Review: Trivium - 'Ascendancy'
Posted: 12 March 2005
Contributed By: Jay

After hearing the track "Like Light to the Flies" as a [pre-production] sampler last year, I made a mental note of the name Trivium. However, in the time that elapsed, I forgot about them. That was a mistake. Little did I know the impact this album would have when I finally heard it. The album is a true metal masterpiece, possibly the best metal album in the last 20 years and one capable of leading metal's charge from the underground into the mainstream.

The truly amazing thing about this band is their young age. Vocalist Matt Heafy and bassist Paolo Gregoletto are all of 19 years old, guitarist Corey Beaulieu is 21, and the senior of the band is drummer Travis Smith at 22. If these kids can make this kind of metal this young, it's almost scary to think of what future albums will bring as they develop and hone their musicianship. Despite Heafy's ability to scream, growl, and throw in soft harmonies, he's still finding vocal ranges he says he didn't know he had.

Bottom-line is this album sets the standard and raises the bar for modern hard rock and metal bands. The drumming is absolutely brutal, the dual guitars seem to bounce off of each other as they go back and forth from high-pitched screams to melodic undertones, the bass sets the tone throughout the tracks, and the diverse vocals add the final punch to the overall sound that'll have you playing air guitar like never before and beating the shit out of nearby objects in an effort to replicate the drums. If your neck isn't sore after listening to this album, you're obviously not living. If you're a fan of metal, this album's a must-own.