UMUR "Titanium" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US thrash/groove metal act Faith or Fear. The album was released in 2012 and is a self-released/independently released affair. The early origins of the band can be traced as far back as 1982 and Faith or Fear released the "Punishment Area (1989)" debut album right in the heyday of thrash metal. After that not much have been heard of the band, but they´ve actually been occasionally active and since 2002, Faith or Fear have been writing new material and played live shows. So finally after 23 years the sophomore album is out!

The music on "Titanium" is not surprisingly rooted in late eighties US thrash metal and an act like Forbidden comes to mind a couple of times during the playing time. Maybe because lead vocalist Tim Blackman has a voice and singing style that is somewhat reminiscent of the voice and singing style of Russ Anderson, albeit a bit more aggressive and less melodic. However there is also a strong and rather aggressive groove metal element in the band´s sound, and as a consequence "Titanium" is occasionally a really heavy and groove laden affair. The songwriting is sophisticated enough to also include well played guitar solos, tempo changes and and other details to prevent the music from becoming too simple though and "Titanium" is generally just a kickass thrash/groove metal album. Tracks like the opening title track, "Grinding Halt" and "Afterglow" are absolutely killer tracks that should leave most groove loving thrash metal fans breathless.

While I´m rather positive about "Titanium" after spending 39:18 minutes of my life getting my ass kicked, there are a couple of issues that drag my rating down slightly. The sound production and especially the drum sound could have been a bit more interesting. I fully respect that this is an independent release and that Faith or Fear probably haven´t had a million dollars at their disposal for studio/mixing time, but I wouldn´t be a trustworthy reviewer if I didn´t mention this. The other issue I have is the closing instrumental track "CJ", which to my ears sounds a bit like someone playing random ideas on a guitar. It´s not an unpleasant listening experience, but it´s not exactly interesting either.

So...a few negative elements but "Titanium" is mostly a very positive and energetic release by Faith or Fear. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is fully deserved.