Track By Tracks: Chasing Titans - Infinite Paradox (2024)

1. Complete Submission:

Adrian began composing synths while experimenting with different hip-hop influenced beats following the release of Chasing Titans debut EP. Initially, he composed the guitar work for “Complete Submission” and then slowly built the bass, drums, and synths around the entire progression before writing lyrics for it. He structured it in a way that his and Sylvester's vocals embody the contrasting sides of unhealthy relationships (the theme of the song). The rest of the band heard it just before the start of the North Island EP Tour where it was played for the first time live in Auckland. After a few shows, it garnered a significant reaction from the audience, with many eagerly anticipating its performance. Recognising it as a concise summary of the entire record, Adrian wanted this track to lead the album.

2. Falling Down:

This song was the first composition that the band recorded in 2019. Adrian wrote the entire concept around the drum intro and arrived at its initial version, which turned into the demo. Torrance then suggested introducing more ideas and drum patterns into it. As a result, Adrian re-wrote the bridge to make the song a bit more interesting. After the EP was released, Adrian revisited "Falling Down" and made significant changes to the guitar work while retaining the majority of the drums and bass, to introduce a more modern and aggressive approach to the song.

3. When, Freyr?:

Sylvester really wanted to come up with a vocal intro for "Cliffhanger", and he had written some lyrics that would fit well as an opening to the song. Working together with Adrian, they produced this intro during pre-production in the months leading up to recording.

4. Cliffhanger:

The oldest song on this album, Adrian created the majority of the guitar work on it initially while living in South Africa during his time in university. It sat on his computer for a few years till Sylvester heard a demo of it and knew it had to be made into a Chasing Titans song. Adrian then worked on it during 2018-2019 and the band started playing the initial non-synth version of it live. During early 2023 Adrian composed the synths and completed“Cliffhanger” as it is today.

5. Poison Pill:

The last song written for the album, "Poison Pill" was composed very quickly and almost effortlessly, while Adrian was experimenting with lower tunings. After coming up with the initial guitar riffs for the verse and chorus, he had the synths and lyrics written and finished by the end of the very next week. Interestingly enough, it's the only song on the album written in Drop A# tuning.

6. Control:

The initial version of this song was created as a parody, to highlight the stark contrast between the opulence depicted in contemporary rap videos and the reality of being part of a metal band while working in the corporate world. However, during the pre-production phase, Adrian undertook a revision, shifting the song's focus towards the mental turmoil associated with exploitative employment. This adjustment was made to ensure that the song's original lightheartedness did not disrupt the overarching serious and somber tone of the album.

7. Slowly:

Throughout 2019, Adrian had a strong desire to craft a song propelled by the initial bass riff. "Slowly" emerged as the outcome of this creative exercise. Although the band enjoyed performing the raw version of the song during live sessions from 2019 to 2022, it really began to shine when synths were integrated into the composition. This infusion led the song into a slightly more innovative direction, all the while preserving the essence of the original bass riff.

8. Inversion:

During the pre-production of the self-titled EP, Adrian initially composed this piece on the piano to serve as an intro. Although it ultimately didn't make it into the final cut, there was something magnetic about the progression, prompting him to continue refining it with synths to see what it could evolve into. When the band required an intro for their live show, nothing seemed to fit more perfectly than "Inversion", as it infused the atmosphere necessary for an ethereal yet modern kick-off.

9. Start To Slip:

This is another song that predates Chasing Titans. Torrance and Adrian played together in a short-lived band called "Metrolanes" in 2016, and "Start To Slip" was the only song they worked on. Adrian originally wrote the rap verses before the song was created and then added guitars, bass, and drums to it. After Chasing Titans was formed, he continued to change and restructure the song until early 2023 when he wrote the synths that would complete the last piece of the puzzle and turn it into its final version.

10. Surveillance State:

The very first song written for Chasing Titans, Adrian was inspired by the horrifying level of data mining used by social media in the 21st century, and this song was born out of the exploration of that idea. On another note, after the release of Chasing Titans' EP, Adrian wanted to remove this song, as well as "Cliffhanger", from the live set because he thought they might not fit the more aggressive sound that the band had developed. Sylvester convinced him to keep them in, and after Adrian added synths to the music, these songs cemented their place as an integral part of every show.