Hailing from central Florida,
Trivium formed in 2000 and quickly built a buzz around Orlando's metal community with a blend of metalcore, thrash, and progressive metal flourish. Having secured a contract with the German imprint Lifeforce, the band issued its debut album,
Ember to Inferno, in October 2003 with a lineup that included vocalist/guitarist
Matt Heafy, drummer
Travis Smith, and bassist
Brent Young. The debut was well received, and
Trivium signed with Roadrunner Records for their next effort.
Ascendancy appeared in March 2005, at which point the band's roster had shifted to include
Heafy,
Smith, bassist
Paolo Gregoletto, and guitarist
Corey Beaulieu. The album was reissued in May of the following year with four additional tracks and a bonus DVD.
Trivium then visited the U.K. in June for the 2006 Download Festival, followed by multiple European headlining gigs and a stint with America's traveling metal/hardcore fest Sounds of the Underground. The tour saw them playing alongside other heavy-hitting bands like
As I Lay Dying,
GWAR,
Cannibal Corpse, and
Terror.
Crusade appeared that fall, featuring a newfound emphasis on singing (previously, vocalist
Matt Heafy had relied on screams and throaty growls). Despite the band's active defense of
Heafy's vocal approach,
Trivium received much criticism for the band's shift in sound; accordingly, they wasted no time in returning to a scream-filled thrash style with 2008's
Shogun. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide