The Crusade

The Crusade is a bold change of direction on which Trivium, fresh off their big breakthrough, turned from the metalcore of the previous album to push the constructive beauty of thrash and traditional metal to the front. Matt Heafy greatly reins in the screams and foregrounds clean vocals recalling James Hetfield, so the band's devotion to Metallica is stamped in a form obvious to any ear. An ambitious work that split fans, it nonetheless shows high craft in playing and songwriting, clearly marking the band's technical maturity. The single "Anthem (We Are the Fire)" is widely known as a signature song with a catchy chorus and sharp solo, earning strong popularity on the UK rock chart. From the drive of "Detonation" and "Entrance of the Conflagration" to socially tinged lyrics, respect for 1980s thrash runs throughout. Beaulieu and Heafy's twin guitars skillfully balance melody and aggression while drawing brilliant harmonies at key moments. For all the debate around it, it is an important work that greatly widened Trivium's expressive range.