@ Newcastle o2 Academy, March 10 2010

With all good metal bands there is no higher accolade than being mentioned in the same breath as Metallica.  However, with this comes the added pressure of living up to that reputation and this is where Trivium enter.

Touted for a long time as a band that could take Metallica’s mantle after Hetfield and co. decide to call it a day, Trivium have big shoes to fill.  They rolled into Newcastle Academy with a point to prove, fans queued for hours expecting to see raucous scenes and Trivium didn’t disappoint.

After the audience had been warmed up by support act Chimaira, Trivium strode out on stage backed by a snapshot Andrew WK’s finest material. Frontman Matt Heafy swaggered on stage like a man who had done it all, a special confidence and aura reserved only for metal heavyweights.

As soon as the first chords of Rain rang out this promised to be a gig not for the fainthearted.  Bodies began to fly around the room as Trivium powered into Drowned and Torn Asunder.

The Orlando four-piece were demonstrating why they have been classed as one of the best metal bands of the modern era and the technical guitar work of Heafy and guitarist Corey Beaulieu was exceptional – alongside the competent display from new drummer Nick Augusto.

Trivium showed no signs of waiting around and powered through excellent renditions of Ascendancy and Insurrection – a song which, Heafy told the audience, requires “circles on the ground and circles in your mind” prompting a huge circle pit to engulf the Academy.

After informing the audience that there wouldn’t be an encore the band treated them to a cover of Sepultura’s Slave New World.  Heafy continued to thank the crowd throughout encouraging them to “give yourselves a round of applause”.  What was a whirlwind of a show closed with Heafy offering all-comers ‘one last chance to move’before breaking into the thunderous Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr.

On this showing Trivium are undoubtedly one of the best live acts metal has to offer and are able to credit themselves with being able to rub shoulders with the heavyweights of metal.  Heafy has a Hettfield-esque presence and could one day be up there with the great man himself.

Thomas Walsh