Trivium | |
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From left to right: Matt Heafy, Travis Smith, Paolo Gregoletto, Corey Beaulieu.
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Background information | |
Origin | Orlando, Florida, United States |
Genre(s) | Metalcore, thrash metal |
Years active | 2000–present |
Label(s) | Lifeforce, Roadrunner |
Website | www.trivium.org |
Members | |
Matt Heafy Corey Beaulieu Paolo Gregoletto Travis Smith |
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Former members | |
Brent Young Brad Lewter |
Trivium is an American metal band formed in 2000 in Orlando, Florida.[1] The band has released four studio albums, ten singles, and eleven music videos. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band has attended major music festivals, including Ozzfest and the Download Festival.
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At his High School talent show at Lake Brantley High School, guitarist Matt Heafy performed cover versions of Metallica's "No Leaf Clover" and "Self Esteem" by The Offspring. Vocalist Brad Lewter noticed Heafy and asked him to try out for his band. The pair went over to drummer Travis Smith's house where they played Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Impressed with Heafy's performance, they accepted him into the band known as Trivium. After several shows at bars, Lewter quit the band and Heafy took over his position as the new vocalist for the band.[2] In early 2003, Trivium went into the recording studio to record its first high-quality demo disc.[3] A copy of the demo was heard by German label Lifeforce, who signed Trivium. The band entered a studio to record its debut album, Ember to Inferno.[2]
As time went on, Corey Beaulieu became the second lead guitarist. In 2004, Paolo Gregoletto joined as the band's bassist to replace Brent Young, before a tour with Machine Head.[4] Ember to Inferno was a small success and managed to garner the interest of Roadrunner Records representatives, who signed Trivium. The members began writing songs for their major label album debut.[2]
In 2004, Trivium recorded its second album, Ascendancy, in Audiohammer Studios and Morrisound Recording in Florida.[5] Produced by Heafy and Jason Suecof, the album was released in March 2005. The album debuted at #151 on the Billboard 200 and at #4 on the Top Heatseekers chart.[6] Allmusic reviewer Johnny Loftus stated on Ascendancy, Trivium are a "ridiculously tight quartet, unleashing thrilling dual guitar passages and pummeling kick drum gallops as surely as they do melodic breaks and vicious throat screeds"[7] and Rod Smith of Decibel magazine praised "Smith’s impeccably articulated beats, bassist Paolo Gregoletto’s contained thunder, and, especially, Heafy and guitarist Corey Beaulieu’s liquid twin leads."[8]
Singles and music videos were released for "Like Light to the Flies", "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr", "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation", and "Dying in Your Arms". The videos for these songs gained rotation on MTV2's Headbangers Ball.[9] In support of the album, Trivium played on numerous tours with well known artists. The band opened for Killswitch Engage, Iced Earth, Fear Factory, and Machine Head, who were one of Heafy's largest influences.[10] Trivium played at Road Rage 2005,[11] Ozzfest,[12] and made an appearance at the Download Festival.[13] Ascendancy was re-released in 2006 with four bonus tracks and a DVD containing all of the band's music videos and live footage.[14]
In April 2006, after a headlining tour with Mendeed and God Forbid as openers, Trivium entered the studio with Suecof and Heafy producing again.[15] The band played the Download Festival again, this time on the main stage with Korn and Metallica. Trivium released The Crusade in October 2006. Debuting at number 25 on the Billboard 200, the album sold over 32,000 copies in its first week of sales.[6][16] The album was a critical success, with Andy Greene of Rolling Stone claiming "Nothing mars a good metal record like so-called harsh vocals"[17] and Don Kaye of Blabbermouth.net stating The Crusade "is one of the best metal releases of 2006 and quite possibly the heavy music album of the year."[18] On The Crusade, Heafy's vocals changed from a metalcore scream that was heard on Ascendancy, to more singing on this album. This new singing style, along with the band's thrash metal music were criticised of sounding too much like Metallica, who was a major influence on the band.[19] Heafy commented on the change:
If anyone is wondering why the screaming is gone it's because the four of us were never into bands that scream and we don't like any of the current bands that scream, so we asked ourselves why we're doing it. This time around I wanted to be a better singer because that's what we wanted to hear, so we dropped the screaming and did a lot of vocal training and vocal work.
—Matt Heafy[20]
The band supported the album by touring with Iron Maiden, Metallica, a stage on the Black Crusade tour with Machine Head, Arch Enemy, DragonForce and Shadows Fall, a European headlining tour with Annihilator and Sanctity supporting and an opening slot on the Family Values Tour with Korn.[21][22][23] Trivium was named the best live band of 2006 at the Metal Hammer Golden God Awards[24]
Trivium started working on a new album with producer Nick Raskulinecz in October 2007.[25] Heafy stated he will bring back the screaming that was found on Ascendancy. The band stated they did not choose to work with Suecof again because they already recorded three albums with him and they wanted to explore new ideas.[26] Recording ended June 2008.[27]
In an interview with the UK's Metal Hammer magazine in May 2008, Matt Heafy stated that their new album will have "more thrash influences, more screaming and more raptors. Possibly more screaming because of the raptors."[28] He told Revolver magazine, "For the first time, we can't look at our songs and say who the riffs sound like. We're really making our own stuff and our own kind of music and art form, and that's exciting."
In September 2008, Shogun was released and peaked at #17 on the UK Albums Chart (and reached #1 in the UK Rock-Charts); at #23 on the Billboard 200; and at #4 in Australia at #4. The release coincided with a tour with Slayer, Mastodon, and Amon Amarth ), followed by a mini-tour including six shows in Russia and Ireland and one in Scotland. After the mini-tour, Trivium announced they will be on tour in the US with Coheed and Cambria and Slipknot headlining.
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