Proceeding Metal 2022

In the Court of the Dragon is Trivium's tenth album, a milestone for any band. It's also a homecoming for the quartet of Matt Heafy (guitar/vocals), Corey Beaulieu (guitar), Paolo Gregoletto (bass), and Alex Bent (drums). Heafy returned to Florida after living in California for several years, as did Gregoletto after a period in Chicago. Produced by Josh Wilbur, this extremely musical, ten-song set aesthetically reaches forward and back simultaneously. For starters, it's simply brutal. Metalcore, thrash, and technical death metal converge throughout, with some prog metal nods, too. Wilbur's production is streamlined yet massive as it juxtaposes extreme aggression with some arena rock tendencies.
Opener "X" is a brief yet sinister interlude with chanted, wordless vocal assistance and subtle electronics from guest and Emperor frontman Ihsahn…

A Modern Tragedy, Vol. 2 continues to delve further into the realm of dark electronics mixed with alternative guitar tones and semi-harsh rapped/sung vocals. With Part Two, however, Jordan Edward Benjamin experiments more with heavier guitar work and dubstep-tinged choruses, insinuating a concoction of strange elements blending together, yet not nearly as consistently as his debut…