Trivium - Vengeance Falls (2013)

Matt Heafy and friends have been transformed to be one of American popular metal band in less than a decade. Their riffs are made 'lesson' everywhere in guitar magazines, and their fame is in prospect to only heading forward. But after 2011's In Waves, the sign of so called musical-interest-changing-syndrome was transpired, that Trivium is going to left behind their epic-technically-riff aspect they used to known, in pursue to lighter and sweeter songs, to straightforward conquering the mainstream metal listener. Who sadly prefer to easier listening stuff. But yet now Trivium is back. Vengeance Falls called out as their sixth studio album. And we listened nervously to see if Trivium is going to transformed, and the result is ... they simply delayed the process.

There a lot of riffs that captured me in this album. Let's started with Brave This Storm, the opener track. The one-stringer alternate picking exercise in the intro is the proponent of simplicity, that successfully developed into a good song. The feel of modernity in the song are audible and show that Trivium top their game in this genre. Let's skip some of track and I just want to listed out the potential magazine's favorite riffs, this include No Way To Heal, Through Blood and Dirt and Bone, and No Hope For the Human Race, all are minor feel that fitted my power metal ears. Of the modern metal stuffs are Vengeance Falls. Which kinda crusade song to reach new listener from the nu-metal / electronic / industrial metal crowd. Same thing with Strife, nice intro composition with dual guitar riffs, and the song is mixing alternative metal and double pedal thrash metal intensity. Only two songs not begin with a bang, At the End of This War is a ballad intro, which again just a camouflage to heavier stuff later. Then Wake (The End is Nigh) begin with pseudo-alternative metal bass intro. A rock n roll stuffs in Incineration: The Broken World, a thrash metal ala Megadeth in As I Am Exploding and Misfits cover Skulls...We Are 138 fitted the end part and to bring more color to this exhausting riff orientated album.

Not much to brag in more. If you like riffs, Vengeance Falls still going to pleased you. The songs comprise more clean vocal lead, but still a couple moment of growling to accelerated the intensity. Categorical almost no metalcore in sight. Vengeance Falls is simply heavy metal in modern and unique Trivium version. The cheeky futuristic sci-fi album artwork also confirmed that the band heading to teenage crowd. Which is a stepdown compared to 'mature' In Wave album artwork style. Compared to old stuffs as in Ascendency (2005) and The Crusade (2007), Vengeance Falls is a compromise to younger listeners, but at least they put a lot of effort to maintained original fans with enough, well, riffs!

Metal Harem class: ******** eight stars out of ten

Trivium - Vengeance Falls (2013)
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1. Brave This Storm
2. Vengeance Falls
3. Strife
4. No Way To Heal
5. To Believe
6. At the End of This War
7. Through Blood and Dirt and Bone
8. Villainy Thrives
9. Incineration: The Broken World
10. Wake (The End is Nigh)
Bonuses
11. No Hope For the Human Race
12. As I Am Exploding
13. Skulls...We Are 138 ( Misfits cover)
14. Losing My Religion (R.E.M. cover)

Lineup:
Matt Heafy - Guitar, Lead Vocals
Corey Beaulieu - Guitar, Vocals
Paolo Gregoletto - Bass, Vocals
Nick Augusto – Drums
Record Label: Roadrunner Records

Trivium Vengeance Falls album review