LIVE REVIEW: Trivium @ Academy, Manchester
TRIVIUM have become one of the biggest bands in metal in the modern age. Since exploding onto the scene in the early 2000s, the Florida outfit have gone from strength to strength, especially here in the UK. Now, on the close of album number seven Silence In The Snow, the band are ready to keep up their reputation with a headlining tour across the UK and Europe, but does the band still have what it takes to maintain the same intensity as they did when they first exploded onto the scene?
Whilst TRIVIUM are very much considered a heavyweight player in metal, Birmingham’s SHVPES are on the cusp of becoming the next big thing. Fusing metal, hardcore and elements of urban and hip-hop gives SHVPES a vast and varied soundscape and their opening performance largely replicated their expansive sound witnessed on their studio material. With the band’s debut release, Pain. Joy. Esctasy. Despair, only being released last year it therefore made sense that the majority of the band’s setlist was comprised of material from their debut and for the most part the band were able to replicate the sound of their expansive and varied debut record. Frontman Griffin Dickinson‘s rap-tinged vocal lines on Two Minutes of Hate were laced with bite and flowed effortlessly whilst the emphatic chorus and guitar play from Ryan Hamilton and Youssef Ashraf echoed the fine traits of metalcore. Whilst their live output on stage was big and expansive, unfortunately, their interaction with the crowd felt flat. The audience response was not consistent and a failed attempt at a wall of death that was vastly encouraged by Dickinson fell face-flat and dampened SHVPES‘ finale. Despite this, their performance on stage was, at times, emphatic and as the band continue to grow in size, their presence in the alternative community will only continue to expand.
Rating: 8/10
They may not be the most popular band in progressive metal today, but SIKTH‘s influence on the style is paramount. Often cited as one of the major players for the explosion of progressive metal, the band’s live performance had to be at the up most level of quality to ensure the London outfit can remain in the running and for large periods of their set, the band certainly delivered. Utilising the dual vocal deliveries of Mikee Goodman and Joe Rosser played vital in carrying the weight of the band’s live output, with both complimenting each other to drive the killer blow of the band’s sonic assault. Interesting guitar play from Pin and Dan Weller and thick bass tones from James Leach kept the band’s rhythm flowing but, unfortunately, repetition became an increasing issue. Whilst at times SIKTH showcased moments of quality in their performance, as progressive metal has evolved and become a truly new beast, SIKTH felt slightly behind the times. Whilst by no means were the band were terrible, it just lacked enough intoxicating factors to keep you truly hooked throughout.
Rating: 7/10
After Run To The Hills fades away on the PA, TRIVIUM roar into life in an instant, through an explosive introduction with Rain and instantly it’s clear that the band are firing on all cylinders. The powerful dual guitar play from Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu resonated extremely well in the live environment as the riffs kept the momentum flowing at breakneck pace. From there, the band grew from strength to strength. Beaulieu‘s explosive vocal blasts on Down From The Sky packed enough punch to level a city and Matt Heafy‘s clean vocals held their own, acting as a nice counter-balance to the meaty wall of sound.
The tour may still be in support of Silence In The Snow, but it became clear that the focus was on the old school and the response from the crowd was emphatic to say the least. The thrashing speed of Entrance of the Conflagration whipped up a storm, the slick dual guitar harmonics from Heafy and Beaulieu on Throes of Perdition was a sight to behold and the ballad-esque approach to Matt Heafy‘s vocal deliveries on Dying In Your Arms was hardly heard, largely thanks to being drowned out by the audience screaming back every word. That being said though, when the band performed material from their latest record, it still held up well with Until The World Goes Cold demonstrating itself extremely well in the live environment and Silence In The Snow‘s chorus displaying the band’s wonderful vocal harmonies. With the band more than covering all aspects of their career throughout their lengthy set and backed as a tight unit on stage, their performance was truly breathtaking. Paolo Gregoletto‘s bass lines kept the pace flowing tight and concise, Alex Bent drummed like he has been a part of the band for years and Corey Beaulieu‘s lead guitar play was utterly impressive whilst Matt Heafy‘s lead vocals never felt lost in the mix. TRIVIUM made their name in the UK and their performance felt like a homecoming and in such, gave a performance that oozed professionalism and carried enough hooks, anthems and power to clearly showcase why the band is still flying high after first exploding onto the scene all those years ago.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Em Coulter Photography here:
