Titanic Screaming in Silence
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
Christian metal band Titanic was another band that managed to slip through the cracks in the late 1990s. The grunge era was hard enough for regular hard rock and heavy metal bands, but Christian bands seemed to have an even harder time weathering that particular storm (see Barren Cross). Titanic had the misfortune of trying to break into a scene that was more or less dying. Titanic debuted in 1996 with Maiden Voyage, but wouldn’t resurface with a follow-up until 2002’s Screaming in Silence.
It may have taken more than half a decade for Titanic to re-emerge, but their sound didn’t change much. Screaming in Silence picks up right where Maiden Voyage left off. It’s a hard-hitting heavy metal album that owes a lot to Pantera. Sure, there are nods to classic metal bands like Armored Saint and even Judas Priest, but Titanic mainly sticks to the Pantera format of Bill Menchen’s signature crushing riffs and Simon Tyler’s gruff, powerful vocals. And let’s not forget the drums, which have been re-done completely for Retroactive’s 2010 reissue of Screaming in Silence. Those pounding rhythms are delivered by Stryper drummer Robert Sweet, who absolutely destroys the drum kit, not to mention lends a bit of star power, at least in Christian metal circles.
Screaming in Silence is an aggressive album, but with just enough melody to keep it from sounding too much like “tough guy” metal. Titanic’s combination of power, aggression, melody and message in undeniably effective. Anyone who can listen to songs like “Carnival of Souls,” “Question” or the title track without headbanging has no business listening to metal.
Titanic was a Christian band, but their lyrical content was never so evangelical that it would scare off the average metal fan looking for a good album regardless of the message. If you dig into the lyrics you’ll see plenty of examples of the band’s faith, but in most cases the lyrics seem open to interpretation.
In addition to the re-done drum work, Retroactive Records’ 2010 reissue of Screaming in Silence features digitally remastered sound and new cover artwork (giving it a very Ensiferium/pagan metal look). There aren’t any bonus tracks, as the remastered and remixed audio is the real draw of this reissue, as it is a noticeable improvement over the original. Still, at just under 30 minutes it wouldn’t have hurt to include the original version of the album as bonus tracks.
It’s probably not an essential release even in the Christian metal world, but Screaming in Silence is a totally enjoyable metal album that is well worth hearing, especially now that it has been given such a finely tuned reissue.
Genre: Christian Metal
Band:
Simon Tyler (v)
Robert Sweet (d)
Ray Kilsdonk (b)
Bill Menchen (g)
Track Listing:
1. And the Band Plays On
2. Hypnotic
3. Time
4. As I Am
5. See Through My Eyes
6. Carnival of Souls
7. Broken Toys
8. Web Dreams
9. Question
10. Screaming in Silence
Label: Retroactive Records
Website: www.retroactiverecords.net
Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10