Trivium's 'What the Dead Men Say' - Album Review

Despite being castigated by some for their one-time association with the American metalcore scene throughout the mid-2000s, Florida's Trivium are one of mainstream metal's premier and most interesting acts. In an age where the arena-filling metal bands are often legacy acts, or the Slipknots and Five Finger Death Punches of this world, it is refreshing that a band as creative and dynamic as Trivium are standing on one of the higher rungs of the mainstream metal ladder. While a band like Slipknot excels due to their tapping into the angst and tribulations of a certain generation, as well as the inherent tribal nature of parts of the metal community, Trivium excels purely on quality songwriting. Trivium have never been a band to chase a trend, or to set a trend, but instead focus on creating quality albums packed full of quality songs - and doing so in a way that is at their own whim first and foremost. Even 2006's The Crusade, which was essentially Trivium's tribute to the thrash bands that influenced them growing up, is a strong, from-the-heart album that was a great gateway into a world of heavier music and 'screaming' for a young metal fan like me. I would go as far as to say that the band are yet to release a weak album. Of course, some Trivium albums are better than others - but at their core each release is enjoyable. I think that this is partly down to the band's willingness to try new things, and to make music, predominantly, for themselves. There are certainly sections of the band's fanbase who probably would have been happy for the band to release albums that followed the blueprint of 2005's Ascendancy exactly again and again - but that would have not been as creatively satisfying for the band or the fans. While some bands (AC/DC, Status Quo, etc.) can essentially release the same album over and over, most bands cannot. This formula soon becomes stale, and to improve bands need to move forward. Trivium have always been good at moving forward, with each of the band's previous eight studio albums having their own identity - from the production to the songwriting focus. The band's eighth album, 2017's The Sin and the Sentence (which I reviewed here), was unique in so far as it was the album that seemed to pull all of the previous Triviums together as one. The Sin and the Sentence had elements of all of the band's albums, and was presented as one cohesive whole. In many ways, it was the 'ultimate' Trivium album - which is interesting to note as the band's new release, What the Dead Men Say, is possibly the first Trivium album to follow the blueprint laid out by the album that preceded it. What the Dead Men Say is, essentially, The Sin and the Sentence part two - so is band's first album without its own identity and sound. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as The Sin and the Sentence was essentially a 'best of' of the band's previous faces. The production style of the new album, once again courtesy of Josh Wilbur, is almost identical to that of the previous album - so much so that these new songs could have come from the same sessions. What we can take from this is that, finally, Trivium seem to have hit up on 'their' sound - with What the Dead Men Say taking the confidence of The Sin and the Sentence and furthering this modern take on their sound.

The ten-track album opens with an instrumental scene-setter, something Trivium have done before but do not always make use of, with IX - presumably as this is the band's ninth album - kicking things off. As with most scene-setters, IX is a low-key piece of music. Gentle clean guitar melodies mix in well with an atmospheric keyboard backing; acting as a calm before the storm. IX transitions neatly into the album's title track, with a weighty guitar chord that leads into a slow-burning build up. Trivium have always had a slightly progressive bent to their songwriting style, and the opening couple of minutes of What the Dead Men Say shows this. The pace changes a number of times before Matt Heafy even starts singing, with a couple of different riffs setting the tone while Alex Bent showcases why he is possibly the best drummer that the band have ever had with some Chris Adler-esque grooves. When the pace reaches its apex the song proper starts, with a thrashy riff leading the charge while Heafy's melodic clean vocals float over the top of everything. One thing that sets What the Dead Men Say apart from The Sin and the Sentence is the increased use of harsh vocals this time around. The focus is still largely on Heafy's cleans, which continue to sound more refined album by album, but there are also plenty of 'screams' which will keep those who seem to think that Trivium without them is not worth listening to happy. This mix of vocal styles keeps the album interesting, and as a result it is an extremely dynamic listen. In many ways, the title track is a real microcosm for the whole album. Extreme metal blast beats sit side by side with soaring melodic choruses and NWOBHM-inspired riffing and dual-guitar leads - all of which make for a satisfying and powerful listen. Lead single Catastrophist is similar, but with less focus on the extreme metal trappings and more on hooky songwriting. It reminds me a lot of the sound that the band forged on 2013's Vengeance Falls (which I reviewed here), but with the confidence and experience of a mature Trivium improving everything exponentially. There is a melodic simplicity to the song, with the verses focusing on chugging guitar rhythms and Heafy's accessible vocals; while the choruses are packed with soaring hooks, subtle guitar leads, and tight harmonies. There are heavier moments, with occasional barks of harsh vocals and screaming guitar leads for Heafy and Corey Beaulieu to sink their teeth into, but on the whole Catastrophist is Trivium acting at their most melodic, despite the band's natural progressive tendencies still being present in some of the arrangements. Those who prefer the heavier end of the band's sound are sure to like Amongst the Shadows & the Stones, which opens with some throat-shredding harsh vocals and thrashy, Kreator-esque guitar riffing. The song moves back and forth between more melodic sections, with clean vocals and anthemic riffs, and heavier sections with plenty of thrash influence and Bent's excellent drumming. The heavier sections dominate here, and it is possibly the most harsh vocal-focused song in the band's catalogue since some of the material on 2011's In Waves. Over the years the band have reduced their reliance on harsh vocals, and in fact abandoned them completely on 2015's Silence in the Snow (which I reviewed here), but What the Dead Men Say certainly pushes them back into the fore at times - with Amongst the Shadows & the Stones being one of the prime examples of that shift in tone.

Bleed Into Me opens with a fuzzy bassline from Paolo Gregoletto that actually comes to dominate much of the song. Gregoletto's bass is rarely a prominent force in Trivium's sound, with his playing largely bulking out the sound rather than forging its own path, but this song allows him a chance to shine and pushes the bass to the front of the mix. The verses here are extremely bass-focused, with Gregoletto's precise playing leading everything while Heafy's crooning vocals sit just above everything to carry the main melodies. Hot on the heels of the heavier previous song, Bleed Into Me is much overtly more melodic, and also much mellower. While certainly not a ballad, it is noticeably more low-key than many of the songs here with more of a focus on crooned melodies and a somewhat more atmospheric arrangement. The Defiant feels like a real throwback piece for the band. The opening dual guitar riff would not have sounded out of place on Ascendancy fifteen years ago, and in fact the whole song seems to channel the band's old-school metalcore sound - but beefed up with modern production and an arrangement that suits the band's maturity. Despite the throwback sound, the song still fits nicely on the album in the context of all of the other tracks. Trivium seem much happier now with all the facets of their previous selves, which is what makes What the Dead Men Say a varied and dynamic listen. The band were certainly guilty in the past of using their latest album at the time to beat their previous work with - almost forcing themselves to evolve and move forward (Trivium are certainly not alone in doing this) - but this no longer seems to be something the band are keen to do, instead understanding that all of their albums have their place and cherry picking the best moments from their past selves is the best way to move forward. The Defiant is a strong example of how this works in their favour, with an old-school sound and a new-school production leading to a memorable song. Sickness Unto You opens slowly, with atmospheric clean guitar melodies backing Heafy's low-key vocals; before another big riff kicks in that leads the charge perfectly from then on. While moments of the song see the pace slowed down to allow a more atmospheric side to shine, on the whole this is the band at their heaviest. The riffing throughout the song is furious, with Heafy and Beaulieu both laying into their guitars to bring both thrash and extreme metal-esque motifs out, while Bent lays down some of the fastest drumming on the album. Despite this heaviness, and the focus on harsh vocals throughout, there is still plenty of melody to be found throughout. The song's chorus is pretty catchy, with some big vocal hooks and a subtle atmosphere, and the guitar solos, despite their pace, are packed full of memorable runs.

Scattering the Ashes is one of the most instantly-memorable songs here, with a big focus placed on soaring melodies throughout. In many ways the song reminds me of the sound that the band forged on Silence in the Snow, despite some very occasional harsh vocals, as that album's penchant for anthemic, stadium-worthy melodies and riffs is present here too. While many of the songs here go for a bigger sound and a more complex arrangement, this one is much more content to be simple and melodic. Heafy's vocal melodies really make the song what it is, with some high-pitched harmonies from the band give it a bit of a 1980s vibe at times. Despite this more accessible sound, the song still fits perfectly on the album. There is always place in the band's canon for simpler, catchier songs that give the listener a break from the progressive arrangements elsewhere and allow for a headbanging sing-a-long. Bending the Arc to Fear showcases the band's progressive tendencies again during the intro riffs, with Bent's drumming adding character and shade to the two interlocking guitars, while extreme metal influences and heaviness are on display elsewhere. The modern Trivium really have a knack of combining all of their influences together as a cohesive whole - which is something that they should be commended on. Songs are rarely purely 'heavy' or purely 'anthemic', and are often a mix of everything that makes the band great. Bending the Arc to Fear is a great example of this, with blast beats sitting side by side with Iron Maiden-esque guitar solos and neo-classical lead breaks. There is a lot going on in the song, which is something that can also be said about many of the tracks here. All too often it seems that bands are expected to stick rigorously to a blueprint, but Trivium have showed that it is possible to blend multiple influences together to make a cohesive whole - with this album being a great example of that talent. The Ones We Leave Behind, the album's closing track, is another example of it. While the track is certainly more anthemic than the previous number, with a positively heroic guitar lead opening everything up, there is still a lot to digest here. The gruff vocal style here is reminiscent to the style Heafy employed on The Crusade, while the heavier riffing and machine gun pacing is akin to In Waves. Again, the song is a mix of the Triviums of the past while allowing a big focus on melody to come to the fore. The song's chorus is very memorable, with plenty of big soaring melodies to latch onto, and some of the dual guitar leads sound like something found on your average power metal release than a typical thrash album. The lead that closes out the album is positively uplifting, but it still manages to fit in perfectly and bring the album to a melodic end. Overall, What the Dead Men Say is another strong album that showcases the confidence of Trivium in 2020. While it sticks very closely to the formula of the band's previous album, this goes to show that Trivium are now comfortable with their sound and are happy to bring their entire career together as a cohesive whole. For a band that has always been excellent, but seemed to struggle with their own identity and place in the metal world for a while, this is great to see.

The album was released on 24th April 2020 via Roadrunner Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Catastrophist.