TRIVIUM Drummer: 'METALLICA Could Touch A Pile Of Junk And I'd Go Out And Buy It'

David Glessner of the San Antonio Express-News recently conducted an interview with TRIVIUM drummer Travis Smith. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

On the band's influences:

"Everyone in the band is into metal, but everyone gets the melody from different influences like QUEEN, THE EAGLES and all different genres of music. I'm pretty much a fan of whatever METALLICA touches. They could touch a pile of (junk) and I'd go out and buy it. I've been a fan since I was 8 years old and I'll be a fan for life."

On the band's cover of METALLICA's "Master of Puppets" that was recorded for Kerrang! magazine's tribute to METALLICA:

"We've been jamming that song since we were a local band. METALLICA is one of the reasons this band got started. We got lucky enough to go to Europe and do eight shows with them. They invited us on stage a couple times to sing vocals on (a cover of the MISFITS') 'Die, Die, My Darling'. That was a dream come true."

On the upcoming TRIVIUM album:

"The new album is gonna be on the shelves October 10. It's gonna be called 'The Crusade'. If you think 'Ascendancy' is a kick-ass album, this one pretty much kicks it right in the teeth. People need a thrash-metal album, and we're gonna deliver. I'm still proud of ('Ascendancy'),but when people ask how we're gonna top it, I just look them right in the eye and say, 'Dude, you ain't seen nothing yet.'"

On touring the world:

"Japan was unbelievable. It's almost sickening how perfect it is. I had a day off in Japan and we were walking the streets looking for something to do. They have a lot of bicyclers over there. We're walking down the street and I'm thinking, 'Dude, this place is too (expletive) perfect. I would pay to see one of these bicycle people crash into something.' I kid you not, dude, a minute later, these two ladies plow right into each other. I just lost it. It was, like, 'Thank God there is some flaw in the system.'"