Label: Roadrunner Records
Release date: September 24, 2020
Production: Josh Wilbur
Album length: 46:31
Over the past decade, Florida’s Trivium have become one of the most talked-about bands on the metal scene. And nothing here is left to chance. These guys are hard-working and disciplined, and they’re very active when it comes to promotion too. With their previous album, The Sin And The Sentence, they managed to raise the bar, and it helped a lot that talented drummer Alex Bent joined the band. This time Bent had more of a say, so expectations were high.
What The Dead Men Say is already the band’s ninth album. After that many records, it’s hard to predict that Trivium can surprise us with anything new or special. But as we know, Trivium have managed to keep the quality up all along, even if not every album turned out great.
After the intro IX, Trivium hit hard and with no compromise. With their trademark style, blending elements of metalcore and thrash metal, they show zero signs of letting up. The black metal section, which is built on melody, adds an aggressive edge to the track. Nothing surprising, but definitely a good sign for the rest of the album.
Catastrophist could be the peak of the album for a lot of people. At first it seems like an average track with a standout chorus, but the second half shows a completely different picture: a brutal section that morphs into a clever, progressive-tinged part with technically demanding playing in the style of Dream Theater. The cleverly structured track makes it clear that Trivium want to show off as much instrumental skill as possible, weaving in elements of progressive metal along the way.
With Amongst The Shadows & The Stones, they go back to somewhere around the Ascendancy era. A punchy track with a metalcore and thrash flavor, it surprises with a melodic section you’d expect from some Swedish melodic death metal band. The influence is obvious, but it doesn’t feel like Trivium are trying to imitate anyone — they’ve added their own ideas on top. Things calm down a bit with the simpler Bleed Into Me, which, with its length and melody, feels tailor-made for a radio hit. With every release Trivium serve up a few songs with a more pop-oriented structure. Nothing wrong with that, as long as the whole album isn’t in that style.
Defiant brings up associations with the albums Ascendancy and In Waves. This strong, melodic metalcore track doesn’t deliver anything extraordinary, but for those who swear by melody, it could easily be a favorite. A real standout, though, is Sickness Unto You, which mixes elements of different genres, with a well-placed breakdown, fast soloing and a crushing rhythm section. With its inventive structure, Trivium show they’re exceptionally capable songwriters. Not every track convinces, though — simplicity with pretty choruses comes off as cliché, considering what Trivium are capable of. I’m talking about Scattering The Ashes, which is nothing special on this album.
With Bending The Arc To Fear, Trivium surprise us again by flirting with extreme metal, and there are even echoes of France’s Gojira. Another strong track, and they close the album in a similar way with The Ones We Leave Behind, only this time melody takes center stage.
Trivium’s performance is flat-out brilliant. Matt Heafy has put even more work into the melodies with his vocals, while not giving up the harsh vocals, which are ideal for the punchy, fast sections. And next to Heafy, guitarist Corey Beaulieu serves up plenty of solos, so fans of guitar shredding will fall in love with this album fast. The rhythm section, with Paolo Gregoletto on bass and Alex Bent on drums, remains rock solid. Gregoletto’s lines fill out the whole sound nicely, and Alex Bent has now proven he’s got no equal. He’s a true drumming virtuoso — fast, precise and technically polished. Bent is one more proof that a great drummer is pretty much essential if you want to stand out from the pack as a band today.
As a whole, Trivium sound convincing and, above all, very seasoned. There’s nothing to complain about on the production side — Josh Wilbur did a stellar job. The album successfully carries on the style of its predecessor, but you can hear that Trivium don’t want to just rehash old ideas.
With their ninth album, Trivium don’t disappoint. They clearly aren’t short on ideas, and it shows in the dynamics. It’s also safe to say that over the years they’ve carved out their own recognizable style, which also leaves room for other elements. And last but not least, they deserve credit for still being in top form, which is undeniably worthy of respect.
8.5/10
Tracklist:
- IX
- What the Dead Men Say
- Catastrophist
- Amongst the Shadows and the Stone
- Bleed Into Me
- The Defiant
- Sickness Unto You
- Scattering the Ashes
- Bending the Arc to Fear
- The Ones We Leave Behind
Lineup:
Matt Heafy – vocals, guitar
Corey Beaulieu – guitar, backing vocals
Paolo Gregoletto – bass, backing vocals
Alex Bent – drums
