Sunday 12 May 2013

Trials - In the Shadow Of Swords - Album Review

In the Shadow of Swords cover art 

Trials is a Thrash/Groove Metal Band from Chicago, IL, USA

The members are:

Mark Sugar - Vocals, Guitar
Ryan Bruchert - Guitar
Adam Kopecky - Drums
Usha Rajbandari - Bass

Trials is a band I hadn't heard much of before listening to their fast-paced and superb new album - In The Shadow Of Swords.

It's been a while since I have listened to a great Thrash/Groove Metal band as too many bands either focus on the heavier riffs while sacrificing the groove part of their music. And vice-versa. So it's refreshing to hear that Trials have found the perfect balance between Thrash and Groove.

First track - Conjoined - is a 5 minute blast of pure hard-rocking riffs with plenty of groove matching the fast-paced thrash moments.

Second Track - Believers In Black - follows the same path as Conjoined while slightly embracing their Thrash heritage that little bit further to prove that Trials are a majorly tight unit to crush your skull and soul to.

Blueprints of Metaphor, In The Misery Machine and With Only Sorrow Now are tracks that come at you at full force. Blending heartfelt lyrics with action packed riffs can be a hard thing to pull off in any genre but Trials are masters of the craft.

Their is not one bad track on this brilliant album. All of them are expertly played and written by all involved. I know The Doomentor is a big fan of this band and now I can see why. Trials just fucking rule. No question. In The Shadow Of Swords is a masterclass of any genre.

It's immensely powerful and most of that is down to lead vocalist Mark who is one the most passionate and talented vocalists I have came across in recent years. He sings his heart on out on this. You can hear all the emotions being poured out onto the record. No matter if he is singing in hardcore or clean based vocals. Along with the riffs he keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The album is on for an action packed 57 minutes and Trials never waste a second to prove what a brilliant band they are.

My two fave tracks have to be Upon This Day and Embracing Nothing as the both show how inventive Trials can actually be. Blending different genres and riffs into something original. Both with haunting melodies that will easily get under your skin.

I was originally expecting a second class metalcore release but damn - was I fucking wrong. In The Shadow Of Swords is probably the best Groove/Thrash Record of 2013. It's seriously that fucking great.

So headover to BandCamp now and buy this amazing album now. You won't be sorry.

Brilliant and Highly Recommended.

Check The Band From The Links Below


Thanks to Clawhammer PR and Trials for hooking us up with a copy. Much appreciated.