TRIVIUM Frontman On Finding New Drummer ALEX BENT: 'I'm So Thankful That The Stars Finally Aligned'

In a newly shared interview by the That's Not Metal Podcast, TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy speaks candidly about the band's career to date, growing up in public, the pressures to deliver on their early ambition, and the choices they have made in their varied back catalog that has led to new album "The Sin And The Sentence".

"We've always liked to test the boundaries of what we can do as a band and as TRIVIUM," Heafy said (hear audio below). "[While making 'The Sin And The Sentence'], we said to ourselves, 'This has to be the greatest record we've ever made or there's no point in carrying on.' That's one of the things we said; it's very intense. Another thing we said is, 'This album has to make everything make sense.' Another thing we said was, 'Let's just make the kind of music that we wanna hear as fans of metal.' If we were guys not in TRIVIUM, what's the record we would wanna hear? Let's make stuff that, we don't care if people are gonna love it or hate it; let's just make this thing."

Matt also addressed the fact that it has been difficult for TRIVIUM's core trio — Heafy, guitarist Corey Beaulieu and bassist Paolo Gregoletto — to keep a drummer in the last few years, prior to the addition of Alex Bent (BATTLECROSS, DECREPIT BIRTH) at the end of 2016.

"The drumming is what the band is built upon, it's the foundation for which all the music is built upon, and if you don't have a strong foundation for a house or a building, it eventually collapses," Matt explained. "And I'm so thankful that the stars finally aligned, after eight records, to find the guy that we needed to find. And I think that when people hear Alex, it's not a question of 'Why?' It's more like an observation, like, 'Oh, I see you did it again, but I know why.' Because he's that freakin' good."

"The Sin And The Sentence" was released in October via Roadrunner. The disc was recorded with producer Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA) at Santa Ana, California's Hybrid Studios.

Bent's predecessor, Paul Wandtke made his live debut with TRIVIUM in December 2015 at Knotfest in Mexico. A short time later, he appeared in an official promotional photo with the three core members of the band.

Paul joined the Florida outfit on the recommendation of DREAM THEATER's Mike Mangini and replaced Mat Madiro, who departed due to reasons of "creativity."

Madiro was the featured drummer on TRIVIUM's 2015 album, "Silence In The Snow".