It’s been a busy year for metalcore face-melters Trivium, what with the band giving guitars to altruistic fans and buying an airplane hangar out of which to operate. Now, Trivium have returned with a new track, “In The Court of the Dragon,” which comes via an epic short film.
To map out the mythology of the band’s video a bit, “In The Court of the Dragon” is a story in Robert W. Chamber’s 1895 anthology The King In Yellow, a collection of weird tales surrounding the titular supernatural figure (also called Hastur or Xasthur — right, like the black metal band), who is basically a living avatar of madness dwelling in a strange land named Carcosa. Chambers’ living god was a huge inspiration to H.P. Lovecraft, who references Hastur throughout his own eldritch mythology. The figure is also the primary inspiration for the dark philosophy at the core of the first season of True Detective.
Trivium’s new track is certainly heavy and chaotic enough to be worthy of its subject matter — the song is one of the more aggressive the band have released in years. At the same time, its intro, written and orchestrated by Emperor mastermind Ihsahn, adds a drama to the song that gives it a cinematic power. The short film, meanwhile, is an interesting fever dream examining the emergence of the King In Yellow, and does a solid job of not falling into too many genre tropes — there aren’t a lot of tentacles or mask imagery. More than anything, it’s a beautifully-made short movie that shows the artistic depths Trivium are willing to plumb.
“Similar to some of our past songs and albums, this song began with lyrics rooted in mythology,” says bassist Paolo Gregoletto. “But unlike the past, we decided to create our own myth to fit the music. Being free to create the story and write the music without a deadline, due to a once-in-a-lifetime event, really led to one of the most rewarding writing and recording experiences we have ever had. We hope it lives up to your expectations.”
Check out “In The Court of the Dragon” below:
Catch Trivium in all their madness-inducing glory on tour with Megadeth and Lamb of God later this year:
8/20 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
9/21 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
8/22 – Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
8/24 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
8/25 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
8/27 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
8/29 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Federal Theatre
8/31 – Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center
9/1 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre
9/2 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion
9/4 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
9/5 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
9/9 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago
9/11 – Danville, VA @ Blue Ridge Festival*
9/12 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
9/13 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
9/15 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
9/16 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
9/18 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
9/19 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
9/20 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion
9/22 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
9/24 – Mount Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino Amphitheatre
9/26 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis
9/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
9/30 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
10/1 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell
10/2 – Quebec City, QC @ Centre Videotron
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Words by Chris Krovatin
