Titanium

Titanium embodies one of the rare instances where little of value is arguably lost when a thrash band reunites and opens the doors to more modern influences. This is primarily because Faith or Fear were never that great to begin with. Punishment Area was always a lukewarm, hit-or-miss second-tier thrash record that contained a couple of great numbers in "Rampage / Nothing Uncommon" and "Have No Fear" but otherwise spun it's tires for most of the duration. That doesn't necessarily mean Titanium is some massive return to previously unoccupied form, but it's still got some sleek, globular balls when it feels like giving a damn.

Regardless, don't come here expecting anything even approaching a structured modern thrash album. Bombeke and Perna have clearly given Pantera and Exhorder a few spins in the downtime since the band's dissolution in '91, introducing some well-executed grooving, more bulldozer-like passages that weren't a cornerstone of their original formula. Parallels can be drawn to some of the more measured, deliberate cuts off of Tempo of the Damned and maybe Killbox 13, but the band's signature wailing leads and disorienting stop-start progressions (a truer tribute to their thrash roots than anything else here) are still prevalent enough to remind the listener that this is still Faith or Fear. In fact, kudos to the original members for sticking it out and giving the wheel another spin. Schwegel wasn't present for Punishment Area, but was around for the later incarnation of the band that featured Merritt Gant before Overkill snatched him up. The 2009 death of original bassist Jenkins is severely depressing, as his bobbing, pluggy rhythm section fails to be emulated in earnest by newcomer Guidotti.

The one area that Titanium undoubtedly trumps it's successor is regarding Blackman's vocals. He was always the weakest link of the original lineup, and the added layer of vitriol and harshness that twenty-plus years has granted the man's vocal chords have served him well in this context. He sounds infinitely more pissed off and savage, managing to ease into more of a comfort zone that was sorely lacking on Punishment Area. Conversely, there isn't always much to see here between the requisite thrash breaks and the poignant acoustic tribute to Jenkins in "CJ." "Grinding Halt" and "Machine" groove nicely and elicit some ample neck-jerking. "System Is Armed" is the real stinker of the bunch though, being overlong and far too plodding for it's own good. The band took a necessary risk by adding more of these modern influences, and about half of these tracks suffer in some form or another as a result.

Otherwise, Titanium certainly boasts higher production values than it probably deserves, featuring a blubbery, modern guitar tone that fills in the gaps quite effectively no matter what style Faith or Fear is purporting from track to track. Shwegel's toms are a bit too quiet, but otherwise everything sounds great and doesn't prematurely drag the proceedings down. Faith or Fear have certainly made a strong enough case for their continued existence here, which is certainly more than I can say regarding many of their contemporaries who have attempted similar midlife crisis-induced coups. Rating this one has always loomed large over my head, but for a thrash band that has been inactive for twenty years and lost one of their key songwriters (on stage, no less) in 2009, Titanium is more impressive than Punishment Area was for it's time. Way to keep the flame alive, guys.