Album Review: Trivium – Silence In The Snow
2 min read
Trivium are, above all things, an incredibly refreshing band. Since the release of their first album, Ember to Inferno, Trivium’s style has evolved more than the microbe. Although a lot of fans would rather Trivium maintain their original sound, in this writer’s eyes, musical change should deserve nothing but praise.
Trivium’s latest album, Silence in the Snow, has demonstrated once again that they are not simply a two dimensional metal band. There has been a slight twinge in the way their sound is being presented. Just like their last single, Strife from their 2013 album Vengeance Falls, Silence in the Snow holds great charm. But there is something different about it.
Silence in the Snow opens with Snøfall, an overture of melancholy and tension, and then, just like the waters of the Red Sea falling upon the Pharaoh, the title track falls on the listener’s ears with great immensity. The track, and indeed the whole album, is influences by classic metal acts like Iron Maiden. Silence in the Snow is also the first album featuring Trivium’s new drummer, Mat Madiro, who undoubtedly has proven himself as a worthy member of the band demonstrating his talents in with every complex fill and breakdown.
There is great interplay of vocals in the The Ghost That’s Haunting You. The relationship between Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu on the guitars in Pull Me From The Void is pulsating and full of intros that are designed to drag you into the fun as in Blind Leading The Blind and The Thing That’s Killing Me. Pure enjoyment drips through the album and it is infectious.
That said, there is absolutely no screaming in this LP, an element that will divide fans. Matt Heafy’s voice is deep and has an operatic character to it. Although, there are times when his voice seemingly does not resonate well with what surrounds him, especially when his notes are high but his tone is flat. It’s the same sound that characterises a lot of singers; they contain a ‘struggling’ tone. They hit the note but they are having a hard time hitting it. Kim Benzie from Dead Letter Circus, although he has a completely different range, manages to serve the same tone especially when hitting high.
Trivium, are open in the way that they produce their art. Their sound fluctuates and they attempt to go beyond their comfort zone. Silence in the Snow does feature amazing musicality and consistently shows off the group’s talent but it is going to be an album of which some will yell “YEA” and others will yell “NAY”. However, as said before, change and progression deserve nothing but high praise.
