Metal Reviews

Um...don't get me wrong, but I'd say he looks more metal than YOU. Of course, not many of us look "metal," nor does it mean anything.

You listen to a band for the music, seeker. What they look like doesn't matter one bit! Not one bit.

In listening to Trivium's The Crusade for the first time, it's remarkable that this is the same band that recorded Ember to Inferno a scant three years ago. While last year's Ascendancy hinted at what was to come, it still doesn't prepare the listener properly. The former thrash metal band from Ember to Inferno disappeared, was covered over by this insanely talented quintet whose members could be 20-years-olds. They play an aggressive form of syncopated, intense progressive metal. With vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy and drummer Travis Smith are guitarist Corey Beaulieu and bassist Paolo Gregoletto, who should be ready for the world stage at this point, and clue in those who think is speed metal is some passé form of rock music. Check the twin guitars in "Detonation" as Trivium weave dynamic, melodic passages around a crunching riff. Or the vocal chorus that opens "Entrance of the Conflagration," before it erupts into kick drum-driven mayhem without ever delving into cliché. Sure, early Metallica were an influence on Trivium (the Metallica who released Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets, not the current incarnation who left those guys in the dust to become a respectable rock band).

This is not to say that thrash doesn't have its place in the mix — check "To the Rats." Never has a drummer sounded so crisp and so completely in control of the beat than Smith does here. The quick yet devastatingly tasty guitar riffs that Heafy and Beaulieu concoct are creative, knotty and canny. Other notable cuts on this fine outing are "Becoming the Dragon," "The Rising," and the eight-plus-minute title cut that closes the set.

Let's face it, though it's made and listened to primarily by the young, as a genre, metal has grown up and become far more sophisticated than it's given credit for. If anything, it's the only place in rock & roll music where innovation and creativity are flourishing because other than electricity and volume, there are no rules; the musicianship is top-notch, the writing gets better all the time, and production techniques are not the focus, music is. Trivium's The Crusade is a perfect example of what's possible. Along with other American bands like Mastodon and Slayer — and an entire slew of groups from their home state of Florida — are redefining the genre.

But of course. God Hates Us All helped re-define how to not make an album.

http://www.downloadfestival.tv/mofo/watch/408/

Video of their entire Download Festival UK set. It's a soundboard recording, the vocals are up too high, but anyone saying these guys can't shred is retarded! Most of the old songs are sung like the new songs, not screamed. But when they are screamed it's the other guitarist doing it. Has he always done it, or did something happen to Heafy's vocal cords? I know a lot of screamers destroy their vocal cords and have to change their singing style because of it.

I'm a fan of the new bass player. He's fucking old school!

EDIT: Is there a conspiracy here? Has Heafy never screamed? Listen to "Boat! Rudder!" on this thing, it's the last song. The other guitarist sings parts of it and he totally sounds like the dude on the CD version! I'm wondering now if Heafy has never been the screamer on the CDs!

The Crusade is, indeed, a very solid album. I just got the single for "Anthem (We Are The Fire)" with two non-LP tracks on it, "Vengeance" and "Broken One." Both are excellent tunes that should have been on the album. I would have preferred these two over "And Sadness Will Sear" and "This World Can't Tear Us Apart," the two most modern-sounding tracks.

"Broken One" is one hell of a song, mostly clean singing, but heavy and catchy as hell! No idea why it wasn't on the album. "Vengeance" is heavier, a mid-paced metal tune, that is equally as good. They should have been on the album. Both have killer solos, too!

I ordered this single HMV.co.uk, it's cost me like $3.67 total. Rest assured I'll be ordering more singles this way!

I hope the bassist, Paolo, does a solo album, or starts a side-project! He wrote "Broken One," "The Rising" and "Anthem (We Are The Fire," all mostly rock song with a metal edge. He's a damn good songwriter, if you ask me. Catchy rock tunes please a Def Leppard fan! =) Paolo wrote nothing on the last album, and apparently wasn't in the band on the first album. He should write more!

I actually like "And Sadness Will Sear" and it slows down things a bit on the album before picking up again which I think is good.

P.S. On al completely unrelated note, It's good to see a thread reach 10m pages without a massive flamewar, e.g. the legendary Eyesore vs Belephor.

Not a bad track, but the b-sides are better. =) Have you heard them? "Broken One" is on their myspace page.

Thanks, i"ll definitely check it out. On another note did anyone notice the Symphony X similarities with Trivium's "Unrepentant" ?

Thanks, i"ll definitely check it out. On another note did anyone notice the Symphony X similarities with Trivium's "Unrepentant" ?

I like "This World Can't Tear Us Apart". Slower stuff with a nice, catchy chorus...cool solo too. I honestly thought And Sadness Will Sear sucked...like Dying in Your Arms.

I didn't notice any Symphony X similarites :/

And I can't find the b-sides anywhere. I guess they took it down from their MySpace.