Did you know that Trivium means: The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric?[1] Wikipedia. Well now we do.
In the case of their newest release, the number 10 has found a new heavier Trivium.
“In The Court of The Dragon,” is the 10th studio album from Trivium, just a year after the well-received “What the Dead Men Say,” album of 2020. It’s obvious the men of Trivium have been busy.
The album is a little death, a little black, some progressive, some thrash, a little metalcore, some plain ole’ heavy metal, and a lot of groove, “In The court of The Dragon,” seems exactly where Trivium should be.
I wasn’t in love with “The Sin and the Sentence,” or “What the Dead Men Say.” I thought there were a lot of missed opportunities for heaviness and it just sort of hit the mark but didn’t surpass it. But, as reviews and reviewers go, it’s all subjective.
The highest chart performance for “In The Court of The Dragon,” was the #1 spot on the UK Rock and Metal Albums (OCC). In the states, US Billboard 200 ranked it 71, with a #3 placement on the US Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums, and #8 on the US Billboard Top Rock Albums.”
There is a quote by guitarist Corey Beaulieu that says, “… while in quarantine, the material they’ve been working on sounds really pissed off.”
And we like that.
“X” is a soft haunting building song helped by Ihsahn (former Emperor). You can’t anticipate what is to come from this song, however, but it opens the album beautifully.
“In The Court of the Dragon” is in stark contrast to the opening “X.” It’s frantic, organized chaos, with a heavy flow, very groove-driven at parts, well-constructed, and just plain smart. The album leads you to the conclusion that the entire album is well recorded, produced, written, and played…and you’ll soon find out if that first thought is true with “Like A Sword Over Damocles.”
“Like A Sword Over Damocles” is dark and melodic and is my favorite track on the album. Enjoyable even if you aren’t familiar, which is the sign of a great song for the masses. Smooth and beautiful chorus, fast guitar work, superb drumming…a perfectly layered song with bouncy riffs. The solo has a story of its own, its gloomy, then happy, then frantic, then comes together perfectly. At 4:15 the song takes a turn and turns into fire! At 4:44 the chorus kicks back in and does a little Children of Bodom moment, and ends perfectly.
“Feast of Fire” has impressive pairings between the drums and guitar. It gives us clean vocals and nice grooves. It reminds 
me a bit of old Nevermore at times. Matt’s voice is pretty and you sort of think it may continue to be pretty, but at 2:15 all the rules change. A little Pantera influence followed by a killer guitar solo. Time 3:42 brings the song to its conclusion in a lovely and unexpected way.
“A Crisis of Revelation” is the Trivium I’ve always wanted to hear. They have communicated a crisis, as the title suggests, for sure. Notes turn downward when you expect them to rise. This song is modern with the trademark Trivium pretty and catchy chorus. At 2:19 Trivium reveals some of the most anguished vocals, followed by bright and really excellent guitar solos. This track is my second favorite on this release.
“The Shadows of the Abattoir” has unexpected fairy music to start the song. It is acoustic with low clean vocals. I find this song to be very interesting. The buildups are great, the chord changes catch you off guard, the combined solos are brilliant. While the song ends softly, there is a spot in the middle that is anything but.
“No Way Back Just Through” showcases everything great about Trivium as it has a bit of everything in it.
As a side note: I absolutely love the groove and melodies on every single track (well, besides “X”).
“Fall Into Your Hands” is the longest song with a run time of 7:45. If they ever play this song in its entirety, the drummer is going to be very tired and the guitarists’ fingers will no doubt be bleeding. High on the groove scale, at 3:44 there is a bit of a nod, even if unintended to Iron Maiden for a minute, followed by a slower pace, followed by frantic guitars. A little glimpse of Rush’s influence and back to great groove-driven metal. At 6:52 it introduces an unexpected orchestral ending.
“From Dawn to Decadence” has a little Zakk Wylde wooooo squeal, and then all hell breaks loose. It has one of the prettiest choruses on the release. At 2:24 you’ll find a killer groove and killer solo. At 3:47, Trivium gives us a 20-second breather.
“The Phalanx” is a super groovy song, reminiscent of 80’s thrash and 90’s groove bands with a little Egyptian flair. The song is consistent up to 3:11, where it changes and you can hear the Iron Maiden influence for a bit. (Note: I don’t know if Iron Maiden is an influence of the band, but it seems obvious to me that it must be). “The Phalanx” is passionate and well-composed. It is another song that has absolutely everything you want to hear from Trivium in it, and it is my third favorite track on the album.
While some bands broke up during the pandemic and some were uninspired, Trivium used the time to its fullest.
In full disclosure, this is what I always wanted Trivium to sound like. I’ve not always written glowing reviews about Trivium’s releases; this tenth album has made me an absolute fan. I am now a Trivium fan.
Bravo to Matt, Corey, Paolo, and Alex. “In the Court of the Dragon” is a superb album worthy of Top 10 for 2021, and dare I say, Top 5?
