As if it isn’t evident enough by the title of their album, Titan plays psychedelic, progressive metal, with an unabashed ’70s flair. The influences of Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath, and Hawkwind emanate from the spacey, jazz-infused, improvisation-based rock.
From Philly’s progressive instrumental trio Stinking Lizaveta to Portland’s glammed-up Danava and Tee Pee labelmates Witch, Titan is in good company. But with so many bands creating similar sounds, it can be hard for the new kids on the block to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack.
Fortunately for Titan, just as things start to sound a wee bit familiar, they surprise the audience by blending in elements of Krautrock into their already heady mix, a characteristic that becomes more pronounced the further the album progresses. At roughly ten minutes a piece, the four untitled tracks that comprise the record are dynamic and storylike.
The second track is the least engaging, so “progressive” in parts that one is reminded why legions of people hated the stuff thirty years ago. Track three bounces back with kraut-inspired grooves that drone in the head in the most seductive way.
The album’s end is dreamy and relaxing, with the sounds of nature giving way to a ho-down. Not sure about the thought process on that, but in the scope of the entire album, believe it or not, it fits.
– Jamie Ludwig
Titan (Tee Pee Records)