The song represents everything fans have come to know and love about Trivium. It’s a summit of masterful melodies, miles of riffs and solos, thought-provoking lyrics, intricate storytelling, and a tiered vocal attack.
“We started putting together the riffs for what would become ‘In The Court Of The Dragon’ last year with no touring on the horizon,” shares Gregoletto about the song’s earliest origins during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. “We decided to use the uncertainty to our advantage and to create without any of the limitations and commitments that would normally be eating away at our time in the jam room.”
About the deeper meaning, he continues, “The title of the song came from a short story by Robert W. Chambers. The story is filled with dread and uncertainty, and that felt fitting for the times we’ve all been living in for the last year. Rather than a direct re-telling, we decided to go a different route and build our own narrative around the music that we were creating.”
He finishes, “Similar to some of our past songs and albums, this song began with lyrics rooted in mythology. But unlike the past, we decided to create our own myth to fit the music. Being free to create the story and write the music without a deadline, due to a once-in-a-lifetime event, really led to one of the most rewarding writing and recording experiences we have ever had. We hope it lives up to your expectations.”
Heafy weighed in about the single’s artwork and its unique relationship to the track, saying, “While the music of ‘In The Court Of The Dragon’ was taking shape, we knew we needed epic artwork of the type that you might see on the wall of an important museum from a long-dead renaissance master.”
The track and video also feature an epic intro composed and orchestrated by Ihsahn (Emperor).
Trivium continues to work on new material for their upcoming tenth album. Stay tuned for more information about their next full-length.
In other Trivium news, the band will make their long-awaited return to the road this summer with Megadeth, Lamb of God, and In Flames in North America. A European tour including the UK kicks off in November, with Heaven Shall Burn, TesseracT, and Fit For An Autopsy.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2021