Despite their position as one of the finest metal bands of the century, the road to the upper echelons of our world hasn’t always been plain-sailing for TRIVIUM. Back in 2005, a young and hungry metal band erupted onto the scene with Ascendancy and a subsequent set at Download Festival that year launched the band onto the world stage. With the wind in their sails, confidence was high but follow-up, 2006’s The Crusade, was met with polarising reception with the more METALLICA-leaning worship and lack of metallic bite alienating even the most stalwart of TRIVIUM fans.
It was clear that TRIVIUM needed to recapture the magic that made them such a hot property in the metal scene. Wanting to go back to the drawing board with fresh ideas, the quartet departed from previous produced Jason Suecof and opted to enlist the talents of Nick Raskulinecz [FOO FIGHTERS, SHADOWS FALL, STONE SOUR] to work on their fourth record. Hunkering down at The Sound Kitchen Studios in Franklin, Tennessee in late 2007, the band would craft, nurture and cultivate their aspirations into their fourth full-length record, something that guitarist Corey Beaulieu expressed in an interview with Revolver (“We want to capture the best ingredients of everything we’ve done…”).
Shogun, named after the highest military ranking in feudal Japan alongside sparking vivid imagery and storytelling, saw TRIVIUM encapsulate every facet of their sound alongside exploring more metaphorical themes through the likes of Japanese military customs or Greek mythology. The album’s name was something that was carefully considered, as vocalist/frontman Matt Heafy would share to About.com, “the reason we picked that word is because when you think of a word like shogun, it sparks all this vivid imagery and storytelling, especially when you look into the definition. It’s the highest ranking military general in Japanese times. We really dug it. We felt it was an appropriate name for the album.”
To compliment their more metaphorical themes and concepts, the band saw to push their sonics to a previously unseen level whilst still retaining the core of what caused the band to erupt onto the scene three years earlier. Shogun saw a welcome return of Matt Heafy‘s screamed vocals, which had more or less been omitted entirely on The Crusade, exquisite dual guitar harmonies that nodded towards the band’s NWOBHM influences, as well as more focus towards technical instrumentation and progressive-leaning song-structures.
And the end result can be considered the blueprint to how the band have excelled to this day. Album opener, Kiristute Gomen, is one of the most thundering tunes in their arsenal and sets the benchmark of how to open a record, with only In Waves and Rain coming close, Like Callisto To A Star In Heaven features some of the best shred ever penned from Heafy and Beaulieu and the title track holds the record for the longest song crafted in the band’s arsenal and upon reflection, had it been released today, it would be heralded as a triumphant song within the progressive metal scene. Similarly, single Down From The Sky would establish itself as a metal anthem fit for the 21st Century as it dominated the screens of Kerrang! and Scuzz and would have thousands of fans scream “THE VAMPIRES FEED ON THE WARS OF MANKIND!!” for years to come as the disdain to those who spark wars for profit or religion would resonate effectively with listeners worldwide.
Upon its release, Shogun was met with acclaim from critics and fans alike. With high scores from the likes of Rock Sound, Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and their fanbase cherishing a return to form, the band successfully bounced back after the lukewarm reception to The Crusade. Subsequently heavy touring followed – including two headline legs of the US, extensive touring across the UK and a headline slot on the Mayhem Festival‘s Second Stage – which helped further bolster the band’s reputation and force as a live unit. In addition, Shogun would mark the swansong of original drummer Travis Smith who departed two years after the album’s release and whilst a revolving door of drummers would follow, culminating with the excellent addition of Alex Bent in 2016, Shogun would indeed be a fitting finale for the band’s original man behind the kit.
After the polarising reception to The Crusade, TRIVIUM needed a record to not only silence their critics but to leave jaws hanging wide open. Shogun achieved just that. Arguably one of the pinnacles of their now lengthy career, not only did Shogun reaffirm TRIVIUM‘s positioning on the metal ladder but it still stands as a phenomenal record 15 years later. And with healthy portions of the album making appearances in recent live performances, it’s clear that this record is not just beloved by the band’s legions of fans, but by the band themselves and remains a pinnacle of the Floridians output.
Shogun was originally released on September 23rd via Roadrunner Records.
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