SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TRIVIUM – STRUCK DEAD

TRIVIUM
STRUCK DEAD
ROADRUNNER RECORDS

There’s a lot to love about the latest Trivium record. The prominent modern metal four-piece burst back onto the contemporary music scene with a release that reminds audiences why they are a household name in the genre. Only featuring three songs with a runtime of 18 minutes, the EP isn’t afraid to make bold musical statements. However, it doesn’t overstay its welcome either. The band has crafted three incredibly tight and catchy songs with exceptional moments of artistry. For example, at the two-minute mark of the EP’s opening track, “Bury Me With My Screams,” the song goes into an intricate breakdown section with a throbbing kick drum that quickly pulses over the sporadic guitar chords. The guitar solo near the end of the track is a very nice piece of sweep picking.

“Struck Dead (Pain Is Easier To Remember)” has a large, anthemic chorus. One that is bound to remind listening audiences of early ‘10s nu-metal. However, the riffs and solos that appear throughout the track show up at a fresh and exciting rate. The brief tapping sections that complement the chorus are a standout moment on the EP, as they go beyond the standard riser and filler noises that producers tend to fill the background with on projects like this.

The seven-min track, “Six Walls Surround Me,” is the final song on the EP, and opens traditionally: an acoustic guitar and several quiet, distorted guitars set the stage before the large, compressed vocals smash through and take the spotlight. The chorus is catchy, with the vocals taking on a more restrained approach to melody, as opposed to the intense screaming this EP has gotten us used to. It’s a fun change of pace that fits perfectly on a track that is supposed to be the EP’s big bang closer. The drum lines on this track, as expected, are also inherently addictive. Not only are they well-produced and easy on the ears, but the patterns are abundantly technical. It’s to the point where I believe the songs on this EP would find a happy home in a rhythm game library, or as a part of an expert instrumentation warmup.

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