Trivium: Carrying the Torch of Heavy Metal or Riding the Coat Tails of Past Greats?

There is much controversy these days over the heavy metal band Trivium. Are they carrying the torch of old school metal or merely riding the coat tails of their idols? I first saw Trivium open for Danzig in early 2005 shortly before the release of their album Ascendancy. Needless to say, I was blown away by what I heard and immediately headed to the merch booth with the hope of possibly picking up a copy of Ascendancy early.

Trivium was unknown at this time although they did gain some notoriety with their debut album From Ember To Inferno. I had no luck on the early album purchase but did get to have a few words with lead singer/guitarist Matt Heafy. It was the usual exchange; you guys are great, I really like your sound and so forth. He was kind and basically, we just had a classic "shoot the shit" session.

I waited impatiently for the album to come out and when it finally did, I was yet again blown away by what I was hearing. Ascendancy remains, to this day one of my favorite albums of all time and I went back to see them every time they were in my town and watched their fan base grow larger and larger every time I did. Ascendancy is basically a metalcore album but what I think sets it apart from others is the complexity and skill exhibited by all members. The guitar solos were reminiscent of Dave Mustaine or Kirk Hammett while still being original and unique to Trivium.