REVIEW: Trivium In The Court Of The Dragon

Trivium are like the Kardashians of heavy metal. One is certain to see their name a lot, whether you love 'em or hate 'em. They're just a successful band with quite a few sales and scores of iconic tours under their belt. And then there's the ever-present personality of frontman and prolific Twitch stream Matt Heafy, whose musical résumé is only growing. So for all the success and accolades, Trivium has accrued, how does their latest full length measure up?

Trivium's In The Court Of The Dragon is sure to excite a good portion of the metal world, despite my personal aversion to many of their of stylistic choices. Of those fans, many might even award it "Album Of The Year." It is objectively a fine album. In The Court Of The Dragon galvanizes its metalcore foundation with thrash metal speeds, plenty of extreme metal detours, and gratuitous guitar solos. Vocalist and virtuoso Matt Heafy leaves few notes unturned, both on his fretboard and vocal register. This album races with a frenetic pace, constantly firing a volley of riffs and style changes like bullets through the barrel of a revolver.

In The Court Of The Dragon nails the marks for a thoroughly heavy affair. This grandiose full length is based on the number ten, as in their tenth studio album, with ten proper songs. And it feels like each song has a minimum of ten riffs, starting with a fiery title track that sets the tone for this album's versatile range. "In The Court Of The Dragon" rages with a beatdown groove in its verse, leaving room in between stanzas for the guitars to embellish the verse with melodic leads. Heafy's vocals growl with hardcore-inspired malice, then launch into a soaring, clean section for its chorus.

"In the court of the dragon, you will know your worth," he sings in one of the repeated verses. And yet, Trivium seem a bit unsure of their worth, or maybe they've spread themselves thin, as they grasp at so many starkly different musical directions. Despite the dazzling musician and irresistible hooks, much of this album reeks of a "stock" quality, to borrow the term from Lars Ulrich in Some Kind Of Monster. 

The compositions often speed through derivative melodic death metal territory, like watered-down At The Gates, while the drums switch it up every verse between blast beats, double bass rolls, and breakdowns. Normally, I enjoy flamboyant "lead" drums and rapid-fire riff play, but all the album's restless shuffling reminds me of card tricks. As if the band is saying "Look at this one! And this one! And this!" In The Court Of The Dragon might be the perfect dose for attention-deficit headbangers, but it strikes me as a band who seemed uncomfortable to sit still in the pocket for more than a few measures.

"Like A Sword Over Damocles" showcases Heafy's penchant for crafting ear-catching jingles. This song, like many others throughout this record, sound slick enough to play on rock radio or cinema, at least until they go full on Guitar-Hero-on-expert-mode. "You're hanging over me, like a sword over Democles" goes its sticky chorus. But there's something else hanging over the listener: the increasingly formulaic pattern Trivium falls into. It can be explained simply as noodly fast guitar riffs, harsh vocals in the verse, clean "pop music" singing in the chorus, more long-winded guitar noodling, and repeat. Heafy's sung choruses offer a saccharine refreshment at first, but quickly devolve into a source of repetitive dread, like the headache from a sugar crash after one downs too many gummy worms.

"A Crisis Of Revelation," presents a crisis of identity. This one goes full-on 2000s nü-metal in its verse, and with a chorus that sounds like it could be sung by Corey Taylor's Stone Sour material. Shockingly, they sink into a grim breakdown at the midway point, an act of adoration toward bands like Immortal, but pairing extreme elements with whiny nü-metal parts declaw the whole thing. Pop metal vocals mixed with blast beats and harsh screams is the musical equivalent of brushing one's teeth with razor blades. It's not outright impossible – Opeth's early albums shine as an exceptional balance of melodic singing, moody acoustic interludes and harsh death metal parts. However, Trivium is no Opeth.

In The Court Of The Dragon proved a frustrating listening experience. On paper, these dudes should be the total package. They possess a wide arsenal of tools, techniques, and total instrument mastery, plus Heafy's impressive vocal range. In The Court Of The Dragon breathes fire, but it lacks the soul to impart any lasting heat. I imagine Matt Heafy screams with more realness when he encounters connectivity issues on his Twitch stream, than a filler track like "No Way Back Just Through."

Often, I will listen to bands and wonder what might be if they committed more to level up their sound. Trivium might benefit from doing less. In The Court Of The Dragon reminds me of a burlesque performer with too many costume pieces to strip through. The highest compliment I can give Trivium is that they have definitely honed in on their voice. Prior to this listening, I couldn't name a Trivium song or riff if I tried. I now understand their style. It just happens to be a style of music I am completely okay to never hear again.

RATING: 5/10