a pedalling sound thunderstorm for including crying vowel company make titan after leaving the domestic training room body with "The Chrysanthemum Pledge" for the first time in groove form on itself attentive. Packed into a epische Short-story in four documents the Toronto Jungs presents its musikalisierte Ausgeburt to all friends of the Doomcore. The special: Where volume such as Isis or Neurosis into their heavy courage remain, a titan the Mosh Fruchtwasser later spits around the ears. In particular with the complete b-side the filling piece of "Mothlike" helps to let be issued only hands high and the frontal sound shower over itself. The perfect sound TRACKS for an animated film Noir with much blood and tragedy, whose provide contentwise material of Japanese origin equal titan. A concept album with heart, understanding and the own taste calculation basic Kompromisslosigkeit of a Hannibal Lecter. In the vital condition the open brain, in which pan angebraten briefly, finished "The Chrysanthemum Pledge" is taken.

Original German:
Mit einem strampelnden Soundgewitter inklusive schreiender Vokalbegleitung machen Titan nach Verlassen des heimischen Proberaumleibs mit 'The Chrysanthemum Pledge' erstmals in Rillenform auf sich aufmerksam. Verpackt in eine epische Short-Story in vier Akten präsentieren die Toronto-Jungs allen Freunden des Doomcore ihre musikalisierte Ausgeburt. Das Besondere: Wo Bands wie Isis oder Neurosis in ihren Schwermut verbleiben, spucken einem Titan nachträglich das Mosh-Fruchtwasser um die Ohren. Insbesondere beim die komplette B-Seite füllenden Stück 'Mothlike' hilft nur noch Hände hoch und die frontale Klangdusche über sich ergehen lassen. Der perfekte Soundtrack für einen animierten Film Noir mit viel Blut und Tragödie, dessen inhaltlichen Stoff japanischer Herkunft Titan gleich mitliefern. Ein Konzeptalbum mit Herz, Verstand und der dem eigenen Geschmack Rechnung tragenden Kompromisslosigkeit eines Hannibal Lecter. Im vitalen Zustand dem offenen Hirn entnommen, in der Pfanne kurz angebraten, fertig ist 'The Chrysanthemum Pledge'. - Michael Blatt @ getaddicted.org

English Translation (Babelfish):
This fire-hot and just as new volume from Canada consists of ex members of the Screamo heroes of I Spoke and the kind Noise Rockern Panserbjorne, hits however on their Debut a epischeren, darker and more brutal way, than those of forerunner volume let assume. Isis, Envy and Uranus are mandatory influences. The loud-quiet play is skillfully through-drilled, impregnated by dramatic melodies and feeling outbreaks of emotional shouting between hope and despair. Like its comparable Labelmates of Buried Inside or June Paik spread it to dark, threatening melody elbows and arrange these variant-rich, in order to then break out into violent Mosh Orgien of full intensity.

Original German:
Diese brandheiße und ebenso neue Band aus Canada setzt sich aus ex-Mitgliedern der Screamo Helden von I Spoke und der Art-Noise-Rockern Panserbjorne zusammen, schlägt jedoch auf ihrem Debut einen epischeren, düstereren und brutaleren Weg ein, als die Vorläuferbands vermuten lassen. Isis, Envy und Uranus sind obligatorische Einflüße. Das laut-leise Spiel wird gekonnt durchexerziert, durchtränkt von dramatischen Melodien und Gefühlsausbrüchen emotionalen Geschreis zwischen Hoffnung und Verzweiflung. Wie ihre vergleichbaren Labelmates von Buried Inside oder June Paik breiten sie dunkle, bedrohliche Melodiebögen aus und arrangieren diese variantenreich, um dann in heftige Mosh-Orgien voller Intensität auszubrechen. - soundsofsubterrania.com

Review: 8/10

"Titan is easily one of Canada's most promising prospects within the Canadian hardcore scene with a strong aesthetic at hand"

- Chris Bruni (Profound Lore Records/Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles Magazine)