Review by Tammy Lomax for MPM
In The Court Of The Dragon’ is the new album released by Trivium and guess what guys? It’s a smashing release.
The Orlando based quartet have experimented in many assortments of genres since they made their first appearance in 1999, varying from thrash to metalcore and melodic metal.
Their ninth album ‘What Dead Men Say’ was believed to be their heaviest release in years and was received very well, taking the band to another direction. In my previous review for their single ‘In The Court Of the Dragon’ I mentioned that their style has hints of their older stuff, similar to their 2013 album ‘Vengeance Falls’ however, they added an enhancement of layering and twists into the mix, resulting in a more mature fresh modern sound that ultimately blistered your ears. This is continued throughout this album and I totally consider it to be their finest work yet.
‘Like A Sword Over Damocles’ follows a similar pace to the previous track ‘In The Court Of The Dragon’, the riffs especially do a mighty fine job at slaughtering every tiny bone in your ear, there is some monstrous talent coming from both guitars. It is a strong contender for the most energised track alongside ‘A Crisis Of Revelation’ and ‘No Way Back Just Through’.
Corey Beaulieu has executed a fine showcase of talent, his ultimate precision and total control leaks through every single track, his shredding just leaves your mouth wide open and thoroughly stunned. There are three tracks touching the seven minutes mark; ‘The Shadow Of The Abattoir’, ‘Fall Into Your Hands’ and ending track ‘The Phalanx’. Not one single second has been wasted, these tracks definitely more focused on a harmonious route. When the vocals take a back seat, the long instrumental sections take place which allows the guitars, drums and bass to shine.
Founder and frontman Matt Heafty works perfectly alongside Corey and shows just how adaptable he is, offering many variations and ranges of vocals throughout the album. He taps into his gentle side with a contribution of some clean singing in places like in the melodic track ‘The Shadow Of The Abattoir’.
I particularly loved his vocals in ‘A Crisis Of Revelation’ which is probably one of my favourites because the drops sound so heavy and meaty. He stretches, scorching in the right places and there is no denying he can sing, a maximum effort and a sublime one at that.
The production is very well constructed, the balance between the guitars and the incredible footwork that comes from Alex Bent is pinpoint perfection. Wow what a drummer. He was previously known in bands Arkaik and Dragonlord and holds a more than ample amount of experience and skill under his belt. He also toured with the mighty Testament and Decrepit Birth and is a total beast behind the kit. Joining Trivium in 2016 he assuredly added a huge wallop to the formula, incorporating thrash metal with groovy technical metal beats, annihilating the snares and both bass drums to hell and back.
‘In The Court Of The Dragon’ is relentless in providing us listeners with an array of music, ram-packed with supreme talent and organically moulded together. Trivium has made use of every single second, so it’s impossible to get bored. Bursting with energy, they’ve excelled themselves with this release. Nothing in life seems guaranteed but be assured, this album is another fabulous release to come from the pandemic.
New album ‘In The Court Of The Dragon’ out now: http://trivium.lnk.to/itcotd
See what happens when Trivium and The Elder Scrolls Online collide. Learn more about the Gates of Oblivion adventure at elderscrollsonline.com Subscribe: http://bit.ly/TriviumYT
Site: http://trivium.org
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