Trivax are an Iranian/UK black metal band and this is their second album.
Following on from 2016’s SIN, Trivax return with 49 minutes of new material in the dark shape of Eloah Burns Out. This new album offers a more refined, well-developed vision of extreme metal, and is definitely a record you should check out if you’re a fan of black/death metal.
Eloah Burns Out combines black and death metal ingredients into a charismatic and forceful whole, one that’s accented by Persian influences. For a reference point of the Trivax experience, think of a cross between Behemoth and Watain. This provides only a rough approximation of what you’ll find on Eloah Burns Out though, as Trivax benefit from a well-formed personality of their own.
Trivax’s music is harsh and aggressive, but not without finesse. The band bleed violence and brutal intensity, yet also make time for creative flourishes, atmospheric depth, and nuanced performances. Essentially, this is well-written music that makes the most of its foundational elements to produce a well-rounded blackened monster.
Trivax may be vicious, but they know how to write a good song with it. The well-crafted tracks have clawed hooks and thunderous presence. Muscular death metal intensity is mixed with serrated black metal venom. There’s a wide array of meaty blackened riffs on offer, and all of them satisfy. Trivax also demonstrate a good grasp of melody; they use this sparingly, but effectively, across many of the tracks. There are some flesh-ripping solos too.
Blunt, gruff vocals lead the assault, but the singer’s voice is not one-dimensional by any means. The album also features guest vocals from members of bands such as Fides Inversa, Behexen, Master’s Call, Necronautical, and Winterfylleth.
As well as the blackened heaviness that Trivax do so well, the album is enriched with tasteful evocative detail. This manifests in a range of different ways, from folk instrumentation, to calm introspective interludes, to emotive keyboard enhancements, to choral clean singing. Eloah Burns Out boasts a great deal of immersive and absorbing content and ideas, and the overall package it delivers is a strong one. I’ll return to the interludes now, (Silent Contemplation and Memento Mori), as I commonly detest this sort of filler. Here though they are well-formed pieces that genuinely add to the album, not detract from it. This is a rare enough occurrence to deserve this extra mention, I feel.
Eloah Burns Out has impressed with its character, songcraft, and overall delivery. Trivax have produced an album that flows well, holds the listener’s interest, is more diverse than you might expect, and is extremely enjoyable.
Essential listening.
Wonderbox Metal 