Titan - 'Titan'

A very organic prog rock band.

Titan is a three piece progressive rock band from the U.S., having met at the Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. This, their debut and self-titled album, has been released on the back of touring their home state. Titan is following a well-tested path of classic rock interspersed by unusual key signatures and unexpected instrumental motifs – i.e. in the mould of bands such as Rush and Dream Theater.

Clearly any band wants to set its own stall out and Titan has a niche as being a very organic prog rock band, there is a retro sound in the mix and the warmth of Orange valve amps.



Interestingly, although clearly prog, the songs which work best for me are the more classic rock oriented such as the opener 'Answer' and later tracks, 'The Dialetic' and 'MIDU' which feature strong vocals from Cameron Fitzpatrick (who is also the bassist and keyboard player – sounds familiar?). David Hill on guitar and drummer Ben Russell come into their own in the adventurous instrumental 'Whales Are Heavy' and they contribute their fair share of licks throughout the album.

Musically, the band peak with the epic 'Broken Hands' which builds up from a near folk ballad into a catchy and upbeat chorus, replete with a soaring guitar solo. The piano takes more of a centre stage towards the end of the album, notably on the opening piece of the three part 'Hekatonkheires' which is the band's most ambitious piece comprising a number of musical styles.

The album closes with the instrumental title-track and leaves the impression that the band is aiming to be taken seriously, and to appeal to other musicians as well as music fans.

Rob McKenzie