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TRIVIUM

w/ Heaven Shall Burn and Black Tide

The Tivoli – Brisbane, 13th May, 2009.

Having heard much criticism in the leadup to the tour, the hoardes of black band shirts on the night immediately disconfirmed my notions that Trivium were taking a back seat to supporters Black Tide and Heaven Shall Burn. Fellow Floridians Black Tide ripped right into their energetic set at the paradoxically posh looking Tivoli, bouncing around the stage and infecting the crowd with their relentless energy. Only a few handfuls of those in attendance could be seen screeching along, but the band’s catchy tunes, terrifying hair and entertaining solos soon had everybody converted. Covering Metallica’s Hit The Lights, the band leave the crowd itching to race home and frantically check their MySpace page.

Blending death metal and hardcore, old Lifeforce labelmates Heaven Shall Burn seemed out of place on a tour with Floridians Black Tide and Trivium, but the German quintet soon stepped up to the plate, roaring and proving their worth. Being generally biased against death metal bands with indecipherably scrawled logos, this reviewer was pleasantly surprised and impressed. Although vocalist Marcus Bischoff’s socially and politically aware lyrics were generally unintelligible, their intense set had everybody flailing along nonetheless.

Playing perhaps the longest set in metal history, Trivium roared onstage amidst thunderous applause, screams and chants, officially kicking off the Australian leg of their Into the Mouth of Hell We Tour. Ripping right into Shogun’s opener, Kirsute Gomen, the band supplemented their set with other Shogun material such as Insurrection, Down From The Sky, and appropriately, Into the Mouth of Hell We March. The band are in their element tonight, with vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy, guitarist Corey Beaulieu, bassist Paolo Gregoletto and drummer Travis Smith clearly glad to be back on Australian shores for the 4th time.

Time has flown by since the 2003 release of Ember to Inferno on Lifeforce records, and it’s hard to believe the band already have 4 full-lengths under their belt, with frontman Matt Heafy having barely turned 23. Churning out tracks from their debut, Ember to Inferno, such as Fugue (A Revelation), and If I Could Collapse the Masses, the band gave Aussie fans a treat, showcasing When All Light Dies, a track that’s come out of the woodwork for the first time since 2002.

As bass player Paolo Gregoletto heads onto the balcony, where he’ll disappear for half the set, Trivium rip into a surprising amount of material from 2004’s Ascendancy, with crowd pleasers such as Like Light to the Flies, Suffocating Sight, A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation, and Rain getting the crowd violence going. Only a sprinkling of tracks from 2006’s The Crusade make it into the set, however, with fans going batshit crazy for Becoming the Dragon and Anthem (We Are the Fire).

It’s unavoidable that you’ll wake up with a rash after a night with Russell Brand, and especially in the era of the internet, it’s just as inevitable that a band will have its haters. Trivium have had their fair share of criticism, primarily for the obvious influence Metallica have had upon their music, but the band don’t seem to let it get to them. Continually dropping ‘That’s What She Said’ gags and joking around during their set, the band demonstrate that even in the face of critics and trolls, they don’t take themselves too seriously.

The longest setlist in metal history soon comes to an end, however, with the Ascendancy single Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr eliciting the biggest crowd response and closing the set. After the obligatory thank yous and hurling of guitar picks and drumsticks, the band disappear from the stage to later appear at the exclusive meet and greet to which many of the fans aren’t privy (*cough* I totally am *cough*). The hoardes of black shirt-clad fans leave the venue satiated, mutilated, and smelling conspicuously like sweaty genitalia. Many a shirt is ripped, piercing gone astray, and more than a couple of fans are sporting some facial wounds. If there were any doubts in the minds of these kids about Trivium earlier on in the night, they’re certainly gone now.

Review by jerrydazzlepants