Trivium - Bristol Review

Following two nights on the trot with the progressive/symphonic rockers Karnataka, it was time to shock the system with something heavier. The Florida-based metal band Trivium were one of my gateways to heavier music around the time that The Crusade was released back in 2006 - and the diverse and surprisingly progressive band have been a favourite since. Despite this, though, I have not had all that many opportunities to see them live. The band come to the UK pretty regularly, but they are one of those bands which often seem to announce tours during times which are already busy for me. As such, after first seeing them back in 2007 in Plymouth, it was not until 2015 when I saw Trivium for a second time - when they headlined Bloodstock Open Air. Shows in Nottingham in 2017 and Birmingham back in January followed, so I have managed to pick things up a bit more in recent years. Their recent Birmingham show was my first gig of 2023, and it was memorable for both a fantastic Trivium performance and a rather aggy crowd which caused a few issues throughout. I hoped that I would get to see the band again relatively soon, but I was not expecting to see them again in 2023. Back in February, though, the band announced a lengthy UK tour - including a number of old favourite venues as well as some more unusual choices. Not many notable bands play shows in Folkestone, after all, but the show that made the most sense for me was a night at the O2 Academy in Bristol. Trivium are regular visitors to the Bristol O2, and it is somewhere which I have seen a diverse range of bands at over the years. It is generally a pretty good venue, although can feel a bit over-full when sold out - but there are more positives than negatives overall. Given that I was already in Bristol having seen Karnataka play to a pretty sparse Fleece the previous night, I had a day shopping in Bristol before the gig. Having picked up a much needed new raincoat in a sale, an LP, and a CD, I had a bite to eat at McDonald's before having a quiet rest of the afternoon writing up my review of the Karnataka show. One thing I had noticed during my walk around Bristol was just how hot it was. Whilst early September in the UK can often be blessed with decent weather, it is not generally so hot. A morning trekking around, followed by two gigs in two days, had certainly tired me out - so the afternoon's rest was needed. Following a bath, and feeling a bit fresher, I headed down to the O2, and got there around half an hour before the doors opened. Being a Virgin Media customer, I can now access all of the venue's O2 benefits - so I joined the O2 Priority queue which meant that I got into the venue quicker. I have found getting into the Bristol O2 to be very slow of late, but I got in much quicker this time owing to being in the faster queue - so I managed to get a decent spot on one of the slightly raised platforms down on the floor, where I remained for the whole night. The show was sold out, but it took a little while to fill up - but by the time that the first band hit the stage there was a decent crowd gathered.

The first act of the three-band bill were Orbit Culture, a Swedish melodic death metal band with groove metal elements who have been making a bit of name for themselves of late. I had planned to check them out at last year's Bloodstock, but I decided against doing so in the end as I was pretty tired on the festival's final day (again, due to the heat) and wanted to save my energy for the remaining bands. I have heard quite a bit about the band since, so I was quite keen to get the opportunity to check them out - and I enjoyed their short set. Whilst Orbit Culture are certainly at the more melodic end of death metal, they are not melodic death metal in the traditional, Gothenburg sense. There are no harmony guitar leads or NWOBHM influences to be found in the band's dark sound, but the mix of harsh and clean vocals, the atmospheric synths, and the more groove-based approach to riffing certainly gives the band an accessible edge. It helped, too, that the band sounded huge live. Thankfully, they did not suffer from the dodgy sound mix which many support bands have to battle - and the band's crushing sound filled the room as a result. The driving riffs of Niklas Karlsson (vocals/guitar) and Richard Hansson (guitar) allowed every song to shine - and the generally mid-paced and atmospheric sound helped to set them apart from the thrashier end of metal. Karlsson's voice was high in the mix, too, and he switched back and forth between harsh and grittier clean deliveries with ease - whilst Hansson occasionally broke away from riffing to throw in a knotty solo. Solos and lead guitar playing were generally a rarity, though, with much of the melody throughout the set coming from the groovy choruses and the use of synths. There seemed to be a lot of love for the band coming from the large crowd, too. Orbit Culture having been making a name for themselves, so no doubt there were some existing fans in attendance, but I also imagine that their powerful performance made themselves a few new fans in Bristol. The band definitely have a unique sound, and I have not heard any other more extreme metal band that sounds quite like them. That is always a good thing in my opinion, and I enjoyed the band's approach to riffing - so I will check them out further in due course.

Up next were the long-standing metalcore exponents Bleed from Within - a band whom I have come across a handful of times over the years, most recently back in 2021 with Bullet for My Valentine. Playing without bassist Davie Provan, the make-shift four-piece roared onto the stage not too long following Orbit Culture finishing up - and it is fair to say that they kept the crowd enraptured throughout their short set. Briefly on Provan's absence first, though, I do find it strange that it seems to now be 'acceptable' for bands to perform without certain members without any real explanation. The show must go on, of course, and it is easy enough to add the basslines to a click track (if one is used) - but this does seem to be becoming more common, and I do worry that it is the thin end of the wedge if some musicians are seen as 'expendable' in a such a way. Moving on from that, though, and that is a sentiment which could apply to lots of bands, not just Bleed from Within, as the band's set itself was a powerful one. I am on record on this blog as not being much of a fan of Bleed from Within, and their recent set certainly did not convert me, but it was easily the best showing of theirs which I have seen to date - and they really worked the crowd from the off. Frontman Scott Kennedy covered every inch of the stage throughout the set, and the excellent occasional guitar leads from Craig Gowans (guitar) added some variety to the band's riff-heavy sound. Like Orbit Culture, Bleed from Within's sound is not significantly built around lead guitar, but instead there is a more anthemic approach taken throughout. Metalcore choruses soon filled the venue, with the occasional clean vocals from guitarist Steven Jones contrasting well with Kennedy's growls. Like Orbit Culture, too, the band's live mix was pretty much immaculate. This clear mix allowed the band's riffing to really hit home, and Kennedy soared above the rest of the band - his powerful growls leading the charge. There were moments early on during the first number when the PA briefly cut out a couple of times, but this only served to fire the band up further - and the Bristol crowd were easily swept along for the ride. It is easy to see why, when more melodic pieces such as Levitate and anthemic riff-packed tunes like Pathfinder made up the set - and by the time The End of All We Know brought the rousing set to a close, it was clear that Bleed from Within had made themselves a few new fans. Whilst I am certainly no convert, I came away from the evening with a lot more respect for Bleed from Within - which is always a positive after having previously not really enjoyed their output.

It was around half an hour following Bleed from Within's set before Trivium took to the stage, and it was around this time that I really started to appreciate how hot it was in the venue. The Bristol O2 can be pretty stuffy at the best of times when sold out, but given how it was outside the heat inside was very unpleasant. Even the bands struggled at times, and I was also having to deal with sore feet due to the show being my third on the trot. Perhaps I am not cut out for such adventures anymore! Regardless, though, Trivium battled through the heat and put on a great show - mixing songs from most of their albums whilst also giving particular attention to 2008's Shogun for its 15th anniversary. Whilst some of the songs played were old favourites, quite a few of the songs in the set were ones which I had not seen the band do live before. The set got off to a great start with In the Court of the Dragon, a song which I had been wanting to hear live since it was released in 2021. The thrashy song feels like an updated version of the sound the band cultivated on their first couple of albums, and the duelling harsh vocals of Matt Heafy (vocals/guitar) and Corey Beaulieu (vocals/guitar) ensured that the thrashy song came over well - with Heafy also shining during the blast beat-led choruses. Most of the next few numbers were favourites, though, with anthemic numbers like Down from the Sky and the mechanical Strife sitting nicely alongside the thrashy Becoming the Dragon. The latter, the only song from 2006's The Crusade played, was a particular treat. The band have played it fairly regularly over the years, but I had not heard it live for quite a while - and the crowd seemed to enjoy it, too. This early section was brought to a close by Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr. It seemed strange to hear the song so early in the set, as it usually comes nearer to the end - but the opening barrage from Alex Bent (drums) sent the crowd wild, and there was a lot of moshing during the fan-favourite anthem. Songs from Shogun dominated the next portion of the night, although the songs were not played as suite. Two were played next, though, and neither were ones I had seen the band do live before. The progressive titan Kirisute Gomen was one of the highlights of the entire show, with the crowd singing the chorus back at the crowd loudly, whilst the knotty Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis showed why Trivium were always more than a bog standard metalcore band. Newer numbers such as Catastrophist and the personal favourite The Sin and the Sentence ensured that the set did not feel too much like a nostalgia trip - and the band took the opportunity to treat those in Bristol braving the heat with a relatively rare outing for the Shogun-era B-side Poison, the Knife or the Noose. The Metallica-esque piece certainly went down well with the die-hards, whilst Like Callisto to a Star in Heaven rounded out the Shogun celebrations. The latter has never been one of my favourites from the album, but it came across well live - and it segued nicely into the punchy The Heart from Your Hate with its groovy riffing and tight guitar leads. Despite how great the band were, I was actually glad that the end was nigh at this point given the heat, but there were still time for excellence with A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation, which featured some of the best soloing of the night - whilst the hard-hitting In Waves brought the night to a close with a lot of moshing. The setlist was:

X

In the Court of the Dragon

Down from the Sky

Becoming the Dragon

Strife

Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr

Kirisute Gomen

Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis

Catastrophist

Poison, the Knife or the Noose

The Sin and the Sentence

Like Callisto to a Star in Heaven

The Heart from Your Hate

A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation

Capsizing the Sea

In Waves

Despite the heat and my sore feet, I am glad that I got to see Trivium for a second time this year earlier in the week. The band has been so busy since the pandemic, and they have played so many great shows around the world. They have said that they will be taking a fairly long break at the end of this current touring cycle to properly rest -  as well as to work on developing their own studio/rehearsal space. Heafy did hint, though, that with 2025 being the 20th anniversary of 2005's breakthrough release Ascendancy that the band may well have some plans for that - so I would imagine that Trivium plan to return to active duty in time for that well-earned moment of nostalgia. I will certainly be in attendance if that does indeed turn out to be the case.