Corey Beaulieu - Trivium
Trivium optimizes
what makes a metal band today. They have
the songs, the massive ability and the appeal and now they have In Waves, a
metal master stroke for the ages.
Recently Corey Beaulieu took the time to sit down with Metal Exiles to
make you the fan aware of what has made In Waves so great.
An interview with Corey Beaulieu of Trivium.
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: When you sat down to write In Waves, you had several ways to lean like with Shogun, The Crusade and you found a way to combine all three. Is this where you guys are at right now in knowing what you want?
Corey Beaulieu: In writing the record we wanted to make sure everything was cohesive and flowed really well. We did not want an oddball song in there, just wanted the record to flow together. We wrote a lot of stuff and if it did not fit the overall vibe of the record we dropped it and keep writing. A lot of stuff came easily to us and there is a lot of variety within the songs like all singing and all screaming and within one sentence a morph of the two. I think we touched upon everything that we do well in the band and did something different.
Metal Exiles: What do you think is the strongest point of the band?
Corey: We love heavy and melodic stuff and we take everything we like about music and incorporate it into our sound. Entwining the brutality and melodic stuff within the same song and making it fit together is how we want our music to sound. The harmony guitar underneath the vocals is one of our trademarks as well as a guitar melody going along with the vocals as well which is the Iron Maiden influence in us, not a lot of stand along guitar parts. When we did Ascendancy there were two guitar players in the band for the first time so everything just became natural with guitar harmonies.
Metal Exiles: How did you write the album from the guitars point of view?
Corey: We did not want to be technical for the sake of being technical on this album, we wanted to write fun cool riffs that made an impact. We thought that writing straight to the point, simpler songs would impact the listener on first listen instead having to listen to it several times for the song to grasp the listener. After doing the last album where you had long songs and more technical parts we felt like it would be better to not have to play at your full technical ability all the time. We thought we would just put the technical stuff in there where it needs to be, where it counts.
Metal Exiles: Do you think trying to be over technical in the past lost some fans?
Corey: I think with Shogun overtime people came to think that as our best album and the fans that we have that are musicians appreciate that record but not all of our fans are musicians. A lot of fans say that Ascendancy is their fav album and where as there are technical parts that album is more straight forward; it was driven on the songs so when you do too much sometimes people just do not get it. Someone might think a song is amazing where as someone might just hear a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Writing songs that can catch people is the focus and writing great songs makes a career as it is not about showing off an soloing all over the place.
Metal Exiles: It is the songs that keep a career going, not a solo. There have been hundreds of shred records released and very remember them but everybody remembers a great song.
Corey: Metallica did all the long technical stuff and they became very popular doing it but when they put out the black album with a song like Enter Sandman they became a global powerhouse because a song like Enter Sandman can reach a normal fan listening to rock music but not the thrash stuff.
Metal Exiles: What were you guys tuned in and how did it affect how you wrote the album?
Corey: When we started writing we were playing in Drop D like we did on Ascendancy. On previous albums we were messing around with different tunings so with this record we wanted to write in just one tuning and that helped with keeping everything cohesive with the songs having the same tonality like they were all on the same album. So we started writing in Drop D but we got to a point with some of the notes Matt was trying to sing were a little to high where he was straining to get there so we tried a half step lower, Drop D Flat, which made the vocals better. When we played in that tuning it gave the songs a darker feel, it separated it from the other records, gave it its own character. The songs sounded good before but the half step down gave it a darker mood which fit the vibe we were going for.
Metal Exiles: In the past you guys have been compared to different bands. Do you think with In Waves this record puts you out there on your own?
Corey: When we wrote this album we wanted to put a stamp on our sound. With the previous albums we did a lot of experimenting, trying different things but with this album we had time to solidify who we are and what we sound like and taking the best parts of what we have done and blending it into what we did on this record it is us. It doesn’t sound like anybody doing metal these days and for all the bands we have compared to there is nothing on this record sounds like them at all. I think we have finally nailed down what we do and learned to write songs that sound like Trivium.
Metal Exiles: Do you think this is your definitive album or has that yet to come out of you?
Corey: When we were writing this record we wanted it to be THE Trivium record but it is not up to us it is up to the listener to judge that but we think this is our best record. This was the first album that we wrote with Nick Augusto and with the touring and other experiences with Nick that we will have under our belts before the next album even better
Metal Exiles: This indeed was your first record with Nick, how did he fit in with the recording process?
Corey: It was great, skill wise he can play anything you throw at him. He can take an idea, digest it and play it on the spot. Writing the record was fast paced, he could keep up with us writing riffs on the spot. We had more time to work on this record which helped with having a new member in the writing process.
Metal Exiles: With all of the tours you have been given why did Roadrunner afford you so much time to work on this record?
Corey: We wrote and demoed for a few months and we were supposed to start recording in mid-September but the guy we wanted, Collin Richardson, was doing another record which was having delays itself so we did not start recording until January of the next year. The label wanted us to work with Collin on this record so we were in no rush and in hindsight it was good that we were delayed because we did a lot of stuff that was important for these songs and we were able to take them to the next step. If we had of recorded when we were supposed to I think the songs would not have sounded the way it does now.
Metal Exiles: You are using Jackson now. What brought you over to that company?
Corey: I played Jackson early in my career but Jackson was bought by Fender and Fender started running Jackson like they run fender so I was just a nobody starting out. So Matt and I had an opportunity to work with Dean where the wanted to work with us, build us guitars by our designs so it was great to learn those processes. We got to a point where we were not happy with Dean so we severed ties with them and Matt went right back to playing Gibson’s so with me not being repped by anybody I just went back to playing my Jackson's. Jackson is great now, they have some amazing people who have built me some great guitars.
Metal Exiles: A few years ago I caught you guys on the Roadrunner Road Rage tour and you have outlasted the 3 bands you were touring with along with a score of other bands that have come and gone. What do you think attributes to your longevity?
Corey: I think it comes down to songs. We did the U.S. and Europe with that Roadrunner package and we came out with a lot of energy and a “take over the world” feel and with our record at the time we just wrote songs for impact. We toured our asses off and just played in front of as many people as possible and we were just lucky. I think what we did caught on with a lot of people and people just got into us. A lot of bands come and go and if you have 10 bands come there are always at least two or three that make the long haul with it and the rest just fade out, they just do not have that it factor to stand out. We are still on our way up, just taking baby steps to get to the next level.
In My opinion Trivium already have arrived. With In Waves they have made a progression that reminds me of the most seasoned of bands.
Official Trivium Site
BUY In Waves
An interview with Corey Beaulieu of Trivium.
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: When you sat down to write In Waves, you had several ways to lean like with Shogun, The Crusade and you found a way to combine all three. Is this where you guys are at right now in knowing what you want?
Corey Beaulieu: In writing the record we wanted to make sure everything was cohesive and flowed really well. We did not want an oddball song in there, just wanted the record to flow together. We wrote a lot of stuff and if it did not fit the overall vibe of the record we dropped it and keep writing. A lot of stuff came easily to us and there is a lot of variety within the songs like all singing and all screaming and within one sentence a morph of the two. I think we touched upon everything that we do well in the band and did something different.
Metal Exiles: What do you think is the strongest point of the band?
Corey: We love heavy and melodic stuff and we take everything we like about music and incorporate it into our sound. Entwining the brutality and melodic stuff within the same song and making it fit together is how we want our music to sound. The harmony guitar underneath the vocals is one of our trademarks as well as a guitar melody going along with the vocals as well which is the Iron Maiden influence in us, not a lot of stand along guitar parts. When we did Ascendancy there were two guitar players in the band for the first time so everything just became natural with guitar harmonies.
Metal Exiles: How did you write the album from the guitars point of view?
Corey: We did not want to be technical for the sake of being technical on this album, we wanted to write fun cool riffs that made an impact. We thought that writing straight to the point, simpler songs would impact the listener on first listen instead having to listen to it several times for the song to grasp the listener. After doing the last album where you had long songs and more technical parts we felt like it would be better to not have to play at your full technical ability all the time. We thought we would just put the technical stuff in there where it needs to be, where it counts.
Metal Exiles: Do you think trying to be over technical in the past lost some fans?
Corey: I think with Shogun overtime people came to think that as our best album and the fans that we have that are musicians appreciate that record but not all of our fans are musicians. A lot of fans say that Ascendancy is their fav album and where as there are technical parts that album is more straight forward; it was driven on the songs so when you do too much sometimes people just do not get it. Someone might think a song is amazing where as someone might just hear a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Writing songs that can catch people is the focus and writing great songs makes a career as it is not about showing off an soloing all over the place.
Metal Exiles: It is the songs that keep a career going, not a solo. There have been hundreds of shred records released and very remember them but everybody remembers a great song.
Corey: Metallica did all the long technical stuff and they became very popular doing it but when they put out the black album with a song like Enter Sandman they became a global powerhouse because a song like Enter Sandman can reach a normal fan listening to rock music but not the thrash stuff.
Metal Exiles: What were you guys tuned in and how did it affect how you wrote the album?
Corey: When we started writing we were playing in Drop D like we did on Ascendancy. On previous albums we were messing around with different tunings so with this record we wanted to write in just one tuning and that helped with keeping everything cohesive with the songs having the same tonality like they were all on the same album. So we started writing in Drop D but we got to a point with some of the notes Matt was trying to sing were a little to high where he was straining to get there so we tried a half step lower, Drop D Flat, which made the vocals better. When we played in that tuning it gave the songs a darker feel, it separated it from the other records, gave it its own character. The songs sounded good before but the half step down gave it a darker mood which fit the vibe we were going for.
Metal Exiles: In the past you guys have been compared to different bands. Do you think with In Waves this record puts you out there on your own?
Corey: When we wrote this album we wanted to put a stamp on our sound. With the previous albums we did a lot of experimenting, trying different things but with this album we had time to solidify who we are and what we sound like and taking the best parts of what we have done and blending it into what we did on this record it is us. It doesn’t sound like anybody doing metal these days and for all the bands we have compared to there is nothing on this record sounds like them at all. I think we have finally nailed down what we do and learned to write songs that sound like Trivium.
Metal Exiles: Do you think this is your definitive album or has that yet to come out of you?
Corey: When we were writing this record we wanted it to be THE Trivium record but it is not up to us it is up to the listener to judge that but we think this is our best record. This was the first album that we wrote with Nick Augusto and with the touring and other experiences with Nick that we will have under our belts before the next album even better
Metal Exiles: This indeed was your first record with Nick, how did he fit in with the recording process?
Corey: It was great, skill wise he can play anything you throw at him. He can take an idea, digest it and play it on the spot. Writing the record was fast paced, he could keep up with us writing riffs on the spot. We had more time to work on this record which helped with having a new member in the writing process.
Metal Exiles: With all of the tours you have been given why did Roadrunner afford you so much time to work on this record?
Corey: We wrote and demoed for a few months and we were supposed to start recording in mid-September but the guy we wanted, Collin Richardson, was doing another record which was having delays itself so we did not start recording until January of the next year. The label wanted us to work with Collin on this record so we were in no rush and in hindsight it was good that we were delayed because we did a lot of stuff that was important for these songs and we were able to take them to the next step. If we had of recorded when we were supposed to I think the songs would not have sounded the way it does now.
Metal Exiles: You are using Jackson now. What brought you over to that company?
Corey: I played Jackson early in my career but Jackson was bought by Fender and Fender started running Jackson like they run fender so I was just a nobody starting out. So Matt and I had an opportunity to work with Dean where the wanted to work with us, build us guitars by our designs so it was great to learn those processes. We got to a point where we were not happy with Dean so we severed ties with them and Matt went right back to playing Gibson’s so with me not being repped by anybody I just went back to playing my Jackson's. Jackson is great now, they have some amazing people who have built me some great guitars.
Metal Exiles: A few years ago I caught you guys on the Roadrunner Road Rage tour and you have outlasted the 3 bands you were touring with along with a score of other bands that have come and gone. What do you think attributes to your longevity?
Corey: I think it comes down to songs. We did the U.S. and Europe with that Roadrunner package and we came out with a lot of energy and a “take over the world” feel and with our record at the time we just wrote songs for impact. We toured our asses off and just played in front of as many people as possible and we were just lucky. I think what we did caught on with a lot of people and people just got into us. A lot of bands come and go and if you have 10 bands come there are always at least two or three that make the long haul with it and the rest just fade out, they just do not have that it factor to stand out. We are still on our way up, just taking baby steps to get to the next level.
In My opinion Trivium already have arrived. With In Waves they have made a progression that reminds me of the most seasoned of bands.
Official Trivium Site
BUY In Waves
