Titans Eve – Chasing The Devil

Photo Credit : Shimon Karmel

Not only reinforcing an already potent reputation, Chasing The Devil from Canadian metallers Titans Eve pushes their presence and sound powerfully forward whilst sharing the open declaration of this is who we are, this is what we have for you, enjoy! Fusing a broad flavouring of metal with a thrash bred heart, sure enough it is a hard to resist offer but also a proposition which ignites the imagination and emotions to giving modern metal a very good name.

Hailing from Vancouver, Titan’s Eve emerged in 2008 having been formed by lead vocalist/guitarist Brian Gamblin and his guitarist/vocalist brother Kyle; drummer Casey Ory joining them straight away and bassist Jesse Hord subsequently completing the line-up. Taking their time honing their sound and lighting up a local fan base, the quartet really began waking up the Canadian metal scene around 2009/2010 with a tour across Western Canada followed by debut album The Divine Equal. Extremely well-received and acclaimed, the release also led the band to recognition further afield and a two month tour across North America in 2011. Their strong emergence continued the following year, starting with supporting Korn and the creation and release of second album Life Apocalypse, which in turn was followed by playing with Anvil, touring with Kill Devil Hill, and supporting Arch Enemy on their European Khaos tour. The album followed its predecessor in luring strong praise and attention upon Titans Eve, something Chasing The Devil now will definitely replicate and most likely take to new levels. Recorded with producer and engineer Eric Mosher, and mastered by Jeff Waters of Annihilator, Chasing The Devil takes the expected aggressive and uncompromising sound of the band and ignites it with arguably their most melodic and creative spicing yet…the result one gripping and thoroughly enjoyable tempest.

     Opener We Defy drives in from a distance first, healthily brewing riffs closing in before upon arrival triggering punchy rhythms and a highly flavoursome guitar enterprise. Once united it all settles into a muscular stride driven by crisply landed beats and a dark hearted bassline, the guitars spinning a web of thrash riffery bound in melodic and groove metal imagination. It is a pungent blend with the final potent ingredient being the snarling delivery of Brian’s vocals, his tones more sandy than gravelly but a great texture and attack for this and all songs. The album starter continues to grow and expand in invention and sound as its proceeds, never relinquishing its core anthemic contagion and blatant aggressiveness but filling ears with potent persuasion.

The immense start is continued by War Path. The second track is similar in style initially but soon unloading uncompromising beats and a surge of hungry torrential riffs, though they both pale against the excellent predatory bassline which really begins stalking ears after an early blaze of band vocals. There are essences of bands like Exodus and Testament to the song, as in many, but equally a weave of nu, groove, and heavy metal which only helps turn the encounter into one of the pinnacles of the album. The song is a benchmark for the release emulated with regularity starting with the following No Kingdom. A melodic caress draws in ears and appetite first before things get intensive and antagonistic, the drums unleashing a barrage of thunderous bait as the guitars drive ferociously and seduce melodically through another persistently shifting design. It is a fascinating proposition though it never goes far enough in its hostile voracity or sonic ingenuity for personal tastes, something which could be said of the whole album. It is as if the band is trying too hard to balance the opposites instead of giving them their reins, but nevertheless the song just hits the sweet spot as its successor.

Another Day is the most bestial song on the album yet, vocals and its sonic nature a barbarous confronting of the senses in turn coloured by the raw and bracing alignment of caustic riffing and imposing rhythms. A fiery solo sows seeds for further melodic endeavour as well as the tenacious, almost punk metal like surge of incitement which flares up. It is a song ensuring ears and appetite only get greedier for sound and album, a hunger equally inspired by the title track and in turn The Grind. The song Chasing The Devil brews a rich old school character from its tantalising and evocative melodic opening, the track weaving a tapestry of classic and heavy metal strands into a canvas of darker bred and fuelled flavouring. Thoughts of Judas Priest meets Machine Head are prompted as the track continues to ignite ears and imagination, through its more modern enterprise hints of Mudvayne too. They are all alluring hues colluding for another peak of the release instantly equalled by the second of the pair which from the initial carnivorous tone of bass, is simply a primal tempting sparking lustful attention. With its prowling voracious persuasion of sound, the song easily lives up to its name, its riffs a ravenous persistence on the senses and the swings of Ory an unrelenting intimidation. There is no lack of addictive grooves and sonic colour either, each lining the incitement with irresistible hooks as the encounter steals the whole show.

The album is completed by firstly the bewitching instrumental Stranded, where harsh cold and melancholic emotions are lit and conjured by a seduction of acoustic expression, melodic reflection, and stringed beauty. Dark shadows and keys crafted elegance only add to the mesmeric narrative before The Endless Light steps forward to bring the album to a fine close. The track is a maelstrom of sounds and skilled resourcefulness as raw and magnetic metal collude in a thrash powered and diversely cultured storm of dark hearted and captivating fury.

Chasing The Devil is a treat of a proposal, further evidence of the exciting craft and might of Titans Eve with only the suggestion that it was not as bold as it could or at times suggested it might have been a passing thought. It certainly provides a seriously enjoyable adventure for metal in 2015 and that in our book is a big success all should take a punt on.

Chasing The Devil is available from June 12^th @ https://titanseve.bandcamp.com/album/chasing-the-devil-2

http://www.titanseve.com/   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Titans-Eve/53568260495?fref=ts

RingMaster 12/06/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Kirra – Run Away

With the release of their Sounds from an Empty Room EP last year, US rockers band Kirra suggested they were a prospect with the potential to make great strides in the rock world. Now the release of debut album Run Away compounds that theory whilst showing some of the strong evolving steps expected. The twelve track encounter is a seriously accomplished and forcibly solid proposition, aspects alone making Kirra a band to culture an appetite for and the album something to thoroughly enjoy. With moments of inspired invention and explosive imagination on board too though, it also shows a promise and ability to light addictive fires. If you are looking for a hard rock proposition with a freshness and increasingly striking adventure to spark the day, then Run Away is worth a long hard look.

It is fair to say that the Oklahoma City quartet has been healthily feeding an increasing spotlight and growing fan base at home with a live presence which has seen them play across America whilst taking in shows with the likes of 3 Doors Down, Primer 55, Puddle Of Mudd, Kill Devil Hill, Screaming for Silence, and Saving Able along the way. With its seeds coming in the wish of lead guitarist Daxton Page, after leaving a rock school program, to start a band, Kirra began coming together once drummer Zach Stafford was introduced to Page through friends. Subsequently bassist Ryne McNeill was found through an ad, who in turn suggested vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Williamson to the band. With the line-up completed, Kirra worked on songs and released that first EP in 2014, with the single from it, Downfall finding strong acclaim and support from online media and social media fans alike. Run Away is the band’s offering to the bigger picture of the rock scene, and a sizeable nudge on their awareness and attention the self-produced, Ricardo Sasaki mixed is.

The electronic opening of first song Tappy Gilmore instantly livens up ears and imagination, its initial lure soon bolstered by sinew driven rhythms and a strong caress of riffs. It is a bright opening enhanced again by the vocals of Williamson and a slight Alter Bridge like enticement in the muscular and welcoming proposition. It is also a punchy introduction to the album with great flare-ups of aggression and energy in the melodic landscape of the song.

A darker predatory intimidation comes with Fly next, especially through the great throaty bassline of McNeill and the raw brush of riffs. Swiftly putting the previous song in its shade, it prowls ears as vocals again provide a pleasing if less incendiary colour to the antagonism. With alluring craft and sonic enterprise from Page igniting the imagination and senses as the song relaxes into further inventive temptation, it continues to impress and like the album as whole, gains greater strength and potency over subsequent listens. It is a definite grower much as the following Lies and its successor Lay You Down .The first of the two has a Chevelle spicing to its potent persuasion whilst the second is like a boxer jabbing away from its first breath before building a pungent stroll of darkly tempered and fiery rock ‘n’ roll. Though neither song finds the same level of energy in emotions and praising, each leaves ears fully contented and thoughts hungry for more, a want straight away encouraged by the album’s gentler title track and fed fully by the outstanding stepping forward of Chemicals.

     Run Away the song, is a great croon with another imposing bass sound to match as emotional and sonic flames provide a lingering incitement but it is Chemicals where things catch fire, and for us the album offers it’s seriously stirring and thrilling moments. The song again through the bass, immediately opens up new provocative shadows. It is gripping dramatic bait soon complimented and expanded by the stomping beats of Stafford and an abrasing scrub of riffs. Just as impacting in the triumph though is the continually twisting and riveting ideation which veins the song, guitars and rhythms never staying in one place or offering any particular intent for too long. It helps create a predator of a song with a metal and sonically progressive breeding as flavoursome as its melodic rock enterprise.

This new plateau is continued through the mellower but no less exciting and dramatic Downfall and the sturdier confrontation of Should’ve Been Gone where muscles and textures show as much a threat as they do an inescapable seduction. Both songs reveal new depths and imagination to songwriting and sound, pulling every skill and inventiveness of the band members into enthralling and gripping scenarios. The latter for no obvious reason reminds of Bush at times but both tracks show an originality which lurks in Kirra and shows itself in varying strengths across the album.

Drown and Stay keep satisfaction and enjoyment high, even though neither can quite match the might and exploration of its predecessors despite showing more contagious sounds and courageous invention, especially through the devilish lures of bass and guitars. As in all songs the lyrical narrative comes packed with emotion and reflection on the two tracks, as evidenced again by the mellower and increasingly magnetic balladry of Forgive Me. The song ebbs and flows in its power a little, but with a chorus which just feel bigger and bolder with every roar it is another memorable pleasure from Kirra.

Completed by the brash energy and invigorating creativity of Too Far Gone, the album is a mightily promising and exciting full introduction to the band. It shows a few wrinkles which should naturally iron out in the band’s organic evolution, like the excellent vocals of Williamson lacking a rawer spark or snarl at times to match the more rugged sounds around him. There are songs too which never explode as they hint they might, and you wish they would, but all are things easy to expect being worked out as the band grows into the force their album suggests is in the making. Most importantly Run Away leaves nothing but fattening satisfaction and enjoyment in its wake, and a want to hear much more from Kirra.

Run Away is available from January 21^st @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/run-away/id956087310

http://www.kirramusic.com/

RingMaster 21/01/2015

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