For fans of Orlando, Fla.’s Trivium, the band’s 2005 sophomore album, Ascendancy, set the bar and is the standard for everything before and after in their career. So naturally, after two excellent, yet more varied albums in The Crusade (2006) and Shogun (2008) that saw Trivium trying to establish a new sound, Ascendancy seems to be the blueprint for In Waves. In an interview we did on the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, drummer Nick Augusto (read here) described In Waves as a “cousin” to Ascendancy.

With songs like “Watch the World Burn,” “Black” and “Built to Fall,” this is Trivium’s most accessible and streamlined material. In fact, “Built to Fall” was Trivium’s first-ever song that went to FM radio. But don’t worry; accessible as it may be, nothing is forced. On the other hand, “Dusk Dismantled” may be the heaviest song the band has recorded to date, and the same could be said for “A Skyline’s Severence” or “Chaos Reigns.” “Capsizing the Sea” leads into the title track, combining for one of the best opening sequences on a metal album in recent memory. The repetitiveness of the song is uncanny, yet the track is totally different from anything the band has done before. This is probably one of my favorite songs of the year. The only song I might deem a failure is the power ballad “Of All These Yesterdays.” The band just seems out of its element here. It reminds me of the same thing Shadows Fall attempted, and also failed, to do a few years back.

Heafy’s vocals are much improved, and he, along with the band, his rediscovered their own sound and style. One thing I’ve noticed in my taste of music is that I like it when bands fill in all unnecessary space in their songs. In other words, there aren’t long breaks between vocal lines and drawn-out instrumental parts—the vocal lines come across directly after each other and fill the song. This method keeps the listener’s attention and keeps things exciting. Heafy does this perfectly. His singing is as melodic and powerful as ever, and his throaty roar still makes me want to give the man a Sucrets. Augusto—making his recording debut with the band—adds technique and precision drumming due to his background in death and grind. His addition takes Trivium to a new level.

Trivium has found the perfect balance on In Waves, and the band—Heafy, guitarist Corey Beaulieu, bassist Paolo Gregoletto and Augusto—is firing on all cylinders. Time will tell if In Waves surpasses Ascendancy as a fan favorite or best-selling album for the band, but as of now, I’d day the chances are good. Damn cousins.