Album Review: Trivium – Crown In The Grave

Album Review: Trivium – Crown In The Grave

Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez

Trivium. Made men and genuine metal royalty now. The band have come so far since bursting onto the scene in 2005 with their seminal work and genuinely one of the greatest metal albums of the 21st century in “Ascendancy”. Having graced every festival stage worth playing across the globe, as well as a hugely successful Poisoned-Ascendancy arena tour with Bullet For My Valentine in early 2025, it feels like the band have reached every milestone you could think of as a band. Or have they? What’s left for them to prove? If there is anything left to prove, can their upcoming “Studio In The Grave” be the vehicle to get them there? Let’s dive in…

Much like “Ascendancy”, “Crown In The Grave” begins with a short instrumental of its own, focussing on folk tribal style drums to add a sense of trepidation and an ominous vibe. This is before the meat and potatoes of the album begins with the album’s title track. Here, the focus is on solid grooves and mechanical precision. Much like we heard on albums like “In Waves” and “Vengeance Falls”. ‘Dead Inside Of Me’ goes down a similar groove-metal avenue, and whilst the chorus is catchy, it’s not as instantly memorable nor epic as ‘Like Light To Flies’ from the band’s earlier discography.

It feels like a slow start, perhaps choosing to ease you in gently.

The pace picks up with ‘The Terror’ with Gregoletto and Rudinger locking in to drive the song forward, providing a platform for Heafy and Beaulieu to flex their riffing muscles! Genuinely, there’s some tasty guitar work like what we were introduced to during the days of “Shogun”, whilst the chorus feels euphoric and satisfying! An early highlight of the album.

‘The Haunting’ offers a short sharp return to the groove metal from earlier in the album, whilst ‘Lie Of It All’ allows us to indulge in a classic heavy metal inspired anthem! The riffs are heavy, whilst Heafy’s gravelly voice instantly commands respect. Much like that meaty solo in the latter stages of the song. This is a much welcome injection of energy into the album at this mid stage.

Bringing some acoustic strings into early stages of ‘Blackout The Dawn’ is a bit of a curveball, but adds a pleasant aesthetic quality we didn’t know we needed! Before slowly adding layers of complexity and texture we expect from the Floridian quartet. Trivium has a habit of writing songs that can capture that mainstream attention. ‘Blackout The Dawn’ has that potential with its accessibility and radio-friendly quality whilst still retaining its metal backbone and identity.

Are you looking for something cathartic, satisfying, and offering instant gratification? If so, ‘Death Throes’ ticks all these boxes. Especially with that pearler of an opening guitar riff that immediately hooks you in, and the call and response style vocals in the verse and instantly memorable chorus. Give this some time to embed with the Trivium fanbase, the Shogunate, then we may well have another banger to rival the likes of ‘Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr’ as mainstays in Trivium’s live set list! A lot of what was said of ‘Death Throes’ can also be said for ‘The Agony’, a progressive number that builds tension and intrigue in layers before unleashing that in a rewarding chorus.

Corey and Matt have been revered for their guitar skills and tonal mastery throughout the years. The closing song ‘Serpent In The Flame’ will have casual fans and guitar maestros purring in admiration of a song encapsulated in a progressive and expansive metal style reminiscent of the “Shogun” days.

So, in summary, “Crown In The Grave” evokes many of the classic Trivium sound and vibes we’ve come to expect from the band now. What is their left to prove now? 2025 was a huge year in the UK for the band, given the aforementioned arena tour and also headlining Bloodstock Open Air. Still, it feels like there’s one thing missing.

Download Festival.

A headline slot.

In 2005, when they were still young teenagers, they were given a chance at 11am to open up the festival’s main stage. A performance which signalled to the world that the band had arrived. A slot which the band described as one that changed their lives!

Download 2027 have announced their headliners, so 2027 isn’t going to be their year. Wouldn’t it be a full circle moment to announce Trivium as one of those bands to top the bill at Donnington Park in 2028 though?

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