“I feel like there are four of us who have just created a new band with all the aspirations and dreams in the world,” said Matt Heavy, frontman of veteran metal band Trivium, now 22. It was enough to bring his teammates Corey Beaulieu (guitar), Paolo Gregoletto (bass) and Alex Bent (drums) together in Florida during the pandemic to give the Grammy-nominated quartet a new lease of life in their musical life.
The result, created in the Full Sail University studio with producer Josh Wilbur – who also works with Lamb of God and A Day To Remember – sent shockwaves through heavy metal. In just one month, the title track of “In The Court of The Dragon” racked up millions of streams as Guitar World hailed it as “one of the most outstanding metal tracks of the year”.
Now, Trivium is back on the road, opening September 22 at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion for Megadeth and Lamb of God. Bassist Gregoletto answered these five questions for What’s Up!
Q. I know bands hate labels! But … how would you describe your music? And what does this descriptor mean to you?
A. I think at this point we’re just saying we’re a metal band. We’re big fans of so many bands and sub-genres that have inspired us that it would be impossible to name our sound.
Q. Half the fun of metal is theater. Who is the mastermind behind your wonderful work? And why is metal still so surprisingly theatrical?
A. We asked a French artist named Mathieu Nozières, whom Matt found online, I believe, to do an epic painting for us that would match our vibe for the album. We gave him song titles and lyrics, but we really let him create an album cover. It took about three months in total to create the painting and send it to the UK to be used in our first clip. Haven’t seen it in person yet, but it’s like this 6ft by 6ft masterpiece.
Q. What do you love – and hate – about life on the road?
A. Currently, the pandemic is making the usual pleasure of seeing friends difficult. We try to avoid all meals indoors on non-working days and even in the venue food hall now. I’m just happy to be back and start over so it’s a very slight inconvenience.
Q. What did the group do during the end of the pandemic? Did you learn anything that will be reflected in the new music?
A. We had one of the first big ticket streaming events last summer, called A Light or A Distant Mirror, which was very successful. After that, we focused on writing the best album we could and trying to stay healthy. I think people will find the new album a bit more intense than the last one. I think the energy of this album will bring a good release for us and the fans after almost two years.
Q. Why metal? What made metal your favorite music when you knew music was your way?
A. I just connected with all the bands I was discovering in a way that no other genre of music has done for me. There is such a wide range of genres that you could never get enough of them if you are willing to research it. I also liked how global the fan base is for this music. There is a universality that makes us feel at home no matter where in the world we are when we are on stage.
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Faq
“The metal tour of the year”
WHEN – 6:22 p.m. Sept.
O – Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers
COT – $ 30 to $ 119.50
INFO – waltonartscenter.org/AMP
BONUS – Hatebreed also opens for headliners Megadeth and Lamb of God.
