In Waves

In Waves is Trivium's fifth album, made under a new lineup after the drum chair passed from Travis Smith to Nick Augusto following the epic Shogun. Turning from the previous album's weighty, complex direction back toward a more compact, direct metalcore, it pushes catchy hooks and aggression to the front. It is a record with momentum that delivers the band's signature ability to freely tie together thrash, metalcore and melody under a polished production, and it succeeded commercially, reaching No. 1 on the US Hard Rock chart. The flow from the opening instrumental "Capsizing the Sea" cascading into the title track "In Waves" drives the album vividly with racing riffs and wide-opening choruses. From the catchy drive of "Built to Fall" and "Dusk Dismantled" to the weight of "A Skyline's Severance," songs full of shifting dynamics line up. Nick Augusto's powerful drums give the ensemble fresh momentum, and Beaulieu and Heafy's twin guitars are as sharp as ever. Balancing early aggression with modern accessibility, it is an accomplished metalcore work.