I have no idea how long it took Jesus to convince people he was the savior of the Jews, but it took Roadrunner about four days to convince the entire world that Trivium were the saviors of metal. Lo and behold, this is the new testament of heavy metal. With Trivium's second album, their first on Roadrunner, the band have proven what all the hype is about: Ascendancy is the modern equivalent to Metallica's earlier works, material that put the metal scene on its head. Just like Metallica's insurgency in the mid ‘80s, image heavy metal has grown in popularity and Trivium are sans image, just four guys with Emperor and Guns N’ Roses shirts and tattered jeans making music the only way they know how: fast and loud.

Ascendancy starts with the eye of the storm, an intro called "The End of Everything," a suiting name for the opener to an album of this nature. After the intro, the listener enters the hurricane with the track "Rain," a punishing and precise thrash-esque track. From there, the album just grows and grows. From the thrashing singles "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr" and "Like Light to Flies," to the slower and more melodic tracks like "Dying in Your Arms" and the title track, it’s amazing to think that lead guitarist, vocalist, and main song writer Matt Heafy is only 19 (three months younger than I am) and none of the members are over 23.

Trivium’s debut album was great, but their Roadrunner debut truly lives up to all the hype surrounding it. The riffs are powerful, intense, and furious. The album is crafted to perfection, a series of devastatingly awesome songs, fusing the classic metal of old with the evolving sound of the genre to create a truly captivating work. These four could very well be the saviors of a genre in dire need of a General. Listening to "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation" is all the proof necessary for such a claim. Its intensity is like death breathing down your neck, snapping your spine with unequaled force and fury. Trivium are what metal is and should be about. Ascendancy is the ammunition necessary for the rebellion. Trivium are taking metal back!
www.trivium.org
www.roadrunnerrecords.com

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Taylor Green

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 Past Constructive Criticism

brad posted the following Constructive Criticism: very nice

bb posted the following Constructive Criticism: damm....trivium is a kick ass band i will listen to them anyday....all i have to say is keep rockin' on

Magdalena posted the following Constructive Criticism: No criticism! This review is genious! Great work!! "Its intensity is like death breathing down your neck"- amazing and well hit comparison! Kisses from Trivium fan from Poland:-)

Tim posted the following Constructive Criticism: Reviews ARE opinions, however well-referenced.

Rob posted the following Constructive Criticism: This not a review, it is an opinion. But I agree nonetheless...