Artist: Titanic 
   Title: Full Steam Ahead
   Label: Retroactive Records

After a five year lay off Heavy Metallers Titanic are back lead by guitarist Bill Menchen (Seventh Power/Final Axe) and with a new line-up of vocalist David St Andrew and David White on drums, with Menchen providing both bass and guitar parts and everything else in-between, the album also boasts a guest appearance from Strypers sticks man Robert Sweet on two tracks. 

What you get with this album is pure unadulterated top grade Heavy Metal with crunching guitars and pounding drums and a thumping bass all backed with a vocalist with the might to push the band to the limits of his ability.  All factors that have made Heavy Metal one of the dominant musical genres for more than 30 years.

The album get's off to thunderous start with ‘Shovel The Coal’.  This one hits the starboard bow like a meteor from above as the powerhouse drums of White and Menchen’s punchy guitars light the way for the tremendous vocals of St Andrew.

The heavy thunderous metal continues with ‘Dead Mans Bones’, another all out assault with once again the heavy bass and drum sound acting as the backbone for Menchen’s furious riff building and St Andrew’s vocals.

The pace is only brought down a touch with the bass ridden thunder of ‘Deep Down’ before carrying the nautical theme with ‘Captain Of The Ship’, another bass and drum drenched slice of old school heavy metal.

Keeping things on an even keel the band keep the heavy refrain going with ‘Holy Ground’ before my favourite track off the album the rip snorting anthemic ‘Sons Of Thunder’.

‘Upon The Cross’ again unites the bands beliefs with another slice of booming Christian Metal, then it's time for Menchen to really show what he is capable of with the excellent ‘The Wind’ and the equally superb ‘Wisdom’ both balls to the wall metal tracks.

'The Sea' concludes the standard album tracks with its much slower and gritty guitar sound although still remaining true to the overall sound of the album.

The album also boasts two bonus tracks featuring as I said before the stick stills of Stryper’s Robert Sweet. The first of these is ‘Nightmare’ a more traditional metal track while the second of the bonus tracks ‘Come Home’ is hard hitting and angst filled mixed tempo assault that will keep the listener on their toes as the tempo changes come thick and fast.

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