Review of Trivium: Silence in the Snow

By Jordan Coils

Silence in the Snow is the seventh album from Orlando metal band Trivium.

Formed in 2000, Trivium’s career has lasted over a decade, with lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matt Heafy being only 19 when their breakthrough second album ‘Ascendancy’ was released in 2004.

Trivium’s sound has changed and evolved greatly over their 15 year career, from melodic death metal to metalcore to trash metal and to metalcore again.

Silence in the Snow is no exception to their habit of change.

Trivium’s sound has shifted to a more clean and crisp sound since David Draiman of Disturbed produced their last album ‘Vengeance Falls’.

Matt Heafy damaged his vocal cords in 2014,  but he worked with vocal coach Ron Anderson, resulting in the more melodic and clean vocals used in the album, which is the first Trivium album to feature no harsh and unclean vocals.

This is undeniably Trivium’s most accessible album, with the clean vocals the catchy melodies praised by critics but criticised by some fans, who accuse Trivium of “selling out” and “abandoning” their heavier sound in favour of more radio friendly material.

Though Silence in the Snow is simpler and not as harsh as their previous albums, that does not take away from the quality of the new material.

The title track and lead single Silence in the Snow has Heafy show off his new clean vocals, and has a triumphant and epic sound to it.

Among the four singles released, the second single Blind Leading the Blind stands out in its energy and drive, with its fierce riffs and powerful chorus. And it is without a doubt one of the catchiest songs on the album.

From start to finish, the album is full of catchy songs with solid riffs and fluid melodies, namely Until the World Goes Cold and The Thing That’s Killing Me, with the closer Breath in the Flames, bringing the album to a thrashy climax.

Overall, Silence in the Snow is an example of how a band can deviate from their original sound and conquer new grounds.