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Tonight the UEA LCR in Norwich has been taken over by the local community of metalheads. This is because Floridian metalcore band Trivium are in town, and they have brought with them a stacked supporting cast. As I Lay Dying, Caliban and Upon A Burning Body will all take to the stage before our headliners.
The first of these acts is Upon A Burning Body, a five-piece from San Antonio, Texas. Doors tonight are early, opening at five-thirty, but this doesn’t stop the passionate metal fans from queuing around the corner. With the venue already filling up, Upon A Burning Body take to the stage. The smartly dressed Texans proceed to play a short set featuring their brand of extreme metal, which sends the crowd crazy, but doesn't quite do it for me.
Sandwiched amongst three American bands on this tour are German metalcore band Caliban. Forming around fifteen years ago, Caliban are no strangers to the stage. Having been around for so long and with eight albums behind them, they have a lot of songs to choose from, but not very long to play them tonight. They pack their short set full of energy and help keep the crowd moving.
Americans As I Lay Dying have also been around for some time. Having formed in San Diego, California in 2000, they have already released six albums. Their set tonight is taken from across these albums including their latest effort 'Awakened'. There as a lot of As I Lay Dying fans in the crowd tonight, not just evidenced by the sheer number of the bands T-shirts in the crowd, but by the passion the fans show towards the bands performance. Songs such as 'Through Struggle' ensure that the crowd doesn't get any rest from tonight's onslaught of metal
Why tonight's headliners Trivium are playing the likes of the modestly sized UEA and not a larger venue is a mystery to me. Having put themselves on the map with their 2005 performance on the main stage at Download Festival, they appeared set for big things. Especially with the success of their 2005 album 'Ascendancy' and its 2006 follow up 'The Crusade'.
Since then however things haven't gone to quite plan. At a time when the band should have been stepping up to that next level, they let their momentum slip. 2008's 'Shogun', although decent enough, didn't do enough to build on that momentum. Despite having built up a devoted fan base, they were failing to add to it. In short things had gone rather stale for the group.
That is until now, because taking to the stage is a rejuvenated band. But what has changed? Well, in 2010 drummer and founding member Travis Smith left the group and was replaced with Nick Augusto. This fresh blood seemingly relit the fire for Matt Heafy, the only remaining founding member, and co. They hit the studio and produced their most exciting album since their breakthrough effort 'Ascendancy'.
That albums name is 'In Waves' and its lead single of the same name smacks you straight in the face. And this is how Trivium open tonight, by smacking you straight in the face with 'In Waves', 'Like Light To Flies' and 'Rain'. Front man Heafy takes time to warn us that they will be playing a lot of songs tonight from a lot of Trivium albums. He then introduces from 'Shogun', both 'Into The Mouth Of Hell We March' and 'Down From The Sky'.
Having set the unrelenting pace of the show early on, there is no let up as they launch into sole 'The Crusade' offering 'Entrance Of The Conflagration' and new song 'Black'. The vocals tonight are dogged by technical issues, but Heafy takes it all in his stride as he blasts out 'The Deceived', 'Watch The World Burn' and 'A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation'.
Trivium's set on this tour is mostly made up of songs from 'Ascendancy', 'Shogun' and new album 'In Waves'. However we do get one song from their 2003 debut and it's the title track 'Ember To Inferno', which sees guitarist Corey Beaulieu taking over vocal duties. Along with Beaulieu, Heafy and new drummer Augusto, Trivium are completed by long time bassist Paolo Gregoletto and together they are a great live act.
Heafy keeps checking back in with the crowd to make sure they are still moving. It would be hard for the audience not to be moving however when they are being bombarded by the likes of 'Built To Fall', 'Dying In Your Arms' and the powerful 'Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr'.
Tonight Trivium have shown that they are a top live act that do deserve to be filling much larger venues. They close tonight with 'Torn Between Scylla And Charybdis' and 'Throes Of Perdition' to their fans delight. As Trivium leave the stage and the crowd filter out of the venue, they are left to reminisce on what an immense night of metal they have just witnessed.
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article by: Paul Barnes
photos by: Denis Gorbatov
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| published: 23/10/2012 11:47 |
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