Riff Police! Pull Over! #117: At The Gates Vs Trivium!

The last album from Swedish Melodic Death Metallers At The Gates before an 11 year hiatus was “Slaughter of the Soul“. A landmark album, it is considered alongside works by In Flames and Dark Tranquillity as one of the cornerstones of the Gothenburg sound. Produced by Fredrik Nordström (Soilwork, Arch Enemy, Opeth) in 1995 and marking the bands fourth studio record, it’s also noted for having a ripper of an opening track in “Blinded by Fear“, that has a guest solo from King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque as well as appearing at No. 8 on Metal Injection’s “Top 10 Influential Heavy Metal Albums“.

A decade later, Florida Metalcore act Trivium entered Audiohammer Studios with Jason Suecof (Bury Your Dead, The Black Dahlia Murder, Death Angel) to record their sophomore album “Ascendancy“, which also marked their major label debut for Roadrunner Records. The record that took the band to the Global stage and has influences from a variety of styles from Thrash to Death Metal and beyond. Each member of the band is not only a supremely talented musician in their own right but as a group they are a tight unit. Third single “Gunshot to the head of Trephination” is the one however that wears it’s heart on its sleeve with the fluid twin lead attack of Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu straying onto the riffs of “Blinded by Fear” on their own work. If you don’t believe us, check it out for yourself…