Trivium was considered “the best, newest big thing” back in 2005, according to group member Matt Heafy while they were out on the OzzFest Tour, but the tide turned after an interview that Heafy did with a media outlet in the UK. He was a recent guest on Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn‘s podcast, called No F***in’ Regrets with Robb Flynn, when he talked about the the catalyst for their downfall.
Heafy said, “I definitely know where the worldwide hatred of other bands towards us came from – it’s from the UK. The UK was the only time and place in our band’s history when we were a press band . . . We were hailed as the ‘greatest band of all time, the best, newest big thing, the new Metallica' . . . I should’ve said we’re going to be the next big metal band, but instead, ‘Yes, we’re going to be the next Metallica.’ So every band in the world started seeing this as, ‘Alright, screw these guys. Screw these cocky kids. What the hell are they talking about? These guys suck.’ As quickly as we got back to the States after the UK tour, all of a sudden, all of my favorite bands we toured with, they treated us like garbage, just being bullies.”
Heafy said at the time they had very few allies but it strengthened the band's bond. He explained, “There was a time where every press person was trying to destroy us, every band we grew up listening to was talking shit about us, and we had nothing but the three of us and our fans. That’s why our relationship is so strong, that’s why we give so much of ourselves, that’s why I give so much of myself.”
Trivium will perform a livestreamed concert called “A Light Or A Distant Mirror” on Friday (July 10th) at 4 p.m. ET. Tickets are available at live.trivium.org/.