Titan’s Eve The Divine Equal
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
More than Arctic blasts are blowing out of Canada lately – in fact there is a major storm coming and the winds are hot as hell. The Vancouver based genre-bending quartet of Titan’s Eve will be releasing their debut CD The Divine Equal on 1 February 2011. Defining the precise sub-genre of metal is difficult. If there were such a thing as “melodic progressive thrash metal” then Titan’s Eve would be the poster child. Musically intense and brutal, this band will appeal to fans of almost any of the “harder” styles of metal.
Founded by brothers Brian (lead vocals and guitars) and Kyle (backing vocals and guitar) Gamblin, Titan’s Eve presents an apocalyptic album filled with visions of demons and angel and the final battle between good and evil. Brian Gamblin has a strong, guttural voice that will remind many listeners of Testament’s Chuck Billy. He is clear and understandable throughout the CD despite dropping to a low growl many times. His brother Kyle does a nice job on backing vocals, but his volume seems inconsistent from track to track – perhaps an engineering artifact. Both are fine guitarists, sounding at time like old Metallica, Anthrax or Megadeth. Casey Ory and Jesse Hord are the very capable rhythm section, with Ory dynamite on the drums without abusing the double bass, and Hord able to match the guitarists note-for-note on the bass.
For the intellectuals among us, The Divine Equal is based heavily upon poet John Milton’s epic “Paradise Lost”, and lyrically is filled with good, evil, demons, angels, battles and visions of the underworlds.
The opening instrumental “Mourning Star” sets the melodic tone for the album that does not diminish despite the music becoming heavy and thrashy. “Judgment” slams into the listener with heavy guitars and massive double bass drums, and presents a catchy chorus and some nice tempo changes. “Becoming The Demon” has a great rhythm line and a real Testament feel to it, an amazing guitar solo – and is available as a free download from the band’s web site. “Into The Fire”’s intro conjures up some old Metallica, but shifts to a more John Bush era Anthrax groove and features the strongest vocals on the release. The drum line on “Serpent Rising” is absolutely amazing, but this not one of the band’s stronger tracks.
“Tides Of Doom” has an almost pure power metal intro, but reverts back to a thrash groove with almost metalcore style vocals. This track is probably the showpiece for the instrumentalists – great harmony guitars, solid drums and a nice bass solo. The short instrumental “Dusk” features smooth and flowing guitars, allowing the listener a brief break from the musical intensity before “Nightfall”’s martial rhythms begin to pound like tank shells and the massive guitars of “Living Lifeless” send the intensity to 11. “Searching For Nothing” has an almost hardcore / industrial edge to the vocal lines and a spectacular guitar solo, while “The Divine Equal” wraps the in booming, epic style.
Despite the obvious influences of the greats of thrash and speed metal, Titan’s Eve manages to keep a unique sound throughout and pays tribute to the founders rather than ripping them off. The Divine Equal is perhaps best described as an evolutionary step for thrash – combining all the classic thrash elements and blending in bits and pieces of other genres to make something unique. Intelligent lyrics that re-tell a classic tale, numerous metal and rock influences and solid technical performances make this album one of the better concept albums in recent memory and a fine debut. Titan’s Eve has a bright future.
Highly recommended for fans of any of the “heavier” metal genres – or John Milton.
Genre: Thrash Metal
Band:
Jesse Hord – Bass/Backing Vocals
Brian Gamblin – Lead Vocals / Guitar
Casey Ory – Drums
Kyle Gamblin – Vocals/Guitar
Track Listing:
1. Mourning Star
2. Judgment
3. Becoming The Demon
4. Into The Fire
5. Serpent Rising
6. Tides of Doom
7. Dusk
8. Nightfall
9. Living Lifeless
10. Searching For Nothing
11. The Divine Equal
Label: Indie
Website: http://www.myspace.com/titanseveofficial
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10
Great review for a Vancouver band but I do have a question…I have followed the band and know they haven’t always had the same bass player until more recently. Was the current bass player the one present for the recordings or was it another person who completed the bass tracks for this album?
Hey, got your answer right here …
For the recording of the album it was Sascha Laskow who played all the bass tracks, except for “Into The Fire”, “Tides of Doom”, “Searching For Nothing”,and “Living Lifeless,” which were done by Ted Devoulder.
Thanks for the question!