Review by Saxy S for Trivium - Ascendancy (2005)

Being the contrarian that I am, I must admit that Ascendancy was never my favourite Trivium record of the 2000s. Personally, it was The Crusade and Shogun that always topped my list. Those records always had slightly more edge than their most successful and breakout album from 2005. That is not meant to serve as an insult to Ascendancy because while the album does sound patchy at points and also takes forever to end, this is the kind of melodic metalcore that does more than your standard hardcore album of the era.

When I think of this time frame of melodic metalcore, names like Killswitch Engage, Bullet for my Valentine and Parkway Drive inevitably come up. Trivium fall into the category with bands like Shadows Fall; following the trends of mainstream success, but with a nostalgic flare. My major criticism of this new wave of hardcore music is that songs are not constructed well, as they alternate back and forth between a quasi heavy metal section and a slow, brooding chugging breakdown. It transforms the album from Iron Maiden worship into an almost fully realized modernization. Trivium will exploit that detail here on Ascendancy almost to the point of being insufferable. Songs like "Pull Harder on the String of Your Martyr" and "Ascendancy" have some excellent grooves for about two-thirds of their length. Then during the bridge, the tempo and style drastically change so that the guitar players can wail for a while, before concluding with a return to the original form. Ironically, these deviations don't bother me as much as they would if they were on a modern metalcore record. "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation" starts off nostalgia farming with two riffs back-to-back that are just "One" and "Fear of the Dark" before becoming something else entirely about halfway through. The initial whiplash is perplexing, but Trivium allows that groove to simmer and burn instead of hanging it out to dry when the guitar solos conclude.

I must say that this riffing is fantastic. During a time when melodic metalcore was at a peak in the collective mainstream, there were few acts that could devise riffs like Trivium. Not only could they crank up the intensity on a whim, but they also knew that slowing down giving a reprieve would allow those solos to bit even more impactful. In a genre where tempo has gotten progressively slower over time, Ascendancy is a nostalgic trip back to the genre's thrash roots. Bands like Killswitch Engage and All That Remains could write better hooks, but Trivium are no slouch in this department either. I mean, one listen to "Dying in Your Arms" affirms that. And the album doesn't overindulge in its production. All of the records key aspects are pristine and precise; you won't find any symphonic or synthetic elements to bog down the mixing and overwhelm the listener during its thrashier segments.

This is just a really good album. Ascendancy represents a side of melocore during the mid 2000s that wanted to crossover, instead of being relegated to the kiddie pool. Many metalcore bands of the time were completely fine with playing Warped Tour, while Trivium were playing on MTV2 with Chimaira, Arch Enemy, In Flames and Lamb of God. Trivium got their recognition and ballooned into more progressive sounds later on Shogun and beyond. As its name suggests, Trivium really ascended to the top of the metal world around this time, and for good reason.

Best Songs: A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation, Drowned and Torn Asunder, The Deceived, Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr