TITANIC - CD MAIDEN VOYAGE

Popis - MAIDEN VOYAGE:
Catalog Number: RAR7894 UPC: 845121017854 Style: Metal Tracks: 10 Time: 32:16 Lyrics: Yes Packaging: 4 panel jewel case ABOUT THE ALBUM This heavy metal classic was originally released in 1996 and has been out of print for over half a decade. Fifteen years later, the 2010 Collector's Edition features stunning new artwork, while the music has been remixed, remastered and partially re-recorded. We extend a special thanks to the amazing Robert Sweet (Stryper) for providing real drums on this Collector's Edition (the original recording featured a drum machine). We asked him to 'really let loose' and to 'drum like you've always wanted to - with no restrictions' and that's exactly what he did! The result is a world-class heavy metal release with drums by a bonafide superstar! Guitar duties are handled by axeman extraordinaire, Bill Menchen (Seventh Power, Menchen, Final Axe, Rev Seven, Redeemer) and the sudden impact vocals of Keith Miles (Final Axe, Holy Right) provide a powerful classic metal experience with vocals riffs that could power the Titanic! Melodic power metal fans have made it clear that Maiden Voyage is a classic worthy of its legendary, heavy-weight status! For fans of Judas Priest, Bloodgood, Neon Cross and Saint. White Throne Blog: 'When you listen to the improved ‘Fight Back,’ ‘I Am Watching You,’ ‘Ocean Of Blood,’ or ‘Gods Of War’ there is so much more feel that it enhances Bill’s guitar riffs. It is simply astounding.' WHITE THRONE BLOG REVIEW With a powerful energetic drum assault from Strypers Robert Sweet these reissues of Bill Menchen's Titanic are even more powerful than when they were first released. Both Maiden Voyage and Screaming in Silence were solid heavy metal albums before. Now with the drumming of Robert Sweet they are spectacular! This is mid paced heavy metal that leather jackets and denim jeans were made for. Both ‘Screaming…’ and ‘Maiden…’ were originally released using a drum machine (if that is incorrect someone please correct me.) Needless to say the sound wasn't as big as it could've been. It showcased Menchens guitar prowess and Sam Tyler’s vocal styles. Screaming in Silence and Maiden Voyage highlighted powerful hook laden heavy metal songs. Now with this new dynamic of real drums by Sweet, he added the missing piece, power, feel, drive and downright rock n roll attitude. When you listen to the improved ‘Fight Back,’ ‘I am Watching You,’ ‘Oceans of Blood,’ or ‘Gods of War’ from Maiden Voyage there is so much more feel that it enhances Bills guitar riffs. It is simply astounding. The added bass drums and fills just increase the power that was already there in the songs to begin with. The hair starts swirling and the neck joins in with glorious praise. The songs from Screaming in Silence also receive a tremendous boost from real drumming. Robert’s dynamics on ‘Hypnotic’ enhance a very groove influenced metal song and just add that missing piece. ‘As I Am,’ ‘See through My Eyes’ are some just obvious examples of the intensity taken up to the next notch. Bill & Sam’s passion are obviously there but with a drummer of Robert’s caliber behind the kit he adds the spark to a smoldering metal flame that ignites in a blaze of glory. The hooks are stronger and more infectious than before. The songs here just sound vastly improved. Heavier than say Priest's Point of Entry but perhaps not quite British Steel. Hook filled like Saxon's Denim and Leather but with the guts of Armored Saints Raising Fear. Not ground breaking but first rate. Any takers? I would almost view those first two original releases as warm up demos for the real thing. The introduced you to the songs and band, but were'nt the finished product. So if you don't already own the original releases do yourself a favor this spring, and if you do you will definitely want the upgrade. These releases are the real thing and if you’re a fan of traditional metal ala Armored Saint, Judas Priest, Dio and Accept don’t hesitate and add these discs to your collection. Bang yer head and yell! ANGELIC WARLORD REVIEW Ever give an album you did not initially like a second chance and ended up pleasantly surprised? That would be the best way to describe the “love-hate” relationship I have had with Titanic’s full length debut Maiden Voyage. The origin of Titanic can be traced to the late eighties and the duo of guitarist Bill Menchen and vocalist Keith Miles, who formed Final Axe and released a well received 10 song demo entitled Beyond Hell’s Gate in 1989. A second project (with the working title Burn In Hell) was started but scrapped when Final Axe broke up. Titanic did not come into being until the mid-nineties when Menchen and Miles (now under the moniker Simon Tyler) reunited and recorded Maiden Voyage in 1996. I immediately purchased a copy as soon as it became available. Now, this is where that “love-hate” relationship in question begins. My first impression on listening to Maiden Voyage is that it was a bunch of boring and repetitious heavy metal characterized by sub par songwriting. As the years passed and I would occasionally listen to the album, my opinion did not waver. Fast forward to 2010 and Maiden Voyage has been re-issued by Retroactive Records with new album artwork – remixed, re-mastered and partially re-recorded in the process – and Robert Sweet (Stryper) on drums. When I first heard of the re-issue, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach – you know, the kind you get when you enter the dentists office to get a root canal done – knowing I was going to have to put together a review. Needless to say, I decided it would be best to approach the project with an open mind and give it the fair opportunity it deserves. And you know what? This turned out a good thing in that upon first listen to the re-issue I was blown away. Why? How? Well, it all starts with the remix and re-mastering. Credit goes to Main Line Riders guitarist Cliffy, who completed the re-mastering, for giving the project a much needed facelift. What was once a distractingly muddy production has turned into a strength in that Maiden Voyage now sports a clean and crisp sound void of the murkiness characteristic to the original. The drums (more on this later) project added punch while the full and abundant rhythm guitar mix is of the type reserved for the most professionally produced releases. After comparing to the original re-issue, it is this reviewers opinion all rhythm guitar tracks were re-recorded from scratch (the difference is that staggering). The second deciding factor, of course, is Robert Sweet, who literally breathes new life into the material with a performance both powerful and creative (a drum machine was used on the first release). The guy, for a lack of better words, really lets loose throughout the project with the end result an overwhelming difference. I will let Cliffy expand further on the matter: “If you ever thought drums don't make a difference then I invite you to check this out and prove to yourself how wrong you were. Robert makes such a difference on this album that you'll swear you've never heard it before.” So how do these improvements impact the songs, which I previously described as “sub par”, “repetitious” and “boring”? While hindsight is twenty-twenty, in looking back I was misinformed to be critical of the albums material in that the fault did not lie with the songwriting but rather the production and (programmed) drums. And now that these latter two areas have been corrected, the songs can be seen in their proper light: full of energy and oozing with emotion while not forsaking hooks in the process. Songs I found repetitious on the 1996 release - “Nightmare”, “You’ve Got Nothing On Me”, “Gods Of War”, “And The Dead Shall Rise” and “Freak Show” – now come to life with stronger chorus hooks and meatier riffs you can sink your teeth into. “Ocean Of Blood” and “Hollywood Blvd”, the only two from the original I liked, are that much better. The albums remaining material (“I Don’t Believe”, “Fight Back” and “I Am Watching You”), which I previously considered filler, now provides solid support. The only constructive comment worth offering is that the albums material (similar to many of Bill Menchen’s earlier efforts) is on the short side of things. Out of the ten tracks here, three come in at under three minutes while six others are three and a half minutes or less. None are over four. My overall feeling is that a couple of songs in the four or five minute range might have added a nedded element of versatility to the album. Still, you cannot complain about the quality of the songwriting- despite the length of each individual track. Before moving on to the track by track it must be noted that Maiden Voyage was also re-issued in 2000 on Magdalene Records with three bonus tracks. The 2010 re-issue includes the ten original songs but no bonus material. Album opener “Nightmare” proves a three minute assault of powering drums, sledgehammer riffs and Simon Tyler’s trademark heavy duty vocals. Despite the tumultuous scene, the song brings a subtle but persuasive catchiness and joins it with the bands penchant for the all out energetic. “Nightmare” is a synonym for dealing with the struggles of life: They break me down and take me down And they keep coming back for more I’m all alone and far from home And I’m fighting to the core Wake me up and shake me up Don’t let me drift away Help me out, scream and shout Or there’s gonna’ be hell to pay The pace picks up exponentially with “You’ve Got Nothing On Me”. What we have here is an attitude laden piece, a non-stop barn burner that charges through its verses to rapid fire vocal delivery prior to decelerating – even if only just slightly – for a brazen as it gets chorus. What we wind up with is one of the albums finer outings. “Gods Of War” brings a no-nonsense mentality. This one delivers a wallop – the guitar mix is right up front and in your face – while giving rise to a slightly ominous if not bottom heavy feel. The shouted chorus - “Gods Of War! Gods Of War!” – is done brilliantly and aligns with the songs aggressive milieu. The lyrics here bring some interesting contrasts: Nightmare/Breakdown Hold tight/Black knight Full speed/Turn back Don’t stop/Attack Blind trust/Cold steel Torn flesh/You kneel Full moon/dark skies Realize it’s time to die Wake up/Bright light Blood red/White night End times/will start Stand tall/take heart Shadows/Noon sun Dream state/I can’t run Young boy/Don’t cry Only one can die “And The Dead Shall Arise” proves a riff driven monster. A high energy piece with a mesmerizing feel, the song charges its distance at an upbeat tempo as Robert Sweet’s precision drumming aligns with some tight as it gets riffing from Menchen. A dramatic chorus finds Simon adding a gritty edge to his delivery. “Ocean Of Blood” starts to a few seconds of quietly played guitar before kicking into high gear. Short but concise at two and a half minutes, the song proves one of the albums catchiest with its hook driven chorus but still gives rise to the all out energy prevalent here. Faith in times of trial is the subject at hand: Oh, don’t you know, you’ll never drown Just grab a hold on to me The storm will pass, I swear to you We will survive & make it through Ocean of blood, takes me to see Fighting for life/Covering me Ocean of blood/Carries me home Flows through my veins/When I’m alone Hard charging, assertive and unrelenting, “Hollywood Blvd” kicks up a storm of insolence during its strapping verses only to smooth out for a chorus giving rise to a surprisingly melodic feel. Robert Sweet adds to the tempestuous scene with occasional outbursts of double bass. “I Don’t Believe” can best be described as straightforward and no-frills hard rock. With its steadfast but weighty backbone, the song might not deliver the most abundant of hooks but holds up under its stalwart impetus and lyrical direction in which the band provides a discourse on all that it does not believe: I don’t believe in Hollywood I don’t believe everything I should I don’t believe in the KKK I don’t believe your born gay I don’t believe in gun control I don’t believe in selling your soul I don’t believe that nothing is free I don’t believe you know me “Fight Back” brings to mind Barren Cross at its most aggressive. The song starts to a drum solo before taking off to some tenacious riff action, pummeling its length at a forceful tempo while allowing for a stretch of Menchen’s bristling lead work (the kind which he is best known for). The chorus, while well carried out, might have had the more dramatic impact if reinforced by some heavy duty backing vocals. An eerie bass solo gets “I Am Watching You” underway, a diverse piece that can best be described as equal parts crunch and equal parts melodic. Those “crunch” elements come into play during the songs rollicking verses while the “melodic” aspect can be found in a sublime chorus backed by smoothly done vocal harmonies. Robert Sweet stretches and shows off his technical prowess on this one. “Freak Show” ends the albums in creative fashion. The voice of a circus ringleader gets things underway. A distorted guitar cuts in after a minute, pushing things ahead at a mid-paced tempo – this is one of the albums slowest and heaviest – until a chorus driven by pounding drums is obtained. The circus ringleader makes a cameo appearance, who stands in support of the songs message about accepting others and their differences: Why can’t you see that people are people No matter what has made them that way Can you tell me whose really human Don’t tell me you have nothing to say! Your’e living in a freak show Well look at what you found Just stare into a mirror You’ll find were all around Track Listing: “Nightmare” (3:06), “You’ve Got Nothing On Me” (3:07), “Gods Of War” (3:29), “And The Dead Shall Arise” (3:15), “Ocean Of Blood” (2:30), “Hollywood Blvd” (2:33), “I Don’t Believe” (3:20), “Fight Back” (2:50), “I Am Watching You” (3:32), “Freak Show” (3:57) Musicians Simon Tyler – Lead Vocals Bill Menchen – Guitars Ray Kilsdonk – Bass Robert Sweet – Drums NO LIFE TIL METAL REVIEW Titanic - Maiden Voyage (Collector's Edition) 2010 1. 'Nightmare' (3:08) 2. 'You've Got Nothing On Me' (3:39) 3. 'Gods of War' (3:30) 4. 'And the Dead Shall Rise' (3:18) 5. 'Ocean of Blood' (2:33) 6. 'Hollywood Bvld' (2:36) 7. 'I Don't Believe' (3:21) 8. 'Fight Back'(2:58) 9. 'I Am Watching You' (3:35) 10. 'Freak Show' (3:51) Titanic's 'Maiden Voyage' was originally recorded and released in 1996. The style of the original was what I penned 'no frills heavy metal'. Basically the band plays simplistic, straight forward heavy metal with no experimenting or intermixing other styles of metal. The closest comparison I could come up with was Judas Priest and Armored Saint. However, to make it more specific, this is simple, headbanging, anthemic metal, not unlike Judas Priest's 'British Steel' or 'Point of Entry'. I don't say that to get Titanic labeled a Judas Priest clone, because they are not. But the song structures, have those same simple, memorable riffs, sing along choruses and mid-paced songs not unlike 'Breaking the Law', 'Heading Out to the Highway' or 'Living After Midnight'. I remember back when I purchased the original CD I thought the overall feel of the album was a bit generic. Fast forward to 2010 and 'Maiden Voyage' has been re-issued by Retroactive Records with new album artwork – remixed, re-mastered and partially re-recorded in the process – and Robert Sweet (Stryper) on drums. To be frank, I just assumed that re-purchasing this CD would be a total waste of money. How can some simple remixing and re-recording the drums improve this project? What was once a lifeless production with digital, programmed drums now has far improved dynamics and the drums make the overall songs far more interesting. Sweet really does spring some life into the songs. The songs that I thought were decent on the original release are outstanding on this new release. I still think that 'Gods of War' is one of the best songs that Bill Menchen and Co. have recorded. The song has an outstanding riff that drives the song, as well as solid, memorable chorus. 'â€?I Am Watching You' and 'Oceans of Blood' come to mind as standout cuts as well. The overall mix of the song focuses on the crunchy rhythm guitars, and of course the drum work. You will hear every single cymbal, snare crack and bass drum hit. Unfortunately the bass guitar is downplayed quite a bit, even when cranking it on my massive car stereo. This may be due to the drums being re-recorded. In general, the drummer and bassist usually have to fit into a pocket together. With the drums being recorded over ten years after the original recording, perhaps the bass guitar was downplayed because they no longer had that pocket together. Regardless of the reason, I didn't find it all that distracting. The only reason I even noticed it was because I was purposely listening to hear how the new drums would work with the old bass tracks. Remastering CDs and repackaging old music as new has become the standard in the last decade. Many of them are not really worth reinvesting in if you already own the originals. Some remasters are actually worse than the originals and just sound all compressed and overly loud. That is not the case with 'Maiden Voyage'. Fans of the original would do themselves well to check out this re-issue. The original CDs sound like demo material compared to this 'Collector's Series' release.