LIVE REVIEW: Trivium @ Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

It’s no secret that TRIVIUM have special affection for our small island. Since erupting onto the scene with 2005’s Ascendancy, it was indeed the UK that really helped the Floridians establish themselves as one of the most exciting names in heavy music. Flash forward to 2023 and that affection is just as strong. Seven months after we saw TRIVIUM blow our minds in large venues across the land, including a storming set at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse, the band are on UK shores once more for a much more intimate affair. And at the historic Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent, heavy music locals are ecstatic to have a band of this stature grace their home town.

Whilst TRIVIUM erupted onto the scene in decades prior, recent years have seen Swedish metallers ORBIT CULTURE intending to follow in their footsteps. Having made a massive impression in the dark days of the pandemic with 2020’s Nija, with pandemic restrictions a distant nightmare and touring in full-swing, their slot to open for TRIVIUM across their extensive UK jaunt proves a wonderful opportunity to capitalise on their momentum.

And armed with new album Descent, the band seem to have the wind in their collective sails and make one hell of a strong impression in Stoke. Set opener North Star Of Nija is an explosive opener as the hench riffs from guitarists Niklas Karlsson and Richard Hansson blows people away whilst the former instantly holds his own with his roaring growls. From there, ORBIT CULTURE just ooze confidence and display why they are a hot property within heavy music. From The Inside is as heavy as it is charming with the duelling guitar leads sounding wonderful in the live environment and the chorus is utterly emphatic and set closer Vultures Of North is even heavier live than it is on record. An impressive set from a band that is showing no signs of slowing down.

Rating: 8/10

BLEED FROM WITHIN have really been soaring since their second wind comeback album Era in 2018. Since then, the Glaswegians have gone from strength to strength to cement their position as one of our island’s most important bands in heavy music. As such, their slot on this tour just feels like common sense and they make the most of the occasion by delivering a set of pure adrenaline. The second set opener Stand Down drops, the crowd erupts as Scott Kennedy and co. inject a surge of adrenaline with booming breakdowns and a plethora of metallic might.

From there, BLEED FROM WITHIN just soar. A one-two punch of Levitate and Pathfinder are absolutely monolithic in this live environment, Sovereign sees Kennedy prowl the stage with the utmost conviction as he dispatches his vocals with aplomb and set closer The End Of All We Know‘s digestible riffage brings the curtain down on a set that rarely dips in intensity. Despite the fact the band have a sixth full-length records under their collective belts, the set is comprised entirely from last year’s Shrine and 2020’s Fracture and whilst it is disappointing that earlier material is omitted entirely, it is but a blemish on a stunning set from one of the UK’s most explosive live acts.

Rating: 9/10

Erupting with In The Court Of The Dragon, TRIVIUM waste absolutely no time in throwing down the gauntlet in Stoke as the set opener ignites pure chaos as Matt Heafy, Corey Beaulieu, Paolo Gregoletto and Alex Bent collectively hit the ground running. The riffs are ever so sweet and the adrenaline is unmatched. But, as the set goes on, it becomes increasingly clear just how superb TRIVIUM are in the live arena.

Down From The Sky rewinds the clock to the days of Shogun as the thundering call of “The vampires feed on the wars of mankind!” has the Stoke legions screaming back the words to Heafy, the opening drum salvo of Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr and its timeless chorus has the crowd feeling a kid on Christmas morning and Catastrophist‘s chorus simply soars like a phoenix.

With timeless classics like A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation or a thundering encore of In Waves, as well as the airing of deeper cuts like Insurrection and Torn Between Scylla And Charybdis, TRIVIUM cherry pick material from across their extensive back catalogue and live, the impact is incredible. The riffs ooze class, the energy unmatched. All whilst Matt Heafy leads the line with the utmost conviction.

Just as they did back in January, TRIVIUM are a very well-oiled machine at this point in their decorated career. Refined and with an truly impressive arsenal of anthems and fist-pumping anthems, they made the most of their more intimate confines in Stoke to deliver a set that will leave every single person present in the room grinning like a Cheshire cat. They might not be from the UK, but on the basis of love poured towards them, they are one of our own.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Stoke-on-Trent from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: 

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