By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Trivium has stood to be one of the most respected as well as one of the most hated modern metal bands out there. I have seen people who passionately love this group, and there are plenty who hate them. Most people who dislike the band are those who say they softened up too much on their later releases, especially their most mainstream album "Silence in the Snow". While I will say that album was not their best, it is still a great melodic work with some beautiful choruses and some clear talent. For those who are fans of the band's harder work, they will definitely not be disappointed with the band's newest album "The Sin in the Sentence". This release combines the best parts of Trivium: it has Matt Heafy shifting effortlessly between beautiful cleans and hard-hitting screams, absolutely unbelievable drumming, relatable lyrics, and killer guitar work.
Trivium comes out guns blazing with the title track that opens the album. This 6-minute epic gives the listener a really good sense of what is to come in the album. I absolutely love every minute of this song. It especially excels in showing off Alex Bent's godly drumming talent. I could listen to this song over and over again just for that. Everything about this song sticks; you're already left breathless by the end of it, and there's still ten tracks to go. Something you notice about this album is that when you think you've heard the best of it, you're wrong. "Beyond Oblivion" may be even better than the preceding track, and it's certainly one of my personal favorites off the album. I just love the chorus of this song; it is seriously so catchy. I've found myself singing to it frequently, and that is what makes this song work so well. It would be criminal for this song to not be a single. "Other Worlds" sounds like it could be right at home on "Silence in the Snow", and for me that's not at all a bad thing. This is one of the more easily accessible songs on the album for all metal fans. While I wouldn't say this song is one of the best, it's still certainly a solid track and the chorus is once again very catchy. If there's one thing that Trivium really excels at on this album, it is writing choruses that will stick in your head for a long time to come.
The middle part of this album has the absolute best material this album has to offer. "Betrayer" is a brutal metal onslaught. This song in subject matter initially could sound cliched, as it is addressing a friend who betrayed Matt. But the way this song works makes the betrayal sound like it has so much weight and anger to it. I especially love the line "Unto you I proclaim/'Creonte' shall be your name". Matt screams out this line in such a passionate way that the listener can't help but feel his anger. The guitar work in this song is excellent, and the breakdown in the song blew me away. "The Wretchedness Inside" has a similar anger to it, with an awesome beginning guitar riff and Matt's screaming dominating the whole song. This track is probably the most intense on the album, and I couldn't resist headbanging to it. The lyrics to this song are some of the most compelling: "This blood I bleed, I bleed for you/I paint the walls with my misery/This blood I bleed, I bleed for me/I cannot live if I can't breathe". Matt's screaming in this song blows it out of the water, and the jaw dropping guitar solo only makes this song that much better. "Sever the Hand" is yet another brutal song, starting off instantly with a groovy guitar riff. What makes this song work so well is its unpredictable tempo shifts. You just don't see them coming, making this song a bit of an interesting adventure and experimentation for Trivium. "Beauty in the Sorrow" has a cool thematic concept in its lyricism, and feels more like a classic Trivium track; it's definitely one I can see being a fan favorite. Easily my personal favorite, though, is "The Revanchist". This song is a seven-minute epic, telling an intriguing story. "The color of your fear/Confusion deep inside/Resentment boils over/In me, you can confide". This song emphasizes a lot on instrumentals, especially in its middle section. The drum and guitar work is at its absolute best here (and it's already been superb in other songs). The chorus has such an epic feel to it, and Matt's best clean vocal work is highlighted here. This great album ends off on a high note with the brutal track "Thrown Into The Fire", which is filled with mainly screaming and left me with a smile on my face.
While I wouldn't say there were any tracks I hated, there were still a few that were clearly not as good as some of the other material on here. The lead single "The Heart From Your Hate" got mixed reactions from audiences. While I didn't hate it that much, it still did seem rather basic in structure. Its chorus is repeated way too much, and the guitar riffs and drumming are standard. Lyrically it is not that interesting. "Endless Night" is another song that I don't dislike, but I don't really find it as impressive as other songs on here. It feels like it was built to have success on radio, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. This album as a whole is definitely impressive in the instrumental and vocal department, but I wouldn't say the lyrics are always that compelling besides the songs that I pointed out. I don't think every album needs to have super deep lyrics or themes. But some of these general topics, such as hate, betrayal of a friend, hypocrisy, and overcoming the evil parts of yourselves, have been done before.
Even with those negative aspects, I still can't say I disliked the lyrics, and I definitely can't say I just liked this album. In fact, I would go so far as to say I loved it. Almost every song here has something memorable about it, and this album does not overstay its nearly hour-long run time. This is a fun metal album with a veteran band clearly at their height, really showing off their talent in the best way. I would highly recommend this release, especially if you're a straight up metal fan, or if you are someone who enjoys Trivium's harder material. This review is coming in right at the end of the year, but that doesn't mean this album isn't eligible for my year end lists- In fact, I'd be willing to bet it will make it into my top albums of the year!
Favorite Songs: "The Revanchist", "Sever the Hand", "Beyond Oblivion", "The Wretchedness Inside", "The Sin and the Sentence"
Least Favorite Songs: "The Heart From Your Hate", "Endless Night"
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