Trivium announce new album “Crown in the Grave” + share video for title track

GRAMMY-nominated heavyweights Trivium — vocalist/guitarist Matthew K. Heafy; guitarist Corey Beaulieu; bassist Paolo Gregoletto; and drummer Alex Rüdinger — are thrilled to announce their new album “Crown In The Grave.” It arrives November 20 through Roadrunner Records. Pre-order it here.

Trivium today share the title track, which builds from a gradual progression of layered riffs into an explosive wall of metal, pairing crushing heaviness with the precision, melody, and technical firepower that have defined the band for more than two decades. The song is vintage Trivium — galloping riffs, robust solos, and battering ram percussion, seamlessly sewn together with three-tiered vocals. But like the rest of the album, it stays true to the band’s signature sound, all the while pushing it further into new sonic terrain.

The accompanying, Japanese Noh theater-inspired, post-apocalyptic music video brings the album’s artwork and themes into a smoke-filled dojo, where the main characters prepare for an impending showdown through a series of tense, atmospheric sequences. Drawing on the band’s longtime passion for classic Japanese theater and martial arts, the visual captures the discipline, drama, and focused physicality at the heart of the song’s storytelling.

 Watch the video, directed by Pavel Trebukhin, here. 

“Crown In The Grave is our eleventh record, and when you get this far into a career, it’s easy to rest on what you’ve already done — or to reinvent yourself just for the sake of it,” says Gregoletto. “With this record, we wanted to find the space between those two things: Take everything we’ve learned and everything that makes Trivium what it is, but present it in ways we hadn’t before.”

He continues, “We also wanted the record to exist within its own world. That began with the title track, inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, and led us deeper into Japanese horror and cinema from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. That influence grew into this darker, ghostly atmosphere that became a set of guardrails for the music, lyrics, artwork, and overall identity of the record.”

The bassist finishes, “We built our studio so we could give ourselves the time and space to figure out exactly what an eleventh Trivium record should be, and Crown In The Grave is the answer we arrived at. It honors where we’ve been without living in the past, and pushes into new territory without abandoning what makes us Trivium. I think when you hear it, it’ll somehow feel both new and like a return.“

After over two decades in the spotlight, Trivium have realized their collective potential like never before. They have absorbed the wisdom gained through writing hundreds of songs, the experience derived from playing thousands of shows, and the fire maintained by never giving up and perfected their signature sound at the highest level. The riffs crunch and crack bones, solos burst into flames upon impact, screams bleed truth without filter, and towering hooks break through the clouds. This is Trivium confidently reborn as the beast they were meant to be.

“Facing yourself is the final quest,” Heafy observes. “We had to do it as a band, and I had to do it in my personal life. I freed my mind from the constraints of being worried. I made a decision to just sing.“

A perfect storm of mental health struggles, physical injuries, and intense anxiety brought him to a crossroads. Bravely, he chose to embrace therapy, found an appropriate medication regimen, and reframed his mindset. “I cleared the plate,” the frontman admits. “I stopped trying to be safe and perfect at every show. Instead, I was actually enjoying the experience and living. If I messed up, it was okay because I’m human. With all of the changes Trivium went through, it’s like a brand new band.“

For the first time, the group crafted “Crown In The Gave” in their own creative hub and de facto clubhouse—The Hangar—in Orlando. Plus, they officially welcomed drummer Alex Rüdinger (Rüdi) in the studio. During 2015, the drummer nearly joined Trivium, but opted to focus on other endeavors. A decade later, he heeded the call. “It happened when it was meant to,” Heafy declares. “Rüdi didn’t just kill it on the drums; his contributions as a writer made a huge difference.“

Reteaming with longtime producer Josh Wilbur [Korn, Lamb of God] and working with mixer Jacob Hansen [Volbeat, Amon Amarth] for the first time, the musicians rallied around a shared vision. “We took all of the  elements of Trivium, honed in on them, and focused on writing songs with big riffs and big hooks,” notes Beaulieu. “We made the record we’d been dying to make. The late great Shaun Glass [Soil] was a big Trivium fan. He’d always say, “You guys don’t cook the same meal.’ Even though we use the same ingredients, we always make a new dish.”

“Any band who has been around this long starts to ask: Where do we go from here?” says Gregoletto. “We decided to challenge ourselves to top everything we’ve done. We referenced a lot of ’90s albums. If you look at The Black Album by Metallica, Countdown To Extinction by Megadeth, or Superunknown by Soundgarden, the choruses are so important, and the songs are relatable. That’s what we strived for.“
 
Thematically, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood served as a north star. Gregoletto brought the film to the group’s attention. “Kurosawa took Macbeth and set it in a feudal Japan,” the bassist elaborates. “There’s minimal dialogue, yet the storyline is powerful. There are these haunting elements of being tempted by fate and this man’s downfall.“

“CROWN IN THE GRAVE” TRACK LISTING:
“Jorōgumo”
“Crown in the Grave”
“Dead Inside of Me“
“The Terror”
“The Haunting Never Ends”
“Lie Of It All”
“Blackout The Dawn”
“Paradise Of Sinners”
“Death Throes”
“The Agony”
“Devour Your Dreams”
“Serpent in the Flame”

Trivium will hit the road on November 5 in St. Petersburg, Florida and run through December 19 in Charlotte, North Carolina for a North American headline run with In Flames, Orbit Culture, Fit for an Autopsy, and Frozen Soul in tow. It is a truly stacked lineup that cannot and should not be missed. Get tickets here. 

“This fall’s Trivium tour is a huge one for us,” the band declared upon announcing the tour earlier this year. “The lineup is stacked from top to bottom, and we’re honored to have special guests In Flames, who not only influenced our early years but continue to prove time and again why they’re one of the greatest metal bands of all time. With Orbit Culture, Fit For An Autopsy, and Frozen Soul rounding out the bill, we can’t wait to get out there, kick off this next era of Trivium with Rudi behind the kit, and give you a taste of the new music we’ve been working on. We’ll see you soon!“

Trivium ON TOUR:
WITH In Flames, Orbit Culture, Fit For An Autopsy, and Frozen Soul:

• 11/5 — St. Petersburg, FL — Jannus Live
• 11/6 — Atlanta, GA — The Eastern
• 11/7 — Louisville, KY — Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
• 11/8 — Grand Rapids, MI — GLC Live at 20 Monroe
• 11/10 — Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore
• 11/11 — New Haven, CT — College Street Music Hall
• 11/12 — New York, NY — Terminal 5
• 11/14 — Philadelphia, PA — Franklin Music Hall
• 11/15 — Worcester, MA — The Palladium
• 11/17 — Laval, QC — Place Bell
• 11/18 — Toronto, ON — GCT Theatre
• 11/20 — Royal Oak, MI — Royal Oak Music Theatre
• 11/21 — Chicago, IL — Aragon Ballroom
• 11/22 — Madison, WI — The Sylvee
• 11/24 — Nashville, TN — The Pinnacle
• 11/25 — Chesterfield, MO — The Factory at The District
• 11/27 — San Antonio, TX — Boeing Center at Tech Port
• 11/28 — Houston, TX — Bayou Music Center
• 11/29 — Dallas, TX — South Side Ballroom
• 12/2 — Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Financial Theatre
• 12/3 — Las Vegas, NV — The Pearl
• 12/4 — Inglewood, CA — YouTube Theater
• 12/5 — San Francisco, CA — The Masonic
• 12/7 — Penticton, BC — Penticton Trade & Convention Centre
• 12/8 — Vancouver, BC — Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
• 12/9 — Seattle, WA — Paramount Theatre
• 12/11 — Reno, NV — Grand Sierra Resort — Grand Theatre
• 12/13 — Denver, CO — Mission Ballroom
• 12/15 — Tulsa, OK — Tulsa Theatre
• 12/16 — Omaha, NE — Steelhouse
• 12/18 — Pittsburgh, PA — Citizen’s Live at The Wylie
• 12/19 — Charlotte, NC — The Fillmore

With In Flames:

• March 29 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena *
• March 31 – Glasgow, UK – The OVO Hydro *
• April 2 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live *
• April 3 – London, UK – Alexandra Palace *
• April 4 – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena Cardiff *
• April 6 – Brussels, Belgium – Lotto Arena
• April 7 – Paris, France – Zénith
• April 9 – Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle
• April 10 – Dresden, Germany – Messe Dresden
• April 11 – Berlin, Germany – Velodrom
• April 13 – Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg – Rockhal
• April 14 – Bern, Switzerland – Festhalle
• April 16 – Frankfurt, Germany – Festhalle
• April 17 – Düsseldorf, Germany – PSD Bank Dome
• April 18 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS Live
• April 20 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Universum
• April 21 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle
• April 23 – Stuttgart, Germany – Schleyer-Halle
• April 24 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
• April 25 – Bamberg, Germany – Brose Arena
• April 27 – Copenhagen, Denmark – K.B. Hallen ~
• April 29 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum ~
• May 1 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena ~
• May 3 – Tampere, Finland – Nokia Arena ~
• May 5 – Riga, Latvia – Xiaomi Arena ~
• May 7 – Katowice, Poland – Spodek

* Trivium headline, In Flames special guests.
~ In Flames headline, Trivium special guests.
All other dates will feature In Flames and Trivium as co-headliners.