UMUR "In Waves" is the 5th full-length studio album by US metalcore act Trivium. The album was released through Roadrunner Records in August 2011. Trivium are one of the most commercially successful metalcore act in the last 10 years and "In Waves" again prove why that is.

Trivium play a combination of metalcore, thrash and more traditional heavy metal loaded with catchy hooks and chorus lines. The tracks are in general structurally simple and easily accessible. Matt Heafy´s vocals are the focal point in the music and he masters quite an arsenal of different vocal styles from clean singing, more raw thrashy singing (still clean) and shouting/screaming metalcore type singing. The instrumental part of the music is very well played but at times the riffs work more as backing to the vocals than as a punchy and memorable part of the music. The music also feature quite a bit of melodic lead work. Either as themes under the vocal parts or as solos. "In Waves" is produced by Colin Richardson (Fear Factory, Carcass...among others) and it´s powerful and clear.

While I feel that "In Waves" could have prospered from a bit more grit and edgy songwriting, it´s a great album for what it is. Fans of the metalcore genre are pretty sure to find this one a greatly enjoyable album and a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is fully deserved.

J-Man Trivium's arguably most appealing factor has always lied in their ability to create modern metalcore/thrash metal that appeals to both traditional metalheads and younger audiences alike, and with In Waves that still holds just as true. Expect plenty of tasty riffs, aggressive vocals, and fierce solos contained within this rather lengthy album, and even a few (surprisingly impressive) breakdowns added for good measure. The overall level of polish - both in the production and the music alike - may immediately turn off more conservative thrashers, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Trivium know how to create music that is always professional and well-composed, even if a tad overdone. Fans of Trivium will definitely want to check this out, and people who have a moderate interest in metalcore should also further investigate - In Waves is one of the year's most impressive metalcore albums for sure.

People familiar with Trivium shouldn't be in for much of a surprise with In Waves - expect a mix of metalcore and neo-thrash metal in a polished concoction that seldom deviates from conventional songwriting standards. The songs are enjoyable as ever, and some of these riffs are among the best Trivium has ever crafted, but certainly don't expect anything too experimental or original on In Waves. The vocals alternate between Matt Heafy's metalcore-styled shouts and his gruff clean vocal singing. I'm not a fan of all his styles, but there's no doubt that he's a very skillful vocalist. Heafy's vocals are usually the focal point of the compositions, yet the other musicians do all manage to incorporate their own impressive quirks into all of the tracks. The musicianship is simply excellent across the board; it's very rare to come across bands this well-rounded and professional in the metalcore world. The melodic leads, complex drumming, and rock-solid riffs are all a sentiment to Trivium's versatility and craftsmanship as fine-tuned musicians.

The production from famed heavy metal producer Colin Richardson (Fear Factory, Cannibal Corpse, Bullet For My Valentine, Napalm Death, Carcass, etc.) is obviously excellent and well-done. I do find it a bit too over-produced for my liking, but there's no denying the objective quality of the sound. Everything is carefully mixed to a point of perfection, and this sleek sound suits Trivium's modern style like a glove.

If you're going to purchase In Waves, I think it's worth mentioning the differences between the "standard" version and the "special edition". The special edition includes five bonus tracks, including a cover of Sepultura's "Slave New World", and clocks in at over 67 minutes. Without these additional fifteen minutes or so, you're really missing out on the full album that Trivium intended the listener to experience - it is rather disappointing to see a growing trend of albums with two distinct versions, but I would definitely be sure to pick up the special edition given the options.

Even though In Waves does feel a bit generic and "safe" by the genre's standards, there's no doubt that this is a well-made and impressive product from some of the most competent musicians in the biz. 3.5 stars seems very fair in this case. Trivium may not bring anything new to the table here, but I don't think anybody really expected them to. If you're in search of some high-quality, technically outstanding, and just plain fun thrash metal/metalcore, it's difficult to go wrong with In Waves.

Kingcrimsonprog Trivium’s fifth album In Waves is their first album with new drummer Nick Augusto, and their first to be produced by Colin Richardson. Nick’s style of drumming fits the band well so there is no need to worry about Travis’s absence. Additionally, the general standard of production is brilliant and even the quality of the lyrics has improved.

At first, I was a little worried that the album mightn’t be all that good, as I wasn’t too keen on the pre-released tracks like the more radio friendly ‘In Waves,’ and ‘Built To Fall,’ or the heavier, more mid-album type tracks ‘Dusk Dismantled,’ and ‘Inception Of The End,’ all of which were objectively good songs but all seemed to be missing something.

That many tracks should be indicative of the album’s quality as a whole, so I didn’t get my hopes up. They did all grow on me however, and definitely make even more sense within the context of the album as a whole, so if you weren’t keen on those tracks either, don’t let it put you off listening to the whole album.

As a general rule, the songs are shorter than they were on the previous album Shogun, and a little more straight-forward in terms of composition and structure but this is not necessarily true of every single track. The best way to describe In Waves would be a mixture of radio friendly songs and Ascendancy type songs; when you get right down to it, its another regular Trivium album. No grand departure really.

Every Trivium album so far has had some alteration to the style of the vocals, some harder, some softer and some mixed. In Waves could be described as more mixed, but with some additional styles not heard on a Trivium album before too.

Overall; when you get past the vocal styles, the track lengths, the line up, the production and the albums historical context, at the end of the day the album will stand or fall on whether or not the songs are any good. In Waves has a lot of good songs on it, and for that reason alone you should pick up a copy.

So to summarize, In Waves is a well written and well produced album, perhaps no the single best release in the band’s career by leagues and leagues, but ultimately a strong release that long time Trivium fans should definitely add to their collection.

*** If you should get the special edition version; you will find the bonus tracks ‘Slave New World,’ which is a cover of the Sepultura classic, and ‘Shattering The Skies Above,’ which previously featured on the Blood & Metal EP that was released to promote God Of War 3, as well as two bonus tracks ‘Ensnare The Sun,’ and ‘Drowning In Slow Motion,’ added into the actual running order of the album. This set comes with the discs housed in a double-digipak.

In addition to the bonus tracks, there is a DVD featuring the music video for ‘In Waves,’ as well as a ‘Making Of,’ documentary which is fairly substantial at 41 minutes and much more serious in tone than ‘The Making Of Shogun.’ Furthermore there is an astounding quality live concert filmed in the band’s practice area at Chapman Studios, in a similar style to Nine Inch Nail’s The Slip. The track listing is: ‘In Waves,’ ‘Black,’ ‘Built To Fall,’ ‘Watch The World Burn,’ ‘The Deceived,’ ‘Suffocating Sight,’ ‘Down From the Sky,’ ‘Ember To Inferno.’

The visuals, audio and editing of the live concert are absolutely superb and I highly recommend you buy this version. ***