Some would say that great bands are made and not born. Trivium would likely be one to agree. Despite starting from practically the bottom of the band barrel, the group played its way to greater heights and grander gigs. Theirs is a reputation not of a good promoter but of a band that has played and paid its dues. Although not quite mainstream superstars yet, but hard work has a tendency of bringing bands there.

Trivium, Not Trivial

"That was the whole concept behind the records. No limits!"

Some would say that great bands are made and not born. Trivium would likely be one to agree. Despite starting from practically the bottom of the band barrel, the group played its way to greater heights and grander gigs. Theirs is a reputation not of a good promoter but of a band that has played and paid its dues. Although not quite mainstream superstars yet, but hard work has a tendency of bringing bands there.

Trivium Takes a Hold

High school was the group's original stomping ground. Brad Lewter saw Matt Heafy's guitar skills at a talent show and thought his vocals would be a good match. They went over to the house of drummer Travis Smith to try a Metallica cover, and a good match it definitely was. The year was 1999, and the band was officially born.

The three played around the local bar circuit for a while, but Lewter soon left. Heafy took over vocalist duties, which was enough to catch the eye (and contract) of European label Lifeforce Records in 2003. Lifeforce gave them the backing for their debut album that year, Ember to Inferno. This was followed by the addition of co-lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu and bassist Paolo Gregoletto to replace original member Brent Young in 2004.

Trivium Takes the Stage

Ember to Inferno, in turn, caught the eye of execs over at Roadrunner Records, which soon signed the band. With major label backing, their 2004 album Ascendancy did very well at the tills and on the charts. It gained them access to the 2005 Download Festival in England, which cemented the place of Trivium in the international scene.

A string of single and music video releasess put them on the television market's radar and got the band into even more high-profile gigs like Ozzfest and Road Rage 2005. They were in business.

Follow-up albums have a lot to live up to, and 2006's The Crusade didn't disappoint. It was an acclaimed release that sold well to both listeners and critics. Their next release, 2008's Shogun, did equally well despite the change in production lineup. After a round of extensive touring to support Shogun in 2009, the band announced that they would be keeping off the touring trail to focus on recording a new album for 2010.

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