Review Summary: Peak Trivium
Trivium hold a fairly unique position in the 2020 metalcore world. They are a band that rose to stardom as the genre peaked in popularity, becoming titans of the scene in the late 2000s. However, unlike a majority of their contemporary acts, Trivium are still going strong a decade and a half later. While many other core acts were busy chugging away at the same chords, Trivium continued to switch up their style. The band’s sound ranged from the straightforward metalcore and thrash worship of their early and intermediate albums to a more radio-friendly approach hinted at on certain singles off 2011’s “In Waves” and more fully realized on the following “Vengeance Falls”. While these fluctuations were not without their missteps, they ensured the group never stagnated, and even allowed for improvements along the way. While many fans disliked frontman Matt Heafy’s more clean approach on albums such as 2015’s “Silence in the Snow”, the album allowed Heafy to try a new vocal approach. This allowed the band to bring their sound full circle on 2017’s “The Sin and the Sentence”, which showcased not only Heafy’s epic cleans and newly rejuvenated growls, but also the best drumming the band had put out yet, courtesy of new addition Alex Bent. Now, with their ninth studio album, “What the Dead Men Say”, Trivium offer a compelling slice of their signature metalcore and thrash mixture, rife with melodic leads, driving riffs, a clinical rhythm section, and soaring hooks.
“What the Dead Men Say” picks up right where “The Sin and the Sentence” left off, giving listeners a perfected version of the band’s brand of metal. Following a short intro, the dual guitar attack of Heafy and Corey Beaulieu kicks in. While the album doesn’t have any guitar passages as immediately catchy as its predecessor, both the riffs and leads are extremely consistent from track to track. The following instrument is Alex Bent’s drumming. The drums on this album are every bit as jaw-dropping as they were on the previous release, as his incredibly fast beats and intricate fills keep songs moving at an astonishing pace. When Heafy begins to sing, his harsh vocals sound as vicious as ever, and his hooks actually sound even more bombastic than they did previously. This adds some melodic beauty to tracks that would otherwise sound stagnant, and makes the album a fun listen for both new fans and hardcore ones alike.
While all of these traits are standard for the group at this point, they all combine to make something greater than an average Trivium album. One of the biggest factors that allows this is the production of the album, which is clean enough to catch even the sneakiest of Brant’s fills. While previous works sounded equally sharp, the mixing on this album allows every part to stand out. No member benefits from this production more than Paolo Gregoletto, who’s insane bass playing, that has long been the backbone of the band, is brought right to the center of the mix. Paolo shreds every bit as fast as Corey’s riffs, and even keeps up with the rapid drumming. The prominence of bass in the mix also leads to a heavier, and better sounding album overall.
This pattern of immaculate instrumental work and excellent vocals continues throughout the albums ten tracks. Although the songs run together a bit, the relative brevity of the project, coupled with the quality of the songs themselves makes the project a powerfully coherent one overall. Furthermore, this record makes it clear that Trivium have not only perfected their music, they are also passionate about it. Every member has continued to improve, and the band has clearly put a lot of work into every track here. With “What the Dead Men Say”, Trivium have created an excellent metal album that not only sounds good, but is also worth listening to.
