In the Court of the Dragon
| Trivium
In the Court of the Dragon
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. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Metal Injection
In The Court Of The Dragon is incredible because it's a genuinely great album that offers something unique. Sure, the expediency at which Trivium released this and What The Dead Men Say is also impressive, but that isn't the accolade the album deserves. In The Court Of The Dragon is well-written, well-executed, and a bold new step in the Trivium world.
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Sonic Perspectives
Packed to the brim with fiery riffs, bombastic percussion, and an indescribable web of sonic influences, “In the Court of the Dragon” is perhaps one of Trivium’s most impressive offerings yet. Seasoned with decades of expertise, but no shortage of ambition, the flame of metal burns bright throughout this latest venture.
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Cryptic Rock
The result is a mythic ode to their voyage from fledgling rockers to seasoned pacesetters.
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Distorted Sound Magazine
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.
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Rock Sins
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.
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Angry Metal Guy
While some of the lengthier songs drag on a bit longer than they should,3 In the Court of the Dragon delivers some of the band’s best material in a decade. Sure, Trivium haters are still gonna hate. But, In the Court of the Dragon is more consistent and has less filler than its two predecessors. And, in comparison to Silence of the Snow, this new disc is like Slip ‘n’ Sliding in the Sun. Metal cred be damned. Those of you that are Trivium fans, enjoy yourself.
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The Toilet Ov Hell
Fans and people familiar with the band will probably know what they’re in for and how they think this compares to other work from the band. If like me you’ve managed to not listen to a single note for all these years, I encourage you to give this album a shot, and hopefully you’ll be pleasantly surprised like me.
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Metal Planet Music
‘In The Court Of The Dragon’ is relentless in providing us listeners with an array of music, ram-packed with supreme talent and organically moulded together. Trivium has made use of every single second, so it’s impossible to get bored. Bursting with energy, they’ve excelled themselves with this release. Nothing in life seems guaranteed but be assured, this album is another fabulous release to come from the pandemic.
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New Noise Magazine
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. It’s to the point that choosing a highlight of the record seems impossible to nail down. Is it the face-melting guitar work from Corey Beaulieu and Matt Heavy? The hypnotic drum work from Alex Bent? Is it the infectiously catchy bass runs from Paolo Gregoletto? When you tie all of that together with the impressive lyricism and vocal work, you get In The Court Of The Dragon.
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Wall of Sound
There are arena worthy choruses, seriously heavy riffs, technical solos and a lyrical sensibility that mixes the personal with mythological. 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.
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Sputnik Music
Trivium’s tenth studio effort is well worth the listen and should be considered a mainstay of metal’s more mainstream selections while offering something that’s expressive, familiar and progressive in its own right.
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V13
Standout moments are excellent, but too few and far between – specifically being at the start and end of the album – and there are too many misses to give an entirely positive verdict to In The Court Of The Dragon.
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Stereoboard
Heafy never falters. From the crowd-pleasing choruses on Like a Sword Over Damocles and No Way Back Just Through to tracks that rewrite their own rules, raise heart rates, and demand attention, the prime example being From Dawn to Decadence, Trivium are in commanding form.
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Louder Sound
metal's great hopes exceed all expectations.
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Brutal Planet Magazine
As I reflect on these words, I can’t help but think of the wrath Trivium unleashes on their genre with “In the Court of the Dragon.” Like the monster it is named after, this album dominates and reigns supreme.
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Metal Wani
‘In the Court of the Dragon’ not only delivers the classic melodic thrash/death metalcore fans of Trivium have grown to love, but it also has tons of other influences and nuances that fans of other subgenres will appreciate as well.
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mxdwn Music
In the Court of the Dragons is a masterpiece, and Trivium used the elements of metal to create tracks that have face-smacking instrumentation and vocals.
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AllMusic
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.
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Ghost Cult Magazine
Massive riffs, sweeping solos, huge choruses, grinding breakdowns, symphonic backing and striking Renaissance style cover art, In The Court of the Dragon does everything you expect, but better.
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Three Songs and Out
This is one of the best albums I’ve heard in a long time. Trivium have seriously raised the bar this time around and it completely stands up against anything in their past (if not betters it). This may well be Trivium’s equivalent of 'Master of Puppets'.
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The Paw
This album has shown that Trivium is capable of writing some amazing songs and developing emotional themes in a way that no one else can. The themes of victory and defeat, of mourning and sorrow, all lend themselves to the creative instrumentation and lyrics. Each song seems to push you further to the climactic end and emotional peak you know is coming.
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Upset Magazine
From the opening atmospheric, orchestral build of ‘X’ into the pummelling, complex riffs of the album’s title- track, this is Trivium at the very top of their game. While some peers try to innovate by swerving out of their lane, on ‘In The Court Of The Dragon’ Trivium instead decide to further perfect their craft. Pure, unadulterated metal, this is gargantuan music for the biggest of all stages.
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Blunt Magazine
All things considered, Dragon is a largely incoherent muddle of ideas, borne from an admirable enthusiasm that sadly turned to exaggerated confidence.
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At the Barrier
Trivium are back. In The Court Of The Dragon sees the Florida metallers hit album number ten. Expect heaviness, epicness and Ihsahn.
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Hysteria Magazine
Matt Heafy’s vocals are the strongest they’ve ever been, supported by some gruff growling from Corey Beaulieu and a storm of the most furious riffs and drumming of which they are capable. Trivium’s place in modern metal has rarely been in doubt, but this album should firmly cement their legacy as one of the most important acts of their generation.
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Heavy Blog is Heavy
In The Court of the Dragon is simultaneously one of the band’s most dynamic and consistent releases. It’s hard to say if it’s their best, as the band have always pushed in different directions in each release, but it’s definitely in contention. The fact that 10 albums in, Trivium can simultaneously surprise and feel familiar is no small feat. One of the best-constructed albums of the year and their career, current or lapsed fans of the band will definitely have much to return to here, and naysayers may even find themselves tempted.
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Metal Noise
A compelling, enthralling and gripping record that will see even the most hardened of Metal heads crack a smile from start to finish, this one is the easiest of contenders for not only critical acclaim but album of the year.
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The Moshville Times
Not everything Trivium do is perfect, they have had their ups and downs (in this reviewer’s opinion), but when they nail it, they nail it. In The Court Of The Dragon is one of those albums. I could listen to this one over and over. And probably will!
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Get Rocked
Overall, In The Court Of The Dragon excels in true metal fashion with blistering guitar work and drumming, all surrounding a new mythos written by extremely creative musicians who refuse to slow down. Another strong showing from Trivium filled with songs that are destined to rile up a crowd. Grab your favorite ax, medieval or six-stringed, and find out why Trivium is still cruising along 20 years in.
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The Dark Melody
Trivium came screaming furiously and sweeping away with its mighty musical innovation. We do not imagine what will come after this excellent trilogy, but as a metal fan, I was thrilled to hear this great achievement and artistic maturity.
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My Global Mind
In my opinion, it is high time that Trivium get the recognition they deserve. They have consistently provided us metal fans with the music we crave. It seems that time is only improving their approach and guile to their abilities. I am blown away by the musicianship on this album and I will say that this is a modern-day classic!
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The Razors Edge
Whilst ‘What The Dead Man Say’ established Trivium as a band out to rule the world in their own right, ‘In The Court of The Dragon’ allows the band to grow, develop and explore and whilst doing so taking the listener on an exciting assault of their senses.
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Punktastic
‘In The Court Of The Dragon’ is one of Trivium’s best albums to date, their best outright since ‘Shogun’, and one of the finest metal releases of the year.
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Heavy Music HQ
This is the third consecutive album that Trivium have worked with producer Josh Wilbur (Lamb Of God, Soulfly). The pairing works well, as the album has pristine sound and is dynamic. The amount of filler on In The Court Of The Dragon is minimal, an album that is consistently good from beginning to end.
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The Paradigm
In The Court of The Dragon, is an amazingly composed album that showcases the hard work that Trivium has put in the last 22 years, to make album 10 a monumental masterpiece.
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Heavy Magazine
In The Court Of The Dragon has largely been an impressive offering from Trivium, but I, for one, like to leave an album wanting more instead of being lulled into a soothing conclusion.
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Unsung Melody
A true culmination of what the band has been working toward, this may finally be their magnum opus, and even the casual Trivium fan, or even listeners who enjoy metal should find something to thoroughly enjoy here.
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Metal Master Kingdom
There's no doubting that this album will continue Trivium's ascendancy (pun intended) into the upper echelons of the greatest and most important metal bands of the last two decades.
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