I recently had the opportunity to catch Trivium in concert for the 10th time. That in itself should tell you right away how impressive of a live performance the band delivers. This show was particularly special since it was a sold out hometown show. Trivium is always at their best on stage, but they seemed especially excited to perform for not just fans, but family and friends as well.
The current tour is a celebration of the 2020 release, What The Dead Men Say and the 2021 release In The Court Of The Dragon. Supporting them on this run are Khemmis, Whitechapel, and Between The Buried And Me. In addition to releasing two critically acclaimed albums within a year of each other, Trivium has had several incredible opportunities as of late such as a slot on The Metal Tour Of The Year lineup, upcoming European dates and KnotFest appearances, and a one-off show with Bring Me The Horizon scheduled for December. Frontman Matt Heafy has also seen great success with his solo endeavor, Ibaraki.
The set included the title tracks from their last three albums, fan favorites “The Heart From Your Hate” and “Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr,” and a blend of tracks spanning their 20+ year career as a band. As usual, Heafy was all smiles, sticking out his tongue, and captivating the audience with his charismatic stage presence. Bassist Paolo Gregoletto, and guitarist Corey Beaulieu moved around the stage nonstop to engage with the audience while playing and executing their backing vocals. Drummer Alex Bent played flawlessly, and I loved how they had him high up on a platform so you could admire his skill behind the kit, even from the back of the venue.
A major high point of the night was “The Shadow Of The Abattoir,” one of my favorites from the latest album, as it showcases their fantastic storytelling ability as well as Heafy’s incredible vocal range. However, the main highlight for me was the performance of “Shogun,” the nearly twelve minute title track from the 2008 album, which you can view on YouTube here. As has become tradition, the night concluded with “In Waves,” which always has the crowd exploding with energy.
I used to be adamant that Shogun was and always would be the band’s greatest era. It’s likely that it will always be my favorite Trivium album, but I’m starting to believe that they have yet to peak as they are arguably one of the most disciplined bands in metal with constant rehearsing, writing, and collaboration amongst the group. After running through several drummers over the years, I think they’ve finally found their perfect fit in Alex Bent, and I hope he’s in for the long haul. He is an absolute beast behind the kit and has added so much depth to the band since joining back in 2016. For all of these reasons and more, I will always support this band and see them live every single time they’re in town.
The Deadmen and Dragons Tour continues through mid-November. Grab your tickets here!
Full setlist:
What The Dead Men Say
Into The Mouth Of Hell We March
The Sin And The Sentence
A Crisis Of Revelation
Chaos Reigns
The Shadow Of The Abattoir
X/In The Court Of The Dragon
To The Rats
The Heart From Your Hate
Shogun
Pull Harder On The Strings Of You Martyr
Capsizing The Sea/In Waves
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All photos by Ali Brant Photography
Between The Buried And Me
