Trivium - In Waves

It's not a revolutionary album by any means, but it'll rock your ass pretty good, tell you what.It may seem silly to mention, but the cover for Trivium's latest album looks more like a minimalist poster for some new, atmospheric horror movie rather than the band's fifth studio album. And interestingly, the first track on the album seems to fit that mode with it's haunting piano, as if it were lifted from the next Silent Hill soundtrack.

But [Matt] Heafy and company's latest offering to the metal genre, In Waves, is more concerned with rocking the shit out of you than making you fear what's lurking around the next corner. And they do it with all of the bombastic energy and conviction you'd expect from the Floridian metal masters. There are a precious few in the current crop of young metal bands that tastefully blend the right elements of what's worked before in the genre without seeming like a throwback.

It's one thing to realize that speed is king once again, and that thrash is an enduring component of brutal, metal music. But Trivium makes sure to incorporate these elements as technique rather than gimmick, which shows them to be true fans of as well as creators of metal.  By the same token, many will no doubt criticize the band for not taking the next step in its evolution like some experimental prog band.  But look at the albums of Trivium's biggest 80s era influences (Metallica, Megadeth, Testament, et al) and I'd wager you didn't find much evolution in their music - and that didn't hurt them much at all.  Not every new album has to burst through boundaries, and there's something to be said for churning out respectable, dependable product.  Okay, off the soapbox. 

The Bottom Line: Trivium's new album may seem to some like a step backward for a band that's stood out in the post-metal-resurgence world, with the likes of Children of Bodom, as part of the new guard that's flying the flag of old school metal with a new school sensibility.  Sure, solos are more restrained - they've shown they have the chops - and production is less raw, but I dig what I hear, okay?   We get it, old school is cool, but this is the 21st century, is it not? I mean we're not talking Kanye 'Auto Tune' West-level overproduction here.

Standout Tracks: Dusk Dismantled, In Waves, & Black

- Genghis is ready for some more new metal releases...