Based on that, I was really looking forward to hearing Shogun, but to be honest, I’m not quite as impressed with this record. As I understand it, some of the fans of Trivium’s first records were turned off by the mostly clean vocals on The Crusade. Here, they try to mix it up with mixed success.

The record opens with one of the better blendings, “Kirisute Gomen.” Despite its lyrical challenges, it gets the record off to a good start. That’s followed by a nice galloping opening riff on “Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis” that will remind listeners of the last record. The lead single, “Down from the Sky,” is surprisingly one of the best tracks here. It opens with a really nice bit of music that’s almost bluesy before heading back into the familiar thrash territory. There is an unfortunate “Boat, rudder, strange mountain” scream section on the bridge, but the chorus comes back with a sort of progressive feel that really works.

That progressive thread runs throughout the record. It’s never blatant, but you’ll hear passages scattered around the record that put you in a prog frame of mind, like the chorus of “Down from the Sky” or the opening licks and chorus of “Into the Mouth of Hell We March.” They always bring it back to the thrash riffing that’s part Metallica, part Testament with an occasional hit of Pantera. The Metallica worship being most apparent on the Ride the Lightning flavored “Insurrection.”

There are some inspired moments scattered throughout the record. The opening guitar riff of “Throes of Perdition” is one of the record’s most memorable moments, and the groove that follows is a nice one, though the song gets kind of bogged down after that.

The record suffers when they decide to slow things down a little bit. “He Who Spawned the Furies” is, I think, supposed to sound a bit sinister. But Heafy’s deep voice just doesn’t work, and the doubled vocal track on the verse is too over the top to take seriously. “Like Callisto to a Star in Heaven,” a pretty solid thrasher is brought down by a similar effect, the deep spoken bit that Pantera used to do well, but the voice here doesn’t pack the menace that Phil Anselmo does.

Shogun is not an awful record. I like it better than Trivium’s efforts prior to The Crusade, but it certainly doesn’t connect with the old thrasher in me the way that record did. Perhaps it will grow on me with more listens, but for now, it’s just a mediocre record that’s overshadowed by a lot of much better releases this year.

Yes, Heafy has taken much of the deathly growl from his voice, an intention the frontman had indicated well in advance of this new record. It was a wise decision. Matt has an awesome singing voice and relegating the deathly growls to a handful of moments on this album makes it that much more dramatic when he goes for it and screams balls out. There’s a compelling amount of variety in the lyrics of The Crusade, as the singer tackles social issues in the instantly-headbangable “Ignition,” deals with personal relationships during the bold rocker “This World Can’t Tear Us Apart” and embraces metal unity during “Anthem (We Are The Fire),” a track that underlines the band’s well-known ’80s metal influences. Moreover, lead single “Entrance Of The Conflagration” seethes with stand-up catchiness, tracks like these illustrate that Trivium surely know how to write a great hook, this is one of the band’s greatest strengths.

As soloists, both Heafy and Beaulieu have advanced considerably, pulling off finger-blistering flurries with ease and trading licks back and forth in better fashion than seasoned vets who have been on the metal radar twice as long. It’s no wonder that these two are enjoying high-profile gear endorsements, as they put a youthful face to the concept of axe virtuosity and have the chops to back it up all day long. The somber twin harmonies of “Unrepentant” ring true with metal cred, while that particular track’s sharply biting riff magic slices through the mix like the blade of the ripper. Note the smattering of Iron Maiden worship during the bridge of this one. This brings up a remarkable point. Most insiders were betting that this record would sound exactly like Metallica. With the exception of “The Rising,” which admittedly sports an obvious Metallica influence, it does not. In fact, Trivium has managed to achieve a trait which many consider to be the hallmark of every truly great metal band. They pay homage and incorporate their influences while carving out a signature sound that is determinedly their own.

If you enjoyed the group’s first two records, but were hesitant to accept the rawer vocal style that Heafy previously exhibited, it’s probable that you’re going to welcome The Crusade with arms wide open. On the other hand, if you liked the prior sound of Trivium all-around, you owe it to yourself to give this record a chance. Without disappointment, Trivium has progressed both as songwriters and players to a level far that’s beyond their years. Relentless touring and most importantly, a persistent desire to end up at the top of the metal heap has paid off for these four talented young men, who exude, as Roadrunner Records simply puts things, dominance. Trivium remains not only one of metals brightest hopes for the future, but one of the outfits to beat in the present-day metal arena as well. This critically important outfit’s exponentially-growing fan base will certainly rejoice, for The Crusade is without a doubt, one of the essential metal albums of 2006.

I’m actually trying pretty hard not to knock this album, because it simply doesn’t deserve it due to the sheer class of the musicianship and the success I have a feeling it will no doubt reap and make me look like a grumpy asshole. The mid-section of the album is able to hold my attention better as “A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation” (complete with the odd but old school shouted “Hey! Hey! Hey!” break) and single /video track “Like Light to the Flies” seem slightly less superficial and have some heart to their glossy exterior, and the chorus to “Like Light to the Flies” was about the only moment that stuck in my head after hitting stop (“Bleeding out the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeyes!”).

However, after that, the album seems to kind of repeat itself, as tracks like “The Deceived” and “Departure” could well have been the first three or four tracks played over again and I may not have even noticed. Again, not because they are bad tracks, but because the structure of the songs all seem so familiar and in a hurry to dive into a soaring solo or clean chorus break rather than let us enjoy some of the riffing.

I’d like to reiterate the top notch musicianship, especially guitarist Heafy and Cory Beaulieu who shred with the best of them, but at 55 minutes, it gets bit repetitive. Trivium are also smart, deftly avoiding the pure metalcore tag that could potentially lump them in with the other thousands of like minded bands and with added progressive twist and thrash elements do give themselves a tangible identity and wider appeal.

When all is said and done Ascendancy is a still undeniably good album that should get lots of praise, and deservedly so, but to the slightly more ardent, careful listener not swayed by musical illusionary tactics, Trivium still have to room to grow, and when they do, watch out.