Alternative metal | Crossover | Metal | Metalcore | Nu-metal | Rap metal
100%
Chasing Titans—Infinte Paradox (2024)
Details
Written by Adrian Govender, Sylvester Porizakova and Torrance Kam. Produced by Aidan Courtnell and Chasing Titans at Scallywag Studios, Auckland NZ. Mastered by Aidan Courtnell.
Released March 2024 via Sliptrick Records
Facebook | Instagram | On Sliptrick | Website | Youtube
For fans of: Bring Me the Horizon, Asking Alexandria, Rage Against the Machine, A Day to Remember, and Trivium.
Band
- Adrian Govender—Guitar and vocals)
- Sylvester Porizakova—Bass and vocals
- Torrance Kam—Drums and backing vocals
Tracks
- Complete submission
- Falling down
- When, Freyr
- Cliffhanger
- Poison pill
- Control
- Slowly
- Inversion
- Start to slip
- Surveillance state
Review
Infinite Paradox (2024) is the debut album from Chasing Titans, an alternative metalcore band hailing from Auckland, New Zealand. Formed in 2018, this three-piece group has been making waves in the local and international scene with their distinct and powerful amalgamation of metalcore, infused with elements of hip hop and electronica, coupled with emotionally charged and poignant lyrics.
And it’s good! So good that I’ve sat on this for months, listening to it over and again, the soundtrack to my life crumbling and healing and rebuilding.
As regular readers of this blog will attest, I love releases like this. Artists who creatively fuse together different genres. While I am not a huge fan of metalcore (it’s all the shouty vocals, you see), the addition of hip hop and electronica elements take these tracks to whole new levels.
There is a power and an energy to these tracks. As the press release states:
Every track on Infinite Paradox is an emotional and sonic journey, delivering heart-pounding riffs, thunderous drums, and powerful vocals. The lyrics are raw, introspective, and thought-provoking, delving into the depths of the human experience and addressing themes of resilience, self-discovery, and the pursuit of greatness.
Track 1, “Complete submission“, the album opener begins with an electronic rhythm, an almost honking melody before it kicks in with a half-metalcore/half-hip hop style crossover track, packed with a ton of energy. It’s a great start.
Track 2, “Falling down“, is another blasting, energetic track infused with pleasing riffs and bouncing, shouty vocals. Brilliant!
“When, Freyr?” (track 3) opens with rain and an eerie horn like effect, like something from an epic Tolkien battle. The track is more of a soundscape overlaid with open-throated shouting vocals. A desperate and passionate appeal that leads nicely into…
“Cliffhanger” (track 4) is a midpaced track that feels like a hip hop style rap battle vs a metalcore band. I love the energy and the power. This is definitely one of my highlights of the album.
A steady, pulsing double bass drum introduces “Poison pill” (track 5). Joined by guitars, bass and eventually gruff, hollered and half-rapped vocals this is another up-beat song that more than appeals to my need for a wall of energical white noise.
“Control” (track 6) kicks the tempo up a little and puts me in mind of “We care a lot” era Faith No More either side of an impressive drum solo.
The whispered vocals on “Slowly” (track 7) welcomes a new dynamic even if the remainder of the song returns to the familiar energetic hip hop/metalcore duel from previous tracks.
“Inversion” (track 8) opens with an electronic dreamlike cloud of music and half-spoken vocals. Only 44 seconds, but it draws a line in the sand.
The distinction feels very distinct as “Start to slip” (track 9) opens with rapped vocals above a tight metal groove. This is very nu-metal, but it’s good and feels quite at home with the previous tracks.
The pulsing album closer “Surveillance state” (track 10) blasts out of the gate with in-your-face vocals and a face-ripping guitar riffs. How can this wall of sound come from only three guys?! It’s impossible to not bounce around to this track.
Conclusion
What an album. As I often say, I sit on the albums that I really enjoy—reluctant to let them go. This has definitely been one of them. This is definitely a candidate for my record of the year. It has so much that I love about heavy, intelligent music. It rocks, it bounces, it mixes genres and textures. Each time the album ends I sigh, look around almost conspiratorially and hit play again. Another spin of Chasing Titans, please.
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Disclosure
Grand Sounds PR contacted me inviting me to preview Chasing Titans’s forthcoming album, thank you. I have no connections to either Grand Sounds PR or Chasing Titans. I’m not being paid to review this, but I did get a free digital copy of the album to review which is pretty cool. Many thanks to Grand Sounds PR, and to Chasing Titans for continuing to create fresh, exciting new music.