While it seems like they’ve been around for quite a while now, Trivium is still a relatively young metal band. After all, lead singer Matt Heafy, their longest active band member, is only 25 years old. Their new album, In Waves, was released on Aug. 9. It is their first record without founding member and drummer Travis Smith, who left the band last year.
“Capsizing The Sea” leads off the disc and it’s exactly what I look for in an intro. It’s hard hitting, gets you pumped up for the rest of the CD, and flows perfectly into the second track, “In Waves.” This song is not only badass, but it’s easily the best one, containing excellent riffs in addition to Matt and guitarist/vocalist Corey Beaulieu battling it out with each other on the mic. “Inception Of The End” is another quality, explosive tune that features an exceptional performance from new drummer Nick Augusto.
While “Dusk Dismantled” is a bit of a letdown with its constant yelling, Matt delivers some fiery, emotional lyrics on “Watch The World Burn.” “Black” and “Built To Fall” are similar in that they rely on their impressive guitar work to carry the tracks and both include very enjoyable solos. “Caustic Are The Ties That Bind” is a roller coaster of a song. It starts out incredibly angry with dark vocals and explosive guitars before it completely shifts gears, as a much calmer Heafy cries out for someone to help him. The short closing track, “Leaving This World Behind,” has perplexing sound effects that build you up with anticipation before it just cuts to silence.
Much to the delight of Trivium fans, In Waves sounds much more like their standout album, Ascendancy, rather than their last one, the mediocre Shogun. Going forward, I really hope they continue to put out releases like this.
In A Word: Sublime
