ALBUM REVIEW: The Sin and the Sentence – Trivium
Since the turn of the century, TRIVIUM have soared through the ranks to be amongst the elite in modern heavy metal. Over the course of their career, the band have gone from strength to strength through seven studio releases with each pushing their sound forward but still capturing the essence of what made the band so popular in the first place. 2017 sees the arrival of album number eight, The Sin and the Sentence, the next chapter for the band. But, does this new offering do enough to maintain TRIVIUM‘s strength at the front of the pack?
In our recent interview with the band, Matt Heafy told us that he believes The Sin and the Sentence encapsulates the best elements of TRIVIUM‘s career, with a particular focus to In Waves, Ascendancy and Shogun and he couldn’t be more on the money here; The Sin and the Sentence feels refined and showcases a recharged band who show their hunger in abundance. Opening with the title track, TRIVIUM set the tone in an instant through blistering dual guitar play, monstrous blasts from new drummer Alex Bent and a slick combination of growled and piercing clean vocal deliveries. It’s an incredibly strong opening track and hints at what to expect.
From there, TRIVIUM really begin to work through the gears and whereas previous album Silence In The Snow demonstrated the band’s more melodic edge, here, The Sin and The Sentence holds absolutely nothing back. Beyond Oblivion is an absolute monster of a track that explodes into life with a thunderous growl from Matt Heafy before unfolding into slick tempo changes and showcasing one of the best choruses on the album whilst Betrayer takes a rapid-fire approach through pummelling rhythm and enough force to level a city. Where TRIVIUM really hold nothing back is around the album’s halfway point through a double punch of The Wretchedness Inside and Sever The Hand. The Wretchedness Inside is a mid-tempo rager orchestrated through Paolo Gregoletto‘s thick bass lines and packs the album’s heaviest breakdown whilst Sever The Hand offers another hair-raising moment as the pace dynamically shifts to create a ferocious section of absolute shred.
Whilst The Sin and the Sentence certainly packs much more of a punch than TRIVIUM‘s recent studio output, this new offering still packs catchy melodies in abundance. Endless Night displays some absolutely gorgeous lead guitar play from Corey Beaulieu whilst The Heart From Your Hate will become an instant live favourite due to having one of the most memorable and strong choruses on the album. Even when TRIVIUM are punching hard, the underlying melodies are ever present which only strengthens their sound and really, showcases a band who very much resemble a well-oiled machine.
Whilst it is common for albums to fade on their intensity in the final third, TRIVIUM avoid this hurdle as The Sin and the Sentence ends on the same intensity and quality as the opening barrage. Beauty In The Snow offers another dosage of harmonious dual guitar play from Heafy and Beaulieu whilst final track Thrown Into The Fire presents a blistering finale as TRIVIUM explode into one last bout of shred. Yet the shining star in all of this is The Revanchist. TRIVIUM have had a standout track in the final third on pretty much every record (for example Like Callisto To A Star In Heaven, Departure, Tread The Floods) and The Sin and the Sentence very much continues this tradition. Clocking in at over seven minutes, the longest song on the record, the track is a dynamic beast. With shifts that swing like a metronome, Heafy‘s vocal lines excelling and some of the slickest guitarwork on show, the track is a beaming star, one which lights up the record’s final third and showcases the true quality at TRIVIUM‘s disposal.
The Sin and the Sentence feels like TRIVIUM have come full circle. Incorporating the best elements across their discography, this is an albums that showcases a band excelling at their craft. Packing punchy grooves, sheer power and satisfying melodic hooks, The Sin and the Sentence is one of the strongest albums from TRIVIUM to date; one which more than demonstrates why the band are amongst the elite in modern heavy music.
Rating: 9/10
The Sin and the Sentence is set for release on October 20th via Roadrunner Records.
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