In the Court of the Dragon
Studio album by
Trivium
ReleasedOctober 8, 2021 (2021-10-08)
RecordedMay 2020–June 2021
StudioFull Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Genre
Length52:11
LabelRoadrunner
ProducerJosh Wilbur
Trivium studio album chronology
What the Dead Men Say
(2020)		 In the Court of the Dragon
(2021)
Singles from In the Court of the Dragon
  1. "In the Court of the Dragon"
    Released: July 9, 2021
  2. "Feast of Fire"
    Released: August 12, 2021
  3. "The Phalanx"
    Released: October 1, 2021

In the Court of the Dragon is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. It was released on October 8, 2021, through Roadrunner Records and was produced by Josh Wilbur.[1][2]

Background and promotion

In June 2020, guitarist Corey Beaulieu revealed the band is already working on the follow-up to What the Dead Men Say while being in COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, saying the material they've been working on sounds "really pissed-off."[3]

On July 7, 2021, the band teased that they are planning to release new music on Friday, July 9, with a 2-minute video trailer hinting at some potentially new music.[4][5] On that day, the band officially released the new single and title track "In the Court of the Dragon" along with its music video.[6][7] On August 10, the band started posting more cryptic images and videos pertaining to another new single on their social media pages. The second single, "Feast of Fire", was released on August 12 along with a corresponding music video. At the same time, the band announced the album itself, the album cover, the track list, and release date.[8][9]

On August 19, a collaboration between Trivium and Bethesda Game Studios has been announced that will include The Elder Scrolls Online-themed music video.[10][11] On October 1, one week before the album release, the band unveiled the third single "The Phalanx" along with an accompanying music video. The single is the album's final track and a re-recording of a scrapped song from the Shogun sessions.[12][13] A music video for "The Shadow of the Abattoir" was released on November 17, 2022.[14]

Composition

Style and themes

The genre of the album has been described primarily as thrash metal,[15][16] progressive metal,[15][17] metalcore,[15] and heavy metal.[18] The album's artwork is a painting by Mathieu Nozieres. Regarding the artwork, Heafy relayed, "While the music of In the Court of the Dragon was taking shape, we knew we needed epic artwork of the type that you might see on the wall of an important museum from a long-dead renaissance master."[7]

Lyrical content of the album is based on mythology inspired by fantasy literature. Instead of focusing on existing mythologies, the band decided to explore and create its own mythology within Trivium.[19]

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
Blabbermouth.net8.5/10[20]
Distorted Sound10/10[21]
Kerrang![22]
Louder Sound[18]
Metal Injection9/10[17]
New Noise[23]
Rock 'N' Load9/10[24]
Rock Sins8.5/10[25]
Wall of Sound10/10[16]

The album received critical acclaim from critics. AllMusic gave the album a positive review saying, "As a whole, In the Court of the Dragon stands with Trivium's best work. It offers a classic meld of melodic thrash/metalcore and tech death in a sound as enormous as it is ambitious and diverse, making for wonderfully produced, flawlessly composed songs. All killer, no filler."[15] Dom Lawson from Blabbermouth.net gave the album 8.5 out of 10 and said: "Having stayed the course, TRIVIUM are justifiably brimming with confidence on In the Court of the Dragon. The speed with which this record was put together, irrespective of circumstance, points to a laudable, collective drive to keep creating."[20] Dan McHugh of Distorted Sound scored the album 10 out of 10 and said: "At this stage in their career TRIVIUM have nothing left to prove and have sat proudly amongst the elite for multiple decades, yet they still come out firing on all cylinders and have crafted material that offers something new and refreshing. In the Court of the Dragon is as bold and creative as it is fearlessly experimental. They have managed to push their boundaries without neglecting the core elements which have made them one of the most revered bands on the planet and in turn, have created one of the strongest albums, if not the pinnacle of their career to date."[21] Kerrang! gave the album 4 out of 5 and stated: "Taken together, this makes for one of 2021's most compelling pure metal releases, and gives its makers reason to feel proud of their craft. Ably demonstrating that they have only grown stronger over the course of their 22-year career, it really would not be a surprise if they finally make the transition into arena-headlining status with In the Court of the Dragon. These are songs that are built to be played from the largest stages, and deserve to be."[22]

Louder Sound gave the album a positive review, listed it as the 7th best metal album of 2021 and stated: "In terms of a band playing contemporary, modern heavy metal, Trivium have been the best for some time. They still are, and In the Court of the Dragon is a fucking awesome heavy metal album. Was it ever in doubt?"[26][18] Metal Injection rated the album 9 out of 10 and stated, "In the Court of the Dragon presents a sound blown open so wide that it's almost impossible to guess at what might come next. Though with an album like this to listen to, who cares when that'll be?"[17] New Noise gave the album 4 out of 5 and stated: "Fans of the band will be ecstatic with what they're hearing. This is a powerful and anthemic album, with each track building from the last. Trivium really brought it here, and to be honest, this might be my number one Metal album of the year."[23] Rock 'N' Load praised the album saying, "In the Court of the Dragon is a gripping and totally engaging album that has everything that you could ever wish for not solely from a Trivium album, but a metal album and needs to be heard by any fan of the genre. Trust me, you just have to."[24] Jamie Giberti of Rock Sins rated the album 8.5 out of 10 and said: "In the Court of the Dragon is the third act in the trilogy of The Sin and the Sentence and What the Dead Men Say. An excellent continual evolution, rather than revolution, and one that should see Trivium continue to ascend to the heights of the last few years and beyond."[25] Wall of Sound gave the album a perfect score 10/10 and saying: "Trivium is now just Trivium, and In the Court of the Dragon is another release that defines what that means– they are one of the best metal bands on the planet."[16] Loudwire called it one of the best metal albums of 2021.[27]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Rank
Kerrang! The 50 Best Albums of 2021
Loudwire The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021
The 35 Best Metal Songs of 2021 ("In the Court of the Dragon")

Track listing

All tracks are written by Trivium, except "X" by Ihsahn

In the Court of the Dragon track listing
No.TitleLength
1."X" (instrumental)1:27
2."In the Court of the Dragon"5:09
3."Like a Sword Over Damocles"5:30
4."Feast of Fire"4:18
5."A Crisis of Revelation"5:35
6."The Shadow of the Abattoir"7:11
7."No Way Back Just Through"3:53
8."Fall Into Your Hands"7:45
9."From Dawn to Decadence"4:08
10."The Phalanx"7:15
Total length:52:11
Japanese edition bonus tracks[31]
No.TitleLength
11."Beyond Oblivion" (live)5:21
12."Amongst the Shadows & the Stones" (live)5:39
Total length:63:11

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic and the album's liner notes.[15][32]

Trivium

Additional personnel

  • Josh Wilbur – production, engineering, mixing
  • Ihsahn – programming, arranging, instrumentation, orchestration, composition (track 1)
  • Paul Suarez – mixing assistance
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Ashley Heafy – art direction, design, layout
  • Trivium – art direction
  • Mathieu Nozieres – artwork
  • Ryan Mackfall and Tom Griffiths – photography
  • Mike Dunn – band photo

Charts

Chart performance for In the Court of the Dragon
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[33] 9
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[34] 7
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[35] 49
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[36] 52
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[37] 11
French Albums (SNEP)[38] 94
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[39] 7
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[40] 14
Irish Albums (IRMA)[41] 69
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[42] 46
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[43] 41
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[44] 16
Scottish Albums (OCC)[45] 5
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[46] 73
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 4
UK Albums (OCC)[48] 20
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[49] 1
US Billboard 200[50] 71
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[51] 3
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[52] 8

References

  1. ↑ "Trivium announce new album In The Court Of The Dragon and share new single Feast Of Fire". Louder Sound. August 12, 2021. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Trivium Have Announced The Details Of Their New Album 'In The Court Of The Dragon'". Rock Sound. August 12, 2021. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  3. ↑ "TRIVIUM Is Already Working On Music For Follow-Up To 'What The Dead Men Say'". Blabbermouth.net. June 7, 2020. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Trivium have started teasing something: In The Court Of The Dragon". Kerrang!. July 7, 2021. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Trivium Drop New "In The Court Of The Dragon" Teaser". ThePRP. July 7, 2021. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  6. ↑ "TRIVIUM Releases New Song 'In The Court Of The Dragon'". Blabbermouth.net. July 9, 2021. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Trivium Debut Epic Video For New Song 'In the Court of the Dragon'". Loudwire. July 9, 2021. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  8. ↑ "TRIVIUM Announces New Album 'In The Court Of The Dragon', Shares 'Feast Of Fire' Music Video". Blabbermouth.net. August 12, 2021. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Trivium Release Anthemic Song 'Feast of Fire,' Announce New Album". Loudwire. August 12, 2021. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  10. ↑ "The Elder Scrolls Online DLC Waking Flame Gets New Gameplay Trailer". Twinfinite. August 19, 2021. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Trivium Teams Up with ESO for a Heavy Metal Promotion". Bethesda. August 19, 2021. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  12. ↑ "TRIVIUM Shares 'The Phalanx' Video". Blabbermouth.net. October 1, 2021. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Trivium's Matt Heafy has finally written music for a game – and this is just the beginning". NME. October 1, 2021. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  14. ↑ "TRIVIUM Drops Music Video for 'The Shadow Of The Abattoir'". Sonic Perspectives. November 17, 2022. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jurek, Thom. "Trivium In The Court Of The Dragon". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  16. 1 2 3 Draven, KJ (October 4, 2021). "Trivium – In The Court Of The Dragon (Album Review)". Wall of Sound. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 Kennelty, Greg (October 8, 2021). "Album Review: TRIVIUM In The Court Of The Dragon". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  18. 1 2 3 Hill, Stephen (October 4, 2021). "Trivium's In The Court Of The Dragon: metal's great hopes exceed all expectations". Louder Sound. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  19. ↑ Delgadillo, Nicolás (September 9, 2021). "Matt Heafy Talks Overcoming Negativity and the New Trivium Album 'In the Court of the Dragon'". Knotfest. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  20. 1 2 Lawson, Dom (October 6, 2021). "TRIVIUM "In The Court Of The Dragon"". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  21. 1 2 McHugh, Dan (October 6, 2021). "ALBUM REVIEW: In The Court Of The Dragon – Trivium". Distorted Sound Mag. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  22. 1 2 Slessor, Dan (October 6, 2021). "Album review: Trivium – In The Court Of The Dragon". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  23. 1 2 Bikoff, Jake (October 8, 2021). "Album Review: Trivium – In The Court Of The Dragon". New Noise. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  24. 1 2 "Trivium // In The Court Of The Dragon // Album Review". Rock 'N' Load. October 3, 2021. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  25. 1 2 Giberti, Jamie (October 4, 2021). "Trivium – In The Court Of The Dragon". Rock Sins. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  26. ↑ "The 50 best metal albums of 2021". Louder Sound. Future plc. December 15, 2021. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  27. ↑ "The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021". Loudwire. December 10, 2021. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  28. ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2021". Kerrang!. December 10, 2021. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  29. ↑ "The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021". Loudwire. December 10, 2021. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  30. ↑ Al-Sharif, Rabab; DiVita, Joe; Hartmann, Graham; Richardson, Jake; Trapp, Philip; Summan, Yasmine (December 6, 2021). "The 35 Best Metal Songs of 2021". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Trivium / トリビアム「In The Court Of The Dragon / イン・ザ・コート・オブ・ザ・ドラゴン」 | Warner Music Japan". ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン | Warner Music Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  32. ↑ In the Court of the Dragon (booklet). Trivium. Roadrunner. 2 670809.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  33. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Trivium – In the Court of the Dragon". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Trivium – In the Court of the Dragon" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Trivium – In the Court of the Dragon" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Trivium – In the Court of the Dragon" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Trivium: In the Court of the Dragon" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Trivium – In the Court of the Dragon". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Trivium – In the Court of the Dragon" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2021. 44. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Trivium". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2021/10/27 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2021-11-01" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Trivium – In the Court of the Dragon". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  45. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Discos Más Vendidos en España". El Portal de Música. October 24, 2021. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Trivium – In the Court of the Dragon". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  50. ↑ "Trivium Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  51. ↑ "Trivium Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  52. ↑ "Trivium Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
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