TRIVIUM: IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON
Start to finish In The Court Of The Dragon is a fantastically furious force to behold. Every track is masterfully written and constructed, all brilliantly produced by the renowned Josh Wilbur. The maturity and expertise conveyed within these songs is both refreshing and staggering, with every song of equal brilliance and not so much as a scent of filler to be found. This really is Trivium at the top of their game and climbing ever higher still.
Chanting and roars and snarls of the beasts in question can be heard on introductory piece "X", before the firestorm is unleashed with title track "In The Court Of The Dragon"; a strenuously heavy song, intricate and technical throughout, it is home to phenomenal guitarwork with chugging riffs and blinding solos, backed by berserker assault drumming and crowned with a punchy and chantable chorus. Grandiose and streamlined, "Like A Sword Over Damocles" is a bruising blow of crushing riffs, superhuman drumming, clearly audible and very involved bass and harsh vocal delivery, not forgetting the monolithic chorus.
Continuing the euphoric tour de Metal, "Feast Of Fire" is a veritable chugfest of awesome guitar work, deep heavy bass tones and a noticeable touch of Corey Taylor's vocal style influence in frontman Matt Heafy's incredible singing. Melodic and Thrashy, "A Crisis Of Revelation" is a perfect equilibrium of blistering speed with blinding solos, blurring bass and insane drumming, and heavy melody with building-leveling breakdowns and rhythmic harmonies.
One of the albums longer tracks which clocks in at over seven minutes long, "The Shadow Of The Abattoir" opens with a slower melodic, almost Iron Maiden-esque intro that leads into a great chorus with a powerful vocal performance. The gentle start of the song builds into a Thrashing midsection, equipt with hammering riffs and an epic solo, before blast-beats and lead harmonies ease this stunning track to conclusion. Fast, heavy and with a sound that is almost reminiscent of the In Waves era Trivium, particularly in the chorus, "No Way Back Just Through" is as aggressive as it is memorable.
Grand in sound and performance, "Fall Into Your Hands" is another mid-paced melodic Thrasher with an abundance of atmosphere and tonnes of heaviness. The quality of musicianship and creativity expressed and displayed here is nothing short of astounding, from the jaw-dropping drumming to the soulful vocals and the extraordinary guitar work, this is audio excellence.
Frantic and surging like a crushing metallic tsunami, "From Dawn To Decadence" is a hard hitting headbanger of a number, which boasts an instantly memorable chorus. The grand finale, "The Phalanx" is precisely that, flooded with galloping and swaggering riffs and set at a pounding midpace, it has a slight scent of Metallica to it but with a whole host more technical and progressive ingredients thrown into the mix. This closing track is a spectacular way of ending on a high note with Trivium giving it their all.
Overall, In The Court Of The Dragon is a first class piece of musical supremacy. Trivium have come a very long way since the days of Ascendancy and The Crusade for instance, but they have kept their identity and remained true to their unique sound all the while. Certain to gain critical acclaim and mass attention, In The Court Of The Dragon deserves all the praise and glorification that it receives, as do its creators.
You can watch the full review video here on Youtube:
NO NONSENSE METAL RATING: 9.5/10
FOR FANS OF; LAMB OF GOD, AMON AMARTH, IRON MAIDEN
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