So what’s new or different? The Metalcore has been turned back a bit. Oh, it’s still there but a lot of old school Thrash has been imported to beef up their sound. Trivium is indeed a polarizing band and what can only come across as a rushed effort -- remember their previous album only came out last year -- sees the band as perhaps bipolar. That is to say the new album sees them bouncing back and forth among Metalcore clichés (“This World Can’t Tear Us Apart”), Thrash Metal excellence (“To the Rats”), and even stabs at stadium rock (“Anthem (We Are the Fire)” or “The Rising”).

Lyrically they seem to borrow from Sacred Reich, Metallica, and Pantera (a very Anselmo-esque ‘don’t fuck with this’ even appears on “To the Rats”) and the tough guy lyrics just don’t work for Matt Heafy, particularly when followed by clean singing. “Detonation” may be the best singular illustration of the album as it teeters between classic Megadeth and woeful Damageplan. Solos throughout the album pay homage to Kirk Hammett, Dimebag, and other venerable masters but there’s something about technique without feeling and these songs seem to lack the latter. Technically speaking Trivium can probably play whatever style they want and do it well. This unfortunately doesn’t speak to originality or an identifying sound.

I had very high expectations for this album and still harbor high regard for this band of talented musicians. I only hope that more time is taken between this and the next album and that Trivium can really nail down “their sound.” Oh, sure, there are only so many notes and combinations thereof out there. However, explicitly emulating Metallica ain’t the best way to figure out what one wants to sound like, especially not on a band’s third album. Basically I wanted to like this more than I actually do. It’s still a solid album with great production and tons of talent, though the direction seems to have lost its way. And so I wait.

Bonus rounds: See? I didn’t even mention how Trivium’s experience covering “Master of Puppets” must have colored their sound, most notably in Heafy’s vocals. Oops. As you may have read elsewhere, James Hetfield’s once mighty throat (pre-1989) sounds like it was indeed borrowed for much of this recording. It is also worth noting that the titular track is instrumental and quite a display of chops and, again, musicianship. Listen for killer bass guitar work throughout the album, really. Oh, and Maiden is no longer the only band to use “daughter” and “slaughter” in a song (see “Unrepentant”). Steal 'em All anyone?

written by Tony Belcher

Playing time: 57.40