Trivium - The Crusade

Trivium's much anticipated third CD lives up to the hype.

Trivium is a polarizing band with legions of dedicated fans and a vocal group of haters. Many say they are the modern day heirs to groups like Metallica, who have said they admire what Trivium is doing. With their third CD, Trivium definitely pays homage to bands like Metallica and Megadeth.

On The Crusade, Trivium delves deep into thrash metal with scathing riffs and plenty of solos from guitarist Corey Beaulieu. The band also shows their love for '80s metal with a couple songs in the hair/glam metal category. But even though Trivium has a lot of elements of classic metal, they also add a modern sensibility and attitude that blends the best of old and new and avoid being a nostalgia act.

Vocalist Matt Heafy has almost abandoned the screaming vocals of past albums. You'll hear a few screams, but on the vast majority he sings. His singing has improved over the past few years and on this album he sounds a lot like James Hetfield. Heafy is able to move from an aggressive and angry style to more melodic and straightforward singing. Trivium's lyrics have also matured and they are now singing about events happening in the world along with more personal song topics.

Trivium has made a quantum leap in songwriting and musicianship on this album. The songs are memorable and catchy with a lot of excellent hooks. While they have a ways to go to equal a great band like Metallica, Trivum is well on their way to becoming one of the most popular modern metal bands.