Walk With Titans (through Rockshots Records) will release their debut album “Olympian Dystopia” on May 26th, 2023. Based in Montreal, Canada, the band’s goal is to bring all the epic elements you’d expect from a power metal band with a twist of Greek mythology. On “Olympian Dystopia,” the quintet showcases their writing and technical skills and gives a good indication of their music as it is now.
Walk With Titans is:
Drums : Nikko Cyr
Rhythm Guitar : Nick Maugy
Lead Guitar : Louis Jacques
Bass Guitar : Lydz Grondin
Vocals & Orchestrations : Jonathan Vézina
Guitarist Louis Jacques said- ”We wanted to make a straightforward power metal album without compromising the epic side. I think listeners will realise that and enjoy it. We made this album during the pandemic, and it kept us sane. We hope fans will find the same joy in listening to it as we did making it! We bring some ancient Greek myths to the forefront, like Eurydice and Herakles, while others are more subtle, like ‘Edge of Time’, which is Khronos representing time eating us all. Other tracks on the record we made as an analogy for societal issues.”
And now for the review, where your intrepid reviewer heads into a mix of power metal with a prog rock flavour and the tales of ancient Greece.
Heracles- instantly grabs you with a heavy guitar sound, vocal harmony, and effective use of swirling keyboards. Melodic chorus, I liked the technique of the music suddenly stopping and the vocals carrying it for a few moments. It’s a fast, urgent opener.
Edge of Time- a song in a real hurry, is played at speed, reminds me of the guitar work of Vinnie Vincent on his first solo album, “Invasion.” It’s a song about ‘Khronos’ representing time eating us all, and it rips along. It’s one that will keep metal fans happy.
Gods of the Pantheon- I liked the guitar melody on this one. It has a solid rhythm section, some powerful drumming, and Jo (vocalist) seems to be having a blast.
As Titans Fall- is one of the heaviest songs on the album, driven by some strong riffs.
Lost Ways- is my favourite on the album. It has a great drum sound that is just right in the mix. A strong chorus that would have the mosh pit punching fists, a track that would storm it live, and the guitars have a life of their own. A thumbs up.
“We lost our ways
Tortuous maze
Life has its ways
To keep us in the haze
Never to leave the race.”
Final Dawn- This keeps up the pace, It is a solid album track, a positive,rocky, up tempo number.
Running Wild With Titans ?! Gift of Fire- This is a song about the Titan Prometheus. The band had a very special guest on this one for the guitar solo, Renato Osorio (ex-Hibria) who does a pretty good job! It’s a heavy track, melody provided by the vocals. I’m pretty sure this would do well in the live set.
Lost Paradise- Jump up and down and enjoy a dose of power metal. An enjoyable enough blast, solid driving music on an open road.
Seven Against – This one (one of the singles) proudly delivers these fast riffs, chorus hooks, and drumming on acid. It rips along toward the album’s conclusion.
Louis Jacques- ”This song is very ”in your face”. We wanted to make a fast song with a very epic, catchy chorus, and I think we succeeded here. This song is about the myth of the two Oedipus’ sons who fought to the death over the city of Thebes. The bridge solo section is very fast and intense, as a battle could be. We unleash everything on the stage when we play this one.”
Eurydice- The most interesting track on the album closes it. They saved the best for last. It is a track with plenty of light and shade, some epic dimensions, and it belongs firmly under the prog rock umbrella.
On the songwriting ideas, Louis said,
“Greek mythology and the analogies that can be made around it, some are about social issues. Some are straightforward in which we literally tell the myth (like Eurydice or Herakles), while others are more subtle, like ‘Edge of Time.’
Are the songs a collaborative effort?
Louis- ”Yes! Without teamwork, this project would be completely pointless, and none of these songs would have been finished.”
Does the band have a main songwriter?
”I wrote most of the ‘main ideas’ for the songs/song structures, Nick (guitar) does some too, but the songs really take life when Jo (vocals) starts rehashing our ideas and then we discuss them. Our songs are not recognisable from the ideas they came from originally, so, I don’t like saying that we have a main songwriter.”
And this reviewer’s overall opinion on the debut album? It’s a solid slab of power metal, a real statement from an ambitious band. They hit a groove here that demands attention and delivers. I’ll be watching out for where they go next.
Standout tracks: “Eurydice,” “Lost Ways,” and “Heracles.”
Review by Stevie Ritson
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