Title: Shogun
Artist: Trivium
Genre: Thrash Metal
Release Date: 26th September 2008
Label: Roadrunner Records
Album Review
TRIVIUM is a heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida that formed in 2000. In early 2001, TRIVIUM went into the recording studio to record its first high-quality demo disc, which came to the attention of the German label ‘Lifeforce’ who eventually signed them and they started with the production of their debut album ‘Ember to Fire’ which only became a small success but garnered the attention of Roadrunner Records and the band switched labels soon afterwards and releases its albums on the label since them, starting with ‘Ascendancy’ in 2005. Three years later it’s time to unleash the fourth album ‘Shogun’ onto the craving masses.
With ominous acoustic guitar chords, you wouldn’t expect from e Thrash Metal band, the opener ‘Kirisute Gomen’ which is the name of a privilege held by the samurai who had the right to kill anybody from a lower class falling into disrespectful behaviour, such as taking advantage from the weak and sick. The calm chords soon give way to a drum gallop, followed by melodic twin guitar leads. The tempo varies significantly during the whole song and sometimes I wasn’t even sure if this was the same song after all. Matt sometimes grunts like a raging Ork, then again he’s singing with his clean voice, which is surprisingly good by the way. ‘Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis’, the second track, begins with an awesome melody riff and fast drum attacks, but even before the vocals kick in the tempo changes again while not loosing a single bit of its force and aggression. It thrashes it out to the max, but in between this inferno is always Matt’s clean voice, relaxing the whole mood a little with a frequently poppy chorus. ‘Insurrection’ displays much more harshness because Matt renounces the clean chant for most of the time and rather relies on the screams and incredibly deep grunts while the powerful chords and diverse drumming blow up in your face.
‘The Calamity’ then appears like a relief, with mostly very melodic and clean vocals. Between the more straight parts, extremely violent parts have been placed to contrast them. There’s only grunting and heaviest maltreated drums in these passages. ‘Like Callisto To A Star In Heaven’ is initially fooling you with a seemingly ‘happy’ tamed passage, before the drums give full throttle and power chords propel your tortured soul to break all resistance But what follows with the last song ‘Shogun’s probably the most unpredictable song on the album; and with almost 12 minutes duration also the longest, beginning with down-tuned riffs and quite reluctant drumming and for a while it seems this song would become quite a standard tune here, but some twist and turns later, this thought appears ridiculous, but this wasn’t even the biggest surprise which arises, when everything suddenly stops and acoustic guitars and emotive, gently vocals arise to turn the song to a balladry tune, but there is so much more.
I can’t say anything about the preceding release, but for ‘Shogun’ you have to pay these lads a big compliment. Precisely accurate arrangements with edges with unforeseen twists and heavy drumming meet highly melodic twin guitar chords and an exceptionally good voice. To cut it short: An impressing release.
Tracklist
01. Kirisute Gomen – 6:38
02. Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis – 6:49
03. Down From The Sky – 5:29
04. Into The Mouth Of Hell We March – 5:51
05. Throes Of Perdition – 5:45
06. Insurrection – 4:54
07. The Calamity – 4:57
08. He Who Spawned The Furies – 4:05
09. Of Prometheus And The Crucifix – 4:37
10. Like Callisto To A Star In Heaven – 5:24
11. Shogun – 11:55
Line-up
Matt Heafy - Vocals/Guitars
Travis Smith - Drums
Corey Beaulieu - Guitar
Paolo Gregoletto - Bass/Vocals
Website
http://www.trivium.org/ / http://www.myspace.com/trivium
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8
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