Paolo Gregoletto of Trivium

Ifeel like we’re four people who just started a new band with all of the aspirations and dreams in the world,” says Matt Heavy, frontman for veteran metal band Trivium, now 22 years old. All it took was gathering bandmates Corey Beaulieu (guitar), Paolo Gregoletto (bass) and Alex Bent (drums) in Florida during the pandemic to give the Grammynominated foursome a new lease on their musical life.

The result, created in the studio at Full Sail University with producer Josh Wilbur — who also works with Lamb of God and A Day To Remember — sent shockwaves through heavy metal. Within a month, the title song from “In The Court of The Dragon” piled up millions of streams as Guitar World hailed it as “one of the standout metal tracks of the year.”

Now, Trivium is back on the road, opening Sept. 22 at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion for Megadeth and Lamb of God. Bassist Gregoletto answered these five questions for What’s Up!

Q. I know bands hate labels! But… how would you describe your music? And what does that descriptor mean to you?

A. I think at this point we just say we are a metal band. We are huge fans of so many bands and sub-genres that have inspired us it would be impossible to give our sound its own name.

Q. Half the fun of metal is the theatrics. Who is the brains behind your gorgeous work? And why is metal always so amazingly theatrical?

A. We asked a French artist named Mathieu Nozieres, who I believe Matt found online, to make us an epic painting that would fit our vibe for the album. We gave him some song titles and lyrics but really left it up to him to create an album cover. It took about three months total to create the painting and have it sent to the UK to be used in our first music video. I haven’t seen it in person yet, but it’s like this 6-foot by 6-foot masterpiece.

Q. What do you love — and hate — about life on the road?

A. Currently the pandemic makes the usual fun of seeing friends tough. We are trying to avoid any indoor dining on days off and even in the catering room at venues now. I am just happy to be back out and doing this again, so it’s a very slight inconvenience.

Q. What did the band do during the pandemic shutdown? Did you learn anything that will be reflected in new music?

A. We did one of the first big ticketed streaming events last summer called A Light or A Distant Mirror, which was very successful. After that we just focused on writing the best possible album we could and trying to stay healthy. I think people will find the new album is a bit more intense than the last one. I think the energy from this album will bring a good release for us and the fans after almost two years.

Q. Why metal? What made metal your music of choice when you knew music was your path?

A. I just connected with all the bands I was discovering in a way no other genre of music did for me. There is such a wide array of genres that you could never get tired of it if you are willing to search for it. I also liked how worldwide the fan base is for this music. There is a universality to it that just makes us feel at home no matter where we are in the world when we are on stage.