Trivium-Shogun Review

Posted by Dan Marsicano on 10.06.2008

The metal band that every die-hard fan loves to hate returns with their fourth album, Shogun. Does the band finally break free of the "Next Metallica" shadow that has surrounded them for years?

The Band

Matthew Heafy-Vocals, Guitar
Corey Beaulieu-Guitar, Vocals
Paolo Gregoletto-Bass, Vocals
Travis Smith-Drums


The Track Listing

1. Kirisute Gomen-6:27
2. Torn Between Scylla And Charybdis-6:50
3. Down From The Sky-5:34
4. Into The Mouth Of Hell We March-5:52
5. Throes Of Perdition-5:54
6. Insurrection-4:57
7. The Calamity-4:58
8. He Who Spawned The Furies-4:08
9. Of Prometheus And The Crucifix-4:40
10. Like Callisto To A Star In Heaven-5:26
11. Shogun-11:55





The Review

Metal fans have had a love/hate relationship with Florida metalcore/thrash metal band Trivium since their debut album Ember To Inferno. Most of the argument has come from trying to label the young quintet into one genre. Are they metalcore? Have they evolved into a thrash/speed/power metal hybrid? Or do they sound like a Metallica clone, as many of their critics have protested?

Shogun will further this debate even more, with the band evolving their sound yet again. Unlike 2006’s The Crusade, Trivium has decided to take some of the elements of 2005’s Ascendency, mostly in the harsh vocals, and mix it with the more thrash metal sound on their previous release. The band was probably trying to appeal to both fans of the early and later sound of Trivium, and for the most part, Shogun is a success on all ends.

Say what you will about Heafy’s close resemblance vocally to Hetfield, or how they have been unjustly labeled as “the next big metal band,” but Trivium has always been a band that has enough confidence in themselves to take chances with their sound. Some may see that as cockiness; I see it as the band knowing they are just that good. On Shogun, they show again why they are a force to be reckoned with in the metal community. The songwriting has become more progressive, with most of the tracks over the five minute mark, and the title track reaching near the twelve minute mark. The soloing is much improved over The Crusade, with longer and more technically-proficient guitar work from Heafy and Beaulieu.

This is no more present than in the opening track “Kirisute Gomen,” which is Japanese for “your sword fodder,” or “authorization to cut,” depending on your source, is a whirlwind of sound, its six minutes going through several musical changes, the jarring melodic shift halfway into the track being the most notable. Heafy has stepped his vocals up quite a bit, engaging the listener with a mix of harsh vocals that actually make sense and clean vocals that are thankfully less Hetfield-ish. The long solo section is a welcoming sign, an aspect of the band’s sound that was missing on The Crusade.

Trivium doesn’t let up for over an hour, slowly forging another evolution in sound. While some may see Shogun as another attempt at the band changing their sound to appeal to an ever-changing metal scene, I see Shogun as a band finally finding themselves as a unit and producing the album they have always wanted to; whether they like to admit it or not.

Acting as a collective whole has always been evident in the band, especially in the rhythm section. After hearing the fantastic bass solo on “Becoming The Dragon” and the title track, the band lets bassist Paolo Gregoletto loose with two solos on “Torn Between Scylla And Charybdis.” While both are tragically short, they are still technically impressive. Smith’s drumming has always been the lead sail that has kept the Trivium boat afloat, and he doesn’t disappoint on Shogun, showing the metal community why he is one of the most underrated young drummers in metal today.

While progressing beyond the Testament/Metallica sound of The Crusade, Trivium lets loose the thrash monster tied to their backs on selected moments on Shogun. “Insurrection” could have been a B-side on The New Order, if Testament used metalcore vocals. “Into The Mouth Of Hell We March” breaks down into a pure head-banging affair during its second half, with Heafy and Beaulieu trading off shredding solos that would make Dave Mustaine blush.

All of this culminates to the band’s magnum opus, “Shogun.” The best song the band has composed to date, the twelve minute masterpiece goes through twists and turns that has the band creatively stretching themselves to the breaking point. While the first few minutes are solid, the band gets all Led Zeppelin on us four minutes in with a bluesy section that is radically different from anything the band has done to date. Heafy’s vocals shine in this section, with an emotional touch to them that actually gave me chills on the first listen. The band pulls it all back together with two solos that compliment each other well and well-placed harsh vocals. The only misstep in the track is the outro, which goes on for about 45 seconds too long, but that doesn’t hinder the title track.

Shogun is Trivium finally finding their true sound and rolling with it. You can slap any genre label you want on the band, but Trivium has finally reached the one genre nobody thought they could become: heavy metal, plain and simple. If The Crusade was the band’s Ride The Lightning, Shogun is their Master Of Puppets. It’s the album where all the pieces fit together to form eleven tracks that hit the right points every time.

The 411: I still need a bit more time with it before I rank it up near great albums like Opeth's Watershed and Metallica's Death Magnetic, but Shogun is one of the best metal albums of the year, there is no doubt in my mind about that. Some of you will still criticize the band over their sound, but I see a maturing band, one that learned from the hit-or-miss that was The Crusade. Trivium is in top form, and some of the tracks (title track, "Kirisute Gomen," "Torn Between Scylla And Charybdis," "Insurrection") ranks as the band's best material. Shogun is a fantastic accomplishment and one that finally shows the true sound that we all have been waiting for from the Florida quintet.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]