Page 60 - Metal Hammer Issue 334 - UK (May 2020)
P. 60
TRIVIUM
Ascendancy… I couldn’t believe it. more than I ever did before, because
have a theory, so hear me
I have two jobs now…”
Betrayer got a better reaction than Pull
out: Trivium are kind of the
Jon Snow of the metal
Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr!
How did that happen?!”
scene,” says frontman Matt
ven taking the strides made by
So, everything’s set up for Trivium to
Heafy, as he sits back and
his band out of the equation,
considers his band’s place in
the last few years have been
the world. “You know, we were tipped conquer… again. But based on previous interesting for Matt Heafy. He’s carved
experience, it’s only human to question
to be the kings back on Ascendancy, whether there’s going to be a happy out another niche, as a prolific streamer
and that hasn’t really happened for ending. Surely Matt’s aware there’s no on the online gaming platform Twitch,
a multitude of reasons, but I feel like more room for slip-ups. “Of course, it’s developing quite a fanbase, some of
the story isn’t over and the door has something that we’ve talked about a lot whom weren’t even aware of his career
creaked open for us again. We’re back, in the band,” he nods. “I think back and as a metal frontman. He streams
and we’re here to grab the crown!” I wonder if we had just made Ascendancy himself gaming and performing covers
If those words had come out of Matt’s Part 2, what would have happened? and reworked version of Trivium songs.
mouth four years ago, then you’d Where would we be now? But I’m past “I play guitar for about six hours
assume he was suffering from a rather wanting to be the next Metallica – I just every day online now,” he says. “It’s
uncharacteristic delusion, because it’s want to be the first Trivium. I think sharpened up my skills to a place where
fair to say the 10s didn’t go to plan for we’ve righted those wrongs now.” I never had them before. That muscle
his band. They started well enough, as Today’s Matt Heafy is far more memory is really important, and we
2011’s In Waves was released to a warm confident and self-assured than the have it now – that’s a religion and
reception, leaving the band in a great one we spoke to during the Silence In a discipline for us. It meant that we went
position to capitalise on some goodwill. The Snow days. Back then, he seemed in and recorded the album in 16 days!
But the next two records – 2013’s David hesitant and almost apologetic for The Twitch thing makes me money for
Draiman-produced Vengeance Falls and the missteps his band had taken, his my family, but I like to be connected to
2015’s power-metal-themed follow-up vocal problems leaving him unable people, to interact with people and see
Silence In The Snow – were frustratingly to sing how he wanted to sing, and what gets them excited and inspired.”
patchy and uneven. It was particularly therefore unable to express himself in The family that Matt’s providing for
disheartening for fans, as this was the the way he longed to. Today he speaks has grown. In late 2018, he welcomed
second time that Trivium had let with excitement, passion and, most twins to the world, and says they’ve
momentum slip in their career. In importantly, unshakable belief about made him feel complete for the first
2006, The Crusade nearly derailed all of Trivium’s new record. time. “I used to sit there with my wife
the excitement that surrounded their “I think we’ve finally found a way at home and we’d think everything was
breakthrough album, Ascendancy. to make this band work,” he says. pretty good, but it always felt like
“We’ve made a lot of questionable something was missing,” he smiles
decisions and bad choices over the “TRIVIUM ARE THE with pride. “With these two, we will
years,” sighs Matt. “And I have to take never feel that again. It’s one of the
always back myself or back my band; JON SNOW OF THE most amazing and challenging things,
responsibility for a lot of them. I didn’t
a constant source of drive and
I spend a lot of time second-guessing.” METAL SCENE” inspiration. Life feels right, and I know
To come back once, as they did by that everything I do is for them.”
following The Crusade with 2008’s MATT HEAFY Now motivated by his children’s
superb Shogun, is impressive. To do it wellbeing, outside influences are
twice is practically unheard of – but it’s “We make our best, angriest, heaviest, unlikely to play a part in derailing the
a trick Trivium managed. In late 2017, hardest music when we’re all really band again. “Absolutely, I think that
with little in the way of fanfare or happy! I know that sounds kind of like my children have played a major part
expectation, they released what is an oxymoron, but it’s true. We spent in this record,” he nods. “It was such
possibly their magnum opus: The Sin years and years taking everyone else’s a crazy time for me when they were
And The Sentence. We described it as advice on board and making calculated born. I had to leave our biggest-ever US
Trivium ‘absorbing all of their past and attempts to try and do something with tour, and watch someone else sing my
bettering it’. Fans and critics fawned our records, and now we just get in songs on the stream of those shows, to
over it in a way they hadn’t since those a room, just the four of us, and make be there for their births, which were
early Ascendancy hype days. Trivium music that makes all of us happy.” long and complex. And then 10 days
were suddenly the name on everyone’s The result is Trivium’s ninth album, later, we had to have our dog of 10 years
lips again, and they headed out on a What The Dead Men Say. We’re pleased put down. That was our baby until that
tour that took in a Hammer-sponsored to say that, finally, Trivium have point and he was gone, and then you
UK run with Code Orange, Power Trip delivered when they most needed to. have to learn on the job to be a father…
and Venom Prison. It culminated in It’s full of the twisting, rhythmically It was a very difficult time, but it does
a career-best performance at a sold-out challenging riffs they’ve built a career put everything into perspective,
and dizzy Brixton Academy, and a Main from, some chunky, powerhouse because I was scared of having kids.”
Stage set pre-Slipknot at last year’s choruses, and is imbued with a touch As a touring musician, those fears
Download festival, which finally freed of Shogun’s more progressive leanings. had been drilled into Matt from an
them from the shackles of that famous It’s another banger, and it’s tempting early age. “I remember being sat in
2005 early morning show. to wonder why it’s taken them this a dressing room on one of our very early
“What a day that was,” Matt grins. long to nail it… tours,” he says. “And someone from a
“I couldn’t quite believe what was “Who knows,” Matt laughs. “But it’s much older band said to me, ‘Having
happening then. The UK has always happened now. Some bands just need kids was the worst thing I ever did!’
been special to us, but when people to take their time and do things at He then went onto explain how the
were singing back the songs from their own pace. I feel like I’m a better touring lifestyle affects you, and how
Sin… louder than the songs from guitarist now. I mean, I practise far it’s impossible to be a real presence in PRESS
60 METALHAMMER.COM
