by Steve Joyce
When a member of a beloved band releases a solo album, eager fans drool with anticipation and wonder: will this be an outlet for below-par material rejected by their main band? Or will it be fresh, vibrant and a top quality showcase of a different facet to their musical personality? Spoiler alert: the latter is overwhelmingly the case for Tiktaalika’s “Gods of Pangaea”.
Guitarist in UK progressive metal titans Haken since 2008, Charlie Griffiths has co-created some of the most inventive and electrifying music in the genre over their seven albums released to date. (2013’s “The Mountain” is a desert island album for this reviewer.) Griffiths’ guitar work contributes sonic depth and a fulsome heaviness to Haken’s music. Griffiths also performed with Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress on their memorable run of concerts in 2017.
The clues have always been there: Charlie Griffiths is not only a guitar virtuoso with one of the richest tones in progressive music – at heart, he’s a total metalhead!
Tiktaalika is Griffiths’ brainchild, named after his 2022 solo album. It’s a vehicle for him to unashamedly let rip and fully indulge all his heavy metal fantasies. The core of the band is Griffiths, Haken bandmate Conner Green on bass and drummer Darby Todd (Devin Townsend). They’re joined by elite vocalists Tommy Rogers (Between The Buried & Me), Rody Walker (Protest The Hero), Vladimir Lalić (Organised Chaos) and Daniël de Jongh (Crown Compass). The seven songs that make up “Gods of Pangaea” each feature one lead singer. There’s also an eighth “bonus” instrumental track.
The album picks up where Griffiths’ first solo album left off, and continues with an exploration into an ancient forgotten world, colliding with the human-centric planet we inhabit today. For those wondering, “Tiktaalika” was a long-extinct aquatic species seen as a vital link between fish and four-legged vertebrates. Pangaea, of course, was Earth’s supercontinent that began to break apart 200 million years ago to gradually form the continents as we know them. Here ends the history lesson! What’s the album like?
Including the bonus track, there are 54 minutes of music – and just like Haken, every one of them is action packed – not a single moment is wasted. That’s where the similarities end, however – make no mistake, this is, unashamedly and gloriously, an out-and-out heavy metal album.
Firmly of the melodic school of heavy metal, “Gods of Pangaea” avoids niche sub-genres like black, doom or death. There’s some thrash, but mainly the focus is on headbang-inducing riffs, soaring choruses, thrilling drumming and flamboyant soloing that will have you reaching for your air guitar. Expect powerhouse metal vocals in the finest traditions of the genre. For those wondering, the vocals are “clean” (except, perhaps, parts of two songs) – fans of incomprehensible growling, listen elsewhere.
The album is a tribute to the art of the guitar riff. Says Griffiths, “This time around I wanted to be more song oriented, rather than having an overarching concept. Although I had a rough blueprint for the shape of the album in my head and was always conscious of the balance and flow of the album experience; starting with a fast thrasher, following up with a longer progressive track, then a slower sludgy song, followed by a softer track and so on. I finished all the music first and really focused on each section be there for a good reason, with a guitar riff that drives the song.”
It shows! From the start of album opener “Tyrannicide” the album makes its intentions abundantly clear. The listener is assaulted with furious riffage. Singer Daniël de Jongh slays the vocals with differing styles. It’s a complete joy to hear such impressive versatility in a vocalist. A fast guitar solo and breakdown with syncopated double kick drums completely captivate the attention. The brilliantly tongue-in-cheek lyrics would sound at home on an Evil Scarecrow album (for the uninitiated: check out “Crabulon” – you’re welcome).
Lead single “Gods of Pangaea” is (slightly!) slower paced and has a super-catchy Maiden-style melodic lead guitar riff. The Green/Todd rhythm section propel the song and lock together as though they’ve been playing together for years. Clearly Griffiths understands the importance of a great chorus and there’s a superb example here and another diverse performance by de Jongh. A quieter section delivers a dynamic counterpoint before dextrous tom rolls and chugging guitars herald a dazzling Griffiths solo and a reprise of the earworm ‘Maiden’ riff. Fabulous!
“The Forbidden Zone” introduces a different style to the album with a more menacing feel and an unsettling, malevolent performance from singer Vladimir Lalić. There’s sparing use of growly vocals which add to the atmospherics and there’s plenty of melody too. The guitar playing is extraordinary – riffs feel natural and flow brilliantly well, with a clear sense that they’ve been meticulously crafted (and played) by a true artist.
“Mesozoic Mantras” feels different again with a darkly mellow opening section that would sound at home on Opeth’s “Damnation”. Lalić contributes his second and final performance to the album and he’s almost unrecognisably different in style compared with the preceding song. By using four different singers, each capable of (and using) different styles, Griffiths keeps the album sounding fresh and interesting. Some listeners might feel that changing vocal styles so often detracts from the album’s cohesiveness. However, it’s the most effective use of multiple vocalists I’ve heard since 2000’s phenomenal (and underrated) ‘Iommi’ album.
“Fault Lines” features singer Rody Walker who delivers a supremely catchy chorus. The song has an exciting gallop and a tastefully riotous guitar solo, one of the best on the album. A stand-out feature of this song is a propulsive bass guitar part. Griffiths clearly understands the importance of the bass in heavy music and Green’s agile, musical playing is gratifyingly high in the mix, rounding out the songs most satisfyingly. Across the whole album, it’s one of the best bass performances I’ve heard in recent years.
Dextrous snare rolls give impetus to “Give up the Ghost”, the third song to feature singer de Longh. The unbelievably catchy chorus sticks in the head. It’s another song where clever use of contrasting dynamics, changes in tempo and changing vocal styles absolutely enthral the listener. Griffiths’ Hammett-style guitar wails over the outro. This song is really good fun!
Album closer “Lost Continent” is a nine-minute extravaganza of all that’s magnificent in melodic heavy metal. It’s probably the heaviest track on the album and it’s my favourite. After a bass-driven intro, the guitar riffs are outstanding. The vocals, delivered here by Tommy Rogers, growl in places and he has a superb clean/melodic voice in other sections. Growling vocals work best when used sparingly for maximum dramatic impact and that’s certainly the case here. Griffiths blesses the song with truly exhilarating riffs and solos. It’s the sort of song that gives listeners something new every time they hear it.
For those with a CD copy of the album, instrumental bonus track “Chicxulub” is an interesting listen with pleasing melodic guitar lines and a double kick drum onslaught.
Paying homage to the traditional sounds of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, with Metallica/Megadeth style riffage, moments reminiscent of harder bands like Carcass and Pantera and even a little Damnation-era Opeth for good measure, “Gods of Pangaea” provides an evocative tribute to the very best heavy metal music of the past 45 years.
However, this is no cliched pastiche or nostalgia trip – the album displays its influences proudly on its chest, but Griffiths and his crew stamp a modern, distinctive musical identity all their own.
The art of the heavy metal guitar is absolutely in safe hands with a craftsman like Charlie Griffiths. With his Tiktaalika collaborators, Griffiths has created a brilliant piece of modern metal which is sure to thrill and delight genre fans all over the world. Just don’t expect it to sound like Haken!
Released on March 14th, 2025 on InsideOutMusic
Tracklisting:
1.Tyrannicide feat. Daniël de Jongh 3:54
2.Gods of Pangaea feat. Daniël de Jongh 8:36
3.The Forbidden Zone feat. Vladimir Lalić 5:52
4.Mesozoic Mantras feat. Vladimir Lalić 6:32
5.Fault Lines feat. Rody Walker 6:30
6.Give Up The Ghost feat. Daniël de Jongh 5:15
7.Lost Continent feat. Tommy Rogers 9:12
8.Chicxulub 7:31 (Bonus Track on CD & Digital)
Charlie Griffiths – guitar
Connor Green – bass
Darby Todd – drums
The album was mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street studios. The album will be available as a Limited CD Edition (incl. 1 bonus track), Gatefold LP & as Digital Album.
Pre-order now here: https://tiktaalika.lnk.to/GodsOfPangaea
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