The multi-talented frontman discusses In The Court of the Dragon, influences like Slipknot and Megadeth and how changing with the times breeds longevity on the Talk Toomey Podcast.
Celebrating what has been heralded as one of their best recorded efforts to date, Trivium frontman Matt Heafy guested on the latest edition of the Talk Toomey Podcast to discuss how their tenth album, In The Court of the Dragon has been an especially formative project.
Heafy explained that despite how prolific working remotely has become, especially during the era of the pandemic, the process for Trivium remains very much about getting in a room and fleshing out ideas in person. It’s a talking point that Heafy remains adamant about – a ‘file sharing’ kind of record just isn’t in the cards.
The multi-talented songwriter, guitarist and vocalist shared that for In the Court of the Dragon, the band adopted a local band mentality and revisited the creative environment of getting in a room together hammering out a complete album collectively. The return to a more traditional means of working was something Heafy likens to capturing lightning in a bottle – yet admits that the writing process this time around was as fluid and effortless as it has ever been.
The conversation included some discussion of Trivium’s recent run on the Metal Tour of the Year trek supporting legends like Megadeth as well as the band’s recent appearance at Knotfest Iowa. Matt expressed his gratitude in that the Metal Tour of the Year run did not suffer any setbacks in the way of cancellations despite the ongoing pandemic. He also shared is affinity for Dave Mustaine and recalled covering Megadeth’s “Tornado of Souls” when he was just 13 years old.
As for the band’s triumph at Knotfest Iowa, Heafy expressed without superlative that the performance was the best domestic festival his band has ever played. That is an especially bold statement given Trivium has been a fixture in modern metal music for some ten albums and nearly two decades.
Heafy would go onto praise Slipknot for their continued support of emerging artists – explaining how the band has alwasy used their platform to nurture new talent, grow the culture, and encourage the next generation of heavy musicians. It’s an example that Matt says has inspired Trivium to follow suit – taking newer bands out on tour to share the shine.
The conversation also touched on Heafy’s collaborative spirit – specifically, is pandemic-era contribution to Sepultura’s Sepulquarta live album. Guesting on a remotely-recorded version of the classic “Slave New World,” Heafy expressed his dismay that Sepultura doesn’t get the kind of credit for they true influence that have had among the ranks of heavy music.
Matt also shared the story of what has arguably been one of the most unexpected and awesome collaborations ever in his re-work of the Richard Marx ballad, “RIght Here Waiting”. The track instantly became a viral sensation after fans found out that Marx himself was actually in on the beefed up version of the soft rock classic.
Closing out what was an especially illuminating hour long exchange, Heafy spoke candidly about the trajectory of Trivium. He shared how the band have thrived despite not being media darlings and how they have managed to stay ahead of the curve by adapting to change and embracing what’s modern. That includes having many irons in the fire and for Trivium, that means having a huge digital presence via Twitch, buying an airplane hangar to create a base of operations, launching their own craft beer and even – writing a children’s book.
Profound talent, unparalleled work ethic, and an unwillingness to compromise are among the take aways from a lengthy talk one of the most dynamic frontmen in the game. Stream the latest episode of the Talk Toomey Podcast with special guest Matt Heafy of Trivium below.
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