On December 9th, the mighty
Titanosaur will unleash a new EP, his second album this year: No One Home. Titanosaur is the brainchild
of one-man army Geoff Saavedra. The man does it all so convincingly that you
can easily be fooled into thinking that you’re listening to a three or four-piece
band. Not only that, but as if two albums in the same calendar year weren’t
enough, Titanosaur’s been featured on many compilations and projects throughout
the year. From contributions on The Swamp Records’ Support Ukrainian Refugees in Poland with the relentless track “Stand
Up”, to awesome covers of Motorhead (“Bomber”) and The Misfits (“I Turned into
a Martian”), and even an appearance on the Harbinger of D.O.O.M.’s Doom Comes Knocking compilation with a
revamped version of his classic “Escape Velocity”, Titanosaur is super
prolific and has left his stamp all over 2022. So, what can you expect from No One Home? Let’s dig in, shall we?
From the get-go, you can tell
this is a very personal album for Geoff. If you follow Titanosaur on social
media, then you know he’s battling health issues and music gives him courage
and is a conduit for him to express his emotions and apprehensions. Kudos to
him for always keeping his head high and raging forward. This album has heart,
a lot of heart, and it elevates the finished
product immensely. The title track, “No One Home”, starts off slow with a
throbbing bassline, picking up speed along the way in true Titanosaur fashion. This
is one of his best songs ever, in my humble opinion. “Eater of Death” was the
first single and it’s easy to see why. If you’re on Metal Twitter, then I can’t
imagine you wouldn’t be familiar with it. It’s a kick-ass, take-your-life kind
of song, catchy as hell, and again very personal. “My Words Are Apocalypse” has
got a really cool rhythm and is what I like to refer to as a head-bobbing tune.
It’s impossible to listen to this song and sit still without getting physically
involved. “The Spaces Between” is a definite highlight of the EP, one of those
songs that immerse you into their fabric. Plus, it’s got one of Geoff’s most
creative videos that he made for it. Add videographer/filmmaker/editor to the
list of many hats he wears. Titanosaur’s videos are always fun to watch and
this one is top-tier. Check it out on YouTube. “This Isn’t How” comes on with
its pounding drums, towering vocals, and tone of looming danger to transition to
the closing track, a superb acoustic version of “Eater of Death” with keys to
add an extra layer. It’s a terrific arrangement that gives the original song a
run for its money. When you strip down a song of all its bells and whistles and
it sounds even better, then you know you’ve got something special.
In February, Titanosaur gave us
the excellent Absence of Universe and
to book-end the year, No One Home
will land in December. Of the two, I’d give the slight edge to No One Home as my personal favorite.
This 6-track collection is flawless. Although, if I had to nitpick, I’d wish he’d
included the Eater of Death B-side, “The
Time is Now”, as a seventh track. That song features a killer guitar solo and I’m
quite fond of it, but I digress. As it stands, if you’re into heavy metal and
sludge metal, this album’s a strong candidate to wind up on year-end best
albums lists. Titanosaur continues to be a force to be reckoned with,
cultivating a distinct guitar sound, unmistakable vocals, and good times guaranteed.
Titanosaur on Bandcamp: https://titanosaur1.bandcamp.com/
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