Reviews
The following reviews are from our Spastis Progressivus Aggressiorum EP. Have you reviewed us? If so, please contact us so that we may include it.San Diego Reader: Xavier Hernandez, May 2008
I thought that it was pretty fucking intense. My whole thing is that I think there should be more bands like that in San Diego. I’m sure the lyrics are really good — the Neighbors lyrics were really good, and it’s the same singer. I work at a record store, and I’d definitely put it in the punk section. I would compare it to stuff like Charles Bronson, Drop Dead, and Jenny Piccolo — fast, thrashy punk. I saw them live at Chasers two months ago, and they blew me away. That would be good music for sitting in your room and shaking your fist, riding your bike while shaking your fist, or taking a nice, hot bubble bath while shaking your fist. Anything, but mostly shaking your fist, though.
KZSU 90.1FM, June 2008
Maximum RockNRoll, July 2008
RazorCake Zine, September, 2008
Two assumptions I gotta make about this band while listening to this 45: 1) They must spend oodles of money on espresso; 2) They just hafta be living on a steady diet of jazz. These two assumptions are the only way my noggin can comprehend the audacious aural onslaught they set forth over the course of the six tracks here. Dude screams his lungs out, his buddies flail on their instruments, and all of it is done at warp speed. Okay, you say, I get the caffeine connection, but jazz? Well, they lay all that clamoring and wailing on a solid bedrock of tempo, rhythm, and timing changes that fly all over the place in each song, giving an extra added spastic, ADD sheen to the proceedings. Shit, if you listen closely, you can even hear a bit of Slayer in their prime in there, which is quite a feat considering there’s precious little in the way of metal to be found. I know we’re only at the midpoint of the year, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say this will handily make it into the top three hardcore releases this year. –Jimmy Alvarado (Titanarum)
Cowabunga Records and Distribution, September 2008
New & 1st EP w a long and kinda funny title from this band comprising of veterans of HC and members of past/recent San Diego greats Life Crisis and the Neighbors (who's vocalist Ken was in a brief moment of time a vocalist for Funeral Shock before Tom took over). Hard to describe their sound exactly, its not 'progressive hardcore' exactly but fairly dang close. When we played, it to our ears has elements of Mr Bungle, the Accused-mid to late era- and the fast and vicious elements of the former acts these guys played in before but still really different and off kilter which is admirable. If thrashy hardcore with a penchant for fast metal and a dose of creative yet strange riffage appeals to you at all def check it out.
Organ Magazine Online, November 2008
A blasting stinking bloom of a six track seven incher from San Diego, California. Alive with the flowery smell of rotting corpses and the swarms of circling flies that are attracted to these kind of things. Six slices of no messing fast old school proper thrashing blistering fast fast fast hardcore punk fuggin rock (and not a clothing company endorsement anywhere to be seen). Spawned from the fallout of bands like The Neighbors, Life Crisis and RMSD. Six short sharp explosive punk rock strikes – loud, blistering, charged and these people obviously think some things in life should never change and have no intention of mellowing out or slowing down anytime yet. Nice one, proper blistering splattering hardcore punk rock.
Suburban Voice Online, December 2008
Vocalist Kenny used to growl ‘n scream for the underrated Neighbors and this newish San Deigo band have a similarly fast, unfettered hardcore attack, although there’s a little more metal molt/damage in the guitar lines and jerkin’ tempo shifts. Along with the music, Kenny’s lyrics show a man unwilling to tone it down, as it says on “Aging Quickly”—and that’s both musically or in the way he approaches his life. Pessimistic, angry, doubtful, questioning but also maintaining a defiant individualism. A “Muckhead,” as he calls himself. Shit, did this guy just attend the same high school reunion I did? So what’s the coping mechanism? This music, of course—“the spastic bands that I get to play in/That’s why I live life.” The music keeps him going. Same here.
Fuguitive Equilibrium Blog: Song of the Week, March 2009
Since I'm stuck here, I might as well focus on the good things in my little coastal habitat (especially since this whole economic crap is making me a little skittish about moving...). So other than Bümbklaatt, I really could think of no other current San Diego bands that get me going; that is, until I discovered Titanarum! This band is fairly unique, but draws upon the tradition of raging thrash and old school hardcore (that must be the "Spastis" part of their motto) as well as the jarring start-stop dynamic of more "mathy" bands (hence the "Progressivus" portion). If you're at all familiar with The Neighbors, one of SD's all time finest, then you may meet the machinegun-speed screaming and conversational lyrics like a long-lost friend (same vocalist). Several tracks on the "Spastis Progressivus Aggressiorum" 7" concern themselves with the speaker staying a misfit for life-- "Time Bomb" being one of these. It also runs the gamut of all the band is capable of in the music department as well. This is one hell of a talented and sincere band, and I only hope they'll stick around long enough for me to finally get up off my ass and see them! San Diego may never be known as a "hardcore city," but as long as bands like Titanarum pop up every once in a while, I can feel at least a little less embarrassed about coming from here.