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Review Summary: Trivium's sophomore album attempts to be consistent and technically talented, and it definately achieves something very close to those aspects. Trivium- Ascendancy
In the past year my music tastes have changed quite dramatically: At the end of last year I was listening to bands like Linkin Park and Breaking Benjamin, but now I listen to Death Metal and any type of “screamo” (yes I know stereotypical word). One of the bands I was bound to stumble upon, being a new metal fanatic, was Trivium. At first I was a little skeptical, because I once heard their all too famous song Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr, and lets just say I wasn’t too fond of it. But this was back when I despised most metal, and only listened to the vocals. I listened long and hard to Trivium’s guitars and drums (which are both amazing), and I eventually came around to them.
See the thing that bugged me the most about them was their style of screaming: rough, edgy, scratchy, and painful-sounding screams. I just couldn’t stand it, but then (after trying to scream like that myself, ha-ha) I realized how hard it actually is to scream like that. I mean Matt Heafy (the lead singer) lost his ability to scream within one year of touring, obviously this style of screaming would have an effect on your voice after awhile (oh and to Trivium fans, Matt is working on vocal lessons to scream again, so expect that on their next new album) Anyways, this opened my eyes to how ridiculously hard it is to scream, and after a few listens I picked up their guitar melodies and riffs, which are actually incredibly complicated for the band only being around seventeen when writing this album.
Trivium is:
Matt Heafy- Lead Vocals, Guitar
Corey Beaulieu- Backing Vocals, Guitar
Paolo Gregoletto- Backing Vocals, Bass Guitar
Travis Smith- Drums
This album isn’t a listen; it’s an experience (yes cliché, but true). Every song keeps you interested with their complex riffs and technical guitar solos. When the album starts with The End of Everything, you get this almost dreary, dark and depressing feeling that flows like a black river through your mind. This short intro uses bass-filled guitar strings that just force this melody to get nailed into your head. But this isn’t what you should expect from the whole album, as this seems almost like a different band wrote an instrumental track to include into the mix.
The album’s overall feel is……. Almost satanic (if you don’t listen to the lyrics that is, which are not at all satanic); as if your listening to a ballad sent to your from hell. All the songs are incredibly heavy (with the exception of Dying in Your Arms) and fast; trust me when I say that you will headbang while listening to this album. In some respects I guess you could say that Trivium’s style is a combination of thrash metal (obviously, their main influence was Metallica) and metalcore. Smith is almost constantly doing double bass blast beats the whole album, the guitarists are constantly performing speedy riffs and guitar solos, and Matt’s vocals are a hybrid of scratchy vocals, screams, and clean beautiful singing sessions.
One song that specifically presents all of these elements very obviously is the piece named The Deceived (Which, in my opinion, is the best song on the album). Right when this song begins the fast riffing and burst-double bass drums beats fill your speakers with bass and noise. Then the harsh screaming of Heafy cuts in and sends chills down your spine. His blood-curdling screams are then halted, and he starts to sing in a scratchy voice, “We are the deceived! Lost in the foreseen!” This is a very addictive and clever chorus; actually every single lyric that comes out of this album’s line up is pretty much well-thought out.
Another element to point out about this element, that’s possibly a negative one, is the fact that the bass guitar is rarely able to be heard. To actually hear the bass guitar perfectly through a whole song, you need very bass-heavy headphones, or a bass-heavy MP3 player. Although truthfully the bass is actually very good, as Gregoletto actually gives you a constant supply of complex bass grooves and rhythms.
Now one instrument that deserves much praise is the drums, Travis Smith is a phenomenal drummer that actually could possibly be compared to skill that of Joey Jordinson (If your very sheltered, that is the drummer of the band Slipknot, if you don’t’t know who they are, then that’s just sad). He supplies your speakers with a constant attack from the double bass drums and sometimes even does some incredibly technical snare drum combinations that all add to the overall experience.
Overall, I would have to say this album comes pretty damn close to a classic, its just that it sometimes gets repetitive in its riff sound and song composition. Although when I look at the album in this way I try to put it into a different perspective: Trivium was going for consistency when writing these songs, not variation, therefore they greatly succeeded in that element of their plans. This is slowly becoming my favorite album of all time, so I will give it a 4.5/5.
Top Five Songs Off the Album:
1. The Deceived
2. Departure
3. A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation
4. Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr
5. Like Light to Flies
Anyways, that’s my review! Please use constructive criticism! :)
| other reviews of this album |
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Album Rating: 4.5
My second review, i tried something different than the track-by-track review, so tell me what you think of the new format and theme of the review please! 
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Remove the Trivium is section - many have done this (even me) but it really isn't necessary in a review.
Joey Jordison is good, but overrated. When comparing, try not to generalise people who may not know who you are comparing to.
While I disagree with a lot of your analogies, such as being an 'experience' and having a 'satanic' feeling you somewhat manage to express your opinions with a minimal amount of bias, which is a good thing.This Message Edited On 06.03.08
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
When the album starts with The End of Everything, you get this almost dreary, dark and depressing feeling
The album’s overall feel is……. Almost satanic
though its not a bad first, you should listen to more music before you do more reviews
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Pretty decent second review. Some awkward syntax here and there but that should improve as you write (and read) more.
But there isn't really anything Satanic about this album, this band, or metalcore in general.
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Pretty okay second review. Band eats balls.
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Matt Heafy's screaming really isn't that good.
But it's not a bad review.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
yeah sorry for the satanic thing, i couldnt think of any other word to descirbe their style of screaming, and i didnt say Matt's screaming was necasarily good, just hard to do. lol and to the guy who told me to listen to more music, i probably have heard twice the amount of songs u have in my experience through muisc (not to sound cocky, but i know quite a few bands that are known, as well as very unknown)
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
i probably have heard twice the amount of songs u have in my experience through muisc (not to sound cocky, but i know quite a few bands that are known, as well as very unknown) lol
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I have issues with the review.
1. Your whole opening paragraph sounds very snobby, mostly considering the way you talk about this album in the rest of the review.
In the past year my music tastes have changed quite dramatically: At the end of last year I was listening to bands like Linkin Park and Breaking Benjamin, but now I listen to Death Metal and any type of “screamo” (yes I know stereotypical word) Death metal and screamo are two completely different genres and i checked your album ratings and...well..you don't lsiten to death metal. You make yourself sound like a metal connoisseur in your intro but after reading the review and checking your ratings i can easily tell you are just getting into the genre(hence the snobbyness i found).
Anothr problem i have is with the satanic thing, the album is well produced metalcore. One of the farthest things from satanic. Check out some black metal for a better idea of "satanic sounding".
All the songs are incredibly heavy Now one instrument that deserves much praise is the drums, Travis Smith is a phenomenal drummer that actually could possibly be compared to skill that of Joey Jordinson These are jsut two parts that influenced what i said about the intro. The band isn't that heavy compared to real death metal(see Necrophagist, Aborted...). And Joey Jordison is decent but NOWHERE near the best in the genre(listen to Flo Mournier from Cryptopsy, he blows both these guys out of the water)
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
i didnt say joey was the best, oh and i stated in the first paragraph that i was just getting into the metal genre, i think after just adding all the black dahlia murder albums recently, i have a total of 362 artists on my mp3 player, so im not being cocky, im just saying i listen to a great variety of music and bands, i even like some rap...... (only two bands, but they have meaningful lyrics, unlike 99 percent of rappers.)
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
You have potential for the best, kind of like Trivium. Unlike Trivium, you use that potential from time to time, whereas Trivium squander it. Good review for a second anyways.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
oh yeah to the guy telling me i dont listen to death metal, i listen mainly to melodic death metal, my favorite band right now is in flames, other death metal i listen to is between the buried and me, meshuggah, and bands similar to them.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
yeah guys sorry if i came off as cocky earlier, cuz i by no means think im that good or anything.
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The way you mentionned Joey Jordison in the review makes it sound like you think very highly of him. I don't know wether you really do but thats the the impression I get from the review.
Between The Buried In Me and Meshuggah aren't really straightforward death metal(although both are good) and I really can't see how someone that listens to Meshuggah can find this "incredibly heavy".
And i stand by the satanic thing too. Listen to some black metal to get the "satanic sound"This Message Edited On 06.04.08
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
and yeah the one of the best drummers i have actually heard recently is the drummer from black dahlia murder (the new one that is) he is just so damn fast its ridiculous
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Try the album None So Vile by Cryptopsy for some insane drumming(its also a good starting point to get you into brutal death metal ). I guess i went kinda harsh on the first comment but it annoys me when new users come off as really cocky and i was getting that feel from the review
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
i dont know, i guess that was a bad choice of words, i just couldnt describe his scream, i could edit that part out since everyone seems to think its a bad choice of words haha, i mean i guess u could say im into more metalcore and plain old metal than i am death metal, but what im trying to get at is im new to the death metal genre (i despise black metal), but i have been into stuff like metallica, bfmv, trivium, children of bodom, iron maiden, megadeth, and other bands like that for about........ seven or eight months, but then again i think its impossible to like linkin park and not eventually get into some sort of metal.This Message Edited On 06.04.08
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
oh yeah and yes joey is one of my heroes actually, its not so much he is that good, just i watched that vid of him doing a drum solo while being flipped upside down in the air and i was imediately convinced he was very talented.
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but then again i think its impossible to like linkin park and not eventually get into some sort of metal. sadly one of my friends is proving you wrong there >_>
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"i have a total of 362 artists on my mp3 player, so im not being cocky, im just saying i listen to a great variety of music and bands, i even like some rap...... (only two bands, but they have meaningful lyrics, unlike 99 percent of rappers.)"
OMG this guy knows what he is talking about guys
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