Another Dud
We’re now seven albums deep with Trivium - seven albums consisting largely of disappointment after their absolute explosion circa 2004/2005. This is all very much well trodden territory but the band, through no fault of their own, were tagged with such a high level of anticipation and pressure piled on their shoulders at that point it literally could have gone either way, and let’s be brutally honest it went South, and quickly. There have been signs over the years that Trivium can deliver a top album, In Waves being the most recent example, but ever since the absolute car crash that was The Crusade it has all just felt like one elongated strive to find their sound and it hasn’t stopped with new album Silence In The Snow. When Trivium release a new album rather than people taking it for what it’s worth, there is just a widespread hope that this is their moment. That day may come, but when you release your seventh album and it is this average it makes it difficult to muster any kind of enthusiasm.
The main problem with this album is the fact that it feels like you’ve lost hours of your life giving it one spin - it’s only 43 minutes long. It plods along with such a lack of direction or excitement it becomes instantly forgettable with the real shame being the fact that they’ve opted to write an album which is safe and a clear reach towards aiming for appealing to the wider masses. The reason why In Waves gains it’s deserved acclaim is because it’s powerful and unpredictable, and it’s exactly the opposite with Silence In The Snow. There is definitely a strong Classic Rock vibe throughout with influences from the likes of Dio and Rainbow quite clear throughout. The highlights on the album actually come very early on, with both Silence In The Snow and Blind Leading The Blind being solid tracks but again, they’re nothing really to scream about. Matt Heafy’s will he/won’t he roulette on harsh vocals has veered into the latter mainly due to the fact it would have sounded pretty silly to be screaming over the mundane Heavy Rock they’ve produced.
Overall then, Trivium have released another new album which will undoubtedly drop into the ‘forgettable Trivium albums’ bin. If you look across the Heavy music scene at the moment it is filled to the brim with exciting, dangerous and explosive young bands and to be frank Trivium are being left in the dust. Safe and mundane.