The Sin and the Sentence is a mixed-bag which caters to any metal fan’s stylistic preferences. Throughout the insanely energetic and melodic album, Trivium show their bare bones beneath the polished and familiar Trivium sound. Under the obvious features – melodic vocals vs screaming interludes, shred guitar and hammering drum beats – lie certain tributes to their influences like the perfectly executed Iron Maiden-esque pre-chorus and chorus in ‘The Wretchedness Inside’ or that epic bridge in ‘Beyond Oblivion’ which is reminiscent of Megadeth’s ‘Lucretia’.
That being said, The Sin and the Sentence is by no means singled down to its mere influences; due to the varying quality of the genre, the album will easily appeal to classic, thrash, groove, metalcore and progressive metal fans alike.
The epic drumming is due to new drummer Alex Bent (formerly of Battlecross). In early 2017, the band parted ways with drummer Paul Wandtke which sparked controversy among Trivium fans; however, after this release it’s safe to say that Bent was in no way a hindrance but rather an incredibly impressive asset to the style of the band.
Title track ‘The Sin and the Sentence’ is an absolute powerhouse, with its fast-paced tempo and dual harmonising guitars leading to the solo. It also showcases the return of Matt Heafy’s screaming vocals which were absent from the previous album. ‘Betrayer’, ‘The Wretchedness Inside’, ‘Sever the Hand’, ‘The Revanchist’ and ‘Thrown In the Fire’ all show the same energy via soaring riffs and brilliant heaviness in the vocals and drums.
On the other side of the spectrum are songs like ‘Beyond Oblivion’, ‘Other Worlds’, ‘The Heart From Your Hate’, ‘Endless Night’ and ‘Beauty in the Sorrow’ which show a more sensitive side to Trivium’s sound. These songs expertly meld the band’s heavy and melodic sides, which has become their signature sound.
‘Endless Night’ and ‘Beauty in the Sorrow’ focus on intimate and personal topics, and provide a slight interlude for the more intense side of the album.
If there’s one quality to Trivium’s new album which is a slight let down it would be the lack of lengthy solos. While they’re insanely fast and technical, a couple of the slower-paced songs could have involved greater build up and more melodic variety, rather than just fast, faster, fastest.
8/10
