TRIVIUM - The Crusade Review

Nothing mars a good metal record like so-called harsh vocals, which is a nice way of referring to the booming, incoherent growling style so many metal groups who grew up listening to nasty stuff from Florida or Scandinavia use today. Matt Heafy, lead vocalist of the Orlando, Florida, thrash-metal quartet Trivium, fell into that trap on their first two records -- but for their new politically charged album, The Crusade, he's tossed the bark aside in favor of his actual voice. ...full text With their third full release, Trivium have seemingly stuck their noses up at those who may have suggested there were hints of black and prog metal in their sound by going all out thrash. One hundred per cent. Slightly disconcerting is the fact that Matt Heafy’s previously harsh, growling beast of a voice has morphed into something replicating an early-‘80s Hetfield, and his bandmates seem content to perform a meld of similar-era Megadeth....full text Trivium have mapped out their career so far exactly as a fist-bitingly young band should by producing two quality albums and touring, touring and then touring some more. Inevitably, therefore, most of The Crusade was written on the road and the band have promised their burgeoning fanbase an evolution in sound. However, after listening to it one wonders if all Trivium's supporting of the old masters of metal has left the young guns a bit star-struck....full text