A Conversation with Titanosaur

Time for another conversation with a band! This time we’re chatting with Geoff Saavedra, the mastermind behind the one-man heavy metal/hard rock band Titanosaur on the heels of the release of their new album Absence of Universe on The Swamp Records. I recently reviewed the album here.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: First off, congrats on the excellent new album! It fires on all cylinders. You handle all duties as Titanosaur. How and when did you get started as a musician and what was the first instrument you picked up?

Titanosaur: Thank you!  I always aim for "all killer no filler".

One could say I got started when I was born…. But, I'll say I started playing the guitar around 12ish.  I think.  My mother got me an acoustic guitar and had me take classes.  I wasn't really into it until I got my Fender Strat when I was about 16.  That's when it all went downhill!

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Where did the name “Titanosaur” come from and how did you decide to have a mascot like Titano as a symbol for the band?

Titanosaur: When I decided to do something different from The Raygun Girls (the project I had been doing since 2004), I knew I wanted it to be loud and heavy.  So, I started brainstorming names that evoked that feeling and dinosaur names came up, but most good dinosaur names are already taken.  Then I remembered having recently watched a documentary about a new species of dinosaur that was the biggest ever found—the titanosaur.  It was perfect.

Now, the titanosaur actually looks like a bigger brontosaurus, so not very threatening.  So, for the logo I went with a T-Rex head instead.  Since the logo was a T-Rex, I thought about getting a mask to give myself another voice that I would feel comfortable speaking in. So, I got myself a T-Rex mask and went with it.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Your South American roots are represented musically on this album and on your previous EP, Inti Wañu. You even sing a few lyrics in Spanish. Would you ever want to do an entire album in Spanish or a crossover genre that focuses more on your Hispanic heritage?

Titanosaur: My mother used to be the one who would translate my lyrics for me to be able to sing in Spanish.  She was a professional translator and understood translating lyrics as poetry, paying attention to rhythm.  She passed away about four years ago.

I have a Spanish version of "Super Colossal Spanish Queen" on the Bandcamp version of Inti Wañu.  A friend helped by translating all the lyrics and then I went through and changed some words to fit better.

I speak Spanish, and understand Spanish, but I don't know it well enough to be able to write lots of songs in Spanish.  But I would definitely do more full songs in Spanish if I had the lyrics.

And, for me Santana is a GIGANTIC influence from when I was a kid, and Sepultura came in later.  I love mixing Hispanic rhythms with heavy guitars.  I'm all about tribal beats—groove… music and rhythms that make you move.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Your videos are always a lot of fun and you get to dress up as Titano. You shoot them yourself; do you have a background in film or is it a skill you picked up along the way to be more self-sufficient?

Titanosaur: Most everything I do is stuff I have picked up by necessity.  I had guitar lessons for a few years, but most of what I know, I taught myself.

I record all my music on my own, and I've taught myself using YouTube tutorials and reading articles and listening.

Same goes with making music videos.  I'm a fan of media, so I use that as a base.  It takes longer to learn, but that's how my autistic brain works—I learn better by doing.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: With the state of the pandemic right now, live shows are often limited or on hold. Are you planning to do any local shows or hit the road with a back-up band in the near future or when the pandemic subsides?

Titanosaur: I would love nothing else than to be able to play these songs live, with a band, on a stage.  Unfortunately, due to my health, I can no longer do that.  In 2009, I had emergency heart surgery (my third heart surgery), and I have not been on a stage since then.

I am, however, planning a sort of "live" stream for February 4th, to celebrate the release of Absence of Universe.  An old friend, Doc, will be playing drums.  Doc played with me in The Raygun Girls for a couple of years.  He's a great guy and I'm really looking forward to hearing a few of these songs played with an actual drummer, rather than programmed.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and I wish you much success with the new record!

Titanosaur: Thank you so much for your continued support of Titanosaur.  Your kind words in your reviews are VERY much appreciated.  And thanks for giving the chance to answer your questions here!

Join the Titanosaur Absence of Universe Release Party on Bandcamp this Friday, February 4, 2022 at 7:00 PM EST

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