Trivium – In Waves (2011) Review & EXCLUSIVE Video Interview

EXCLUSIVE Trivium Interview with Nick Augusto & Corey Beaulieu Over New Album “In Waves”

I’ll let you watch Trivium’s Nick and Corey tell you about the writing process in our exclusive interview we did with them during the Montreal leg of the Mayhem tour (Heavy MTL).

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In Waves Review:

Indeed, with numerous important heavy metal bands having released or releasing albums in 2011, we’ve entered a metal renaissance of sorts. With new and exciting bands emerging, younger bands maturing, supergroup side projects coming out, and metal veterans finally getting their shit together, it’s as if the stars have aligned to give us a music messiah known only as Metal.

Among the bands leading the charge is Trivium, who release their fifth studio album, In Waves, today, August 9, 2011. Despite the band claiming that the sound of In Waves is a step back toward that of Ascendency, Trivium is among that demographic that is maturing as musicians. They’ve been on an arc and now they’ve returned to start. Whether that’s planned or laziness, I’ll let you decide, but in the end, Trivium has put out an accomplished album with In Waves.

Aside from the instrumental intro, “Capsizing the Sea,” In Waves opens with the title track and it hits you square on the jaw with an attack approach, exposing the breakdown like an open sore, and giving us great pleasure in Matt Heafy’s metal growl from the very start. The track serves as a good indicator of what’s to come: Heafy playing both sides of the vocal fence, offering up a mix of straight vocals and screams/growls; guitar solos that go beyond pure thrashing; crushing riffs; and accomplished percussion from newcomer Nick Augusto.

Trivium – “In Waves”

“Dusk Dismantled” is almost militant in its rhythm and it’s one of two death metal tracks on the album, but it’s not quit death enough. However, it features some awesome blast beats, death vocals, and a powerful, traditional thrash solo. Equally impressive, is the subtle acoustic section at about 2:50.

A potential favorite on In Waves is “Watch the World Burn.” Heafy exemplifies mastery in his vocal melody while using his straight voice and, as we all know, his metalcore voice is intense (although it could have been more powerful here). The guitar solos are almost progish in nature, but also hint at ‘80s glam. The song has a great chorus melody and “Watch the World Burn” could easily be a rolling-credit song at the end of a horror or apocalyptic movie. It’s an awesome, awesome song.

For some more song analysis, final thoughts and the verdict, well, you know what you have to fuckin’ do…