Trivium, "We're four very determined people," concludes Matthew. "When I was 12 years old and got into metal, I wanted to be in a huge band. That will never change. We don't take anything for granted and will work hard to make that dream come true. And we've only just started."
"Every album title has been a statement about the band and where we were at that time," furthers Heafy. " 'Ember To Inferno' meant that we went from a spark to something special. Ascendancy was about the dream of domination and a gradual rise to success. The Crusade is literally what we've been doing for the last two years, crusading around the planet and getting our music out to everyone. " Recorded at Audiohammer Studio in Sanford, Florida, "The Crusade" is a faithful account of a great young band's swift and bewildering evolution, from up-and comer to world-beating behemoth.
With long-time engineer Jason Suecof at the controls sharing co-production credits with Trivium, the album is as distinctive and immense as any other metal record in recent memory. It is a dazzling explosion of neck-snapping riffs grandiose scream along choruses and outstanding musicianship from all four members of the band. Drummer Travis Smith underpins the sharp brutality of his band's songs with a startlingly dextrous percussive attack, all machine-gun kick drums and octopoid bursts of round-the-kit athleticism. Bassist Paolo Gregoletto reveals a hitherto unheard depth and maturity to his playing through the album as well his inspired note-heavy runs and earthshaking bottom end providing a devastating counterpoint to his band band mates' deft compositions. Finally, both frontman Heafy and his six-string Heafy and his six-string counterpart Corey Beaulieu have reached a new plateau of blurred-finger brilliance, with instantly memorable riffs and ear-searing fret-melting solos. Additionally, on the album, Heafy sounds more raw, aggressive and emotive than ever before.
From the opening future-thrash twin-blast of "Ignition" and "Detonation," with their anthemic refrains and blizzards of lacerating lead work, "The Crusade" is clearly a body of work that could raise the bar for rock bands around the world. There's the staggering, precocious & quotAnthem (We Are The Fire)," which blends the scathing thrash riffs of Megadeth with the infectious swagger of Motley Crue at their succinct best. The intricate, rumbling bludgeon of "Becoming The Dragon" has a pummelling, cyclical rhythmic drive and soaring, left-of-centre chorus.
The doom-laden, emotion stuffed "And Sadness Will Sear", reveals a new, darker, edgier side to Trivium's otherwise hook-laden chops. The deceptively accessible "The Rising" is a sumptuous hymn hewn from the juiciest licks that boasts a phenomenal crowd rousing chorus imploring the faithful to & amplsquo Raise your voices with me and sing this song of unity! This collection of gems culminates in the album's monumental, shape-shifting title track a nine-minute instrumental monstrosity that twists, turns and torments the listener with rapid fire tempo shifts, immaculate musicianship and a thrilling sense of adventure. It's an
obscenely brave and ambitious end to a glorious collection of songs that seems destined to cement Trivium's reputation as the heaviest, sharpest, smartest and and hardest working band of their generation.
