Bullet For My Valentine & Trivium in Zurich - 5 February 2025
Metal bands Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium are celebrating the 20th anniversary of two iconic albums of theirs on «The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour». They stopped at The Hall in Zurich to play both albums in full: Bullet For My Valentine performed their 2005 debut «The Poison» and Trivium ripped through their second album «Ascendancy», also released in 2005.
Orbit Culture
Swedisch melodic death metallers Orbit Culture opened the evening and set the bar high. Obligatory screams, flying hair and devil horns aside, it was the band’s wall-of-sound groove that marked them out. The irresistible chug-chug-chug of «Vultures Of North» was a particular highlight – and any track that includes the lyrics «beware of the antlers» can do no wrong.
Bullet For My Valentine
With over 5 million records sold worldwide, Bullet For My Valentine are one of the UK’s biggest metal exports. Seven albums into their career, frontman Matt Tuck and his fellow band members know what they’re doing.
In Zurich, the musical journey through «The Poison» evidenced their early influences (Metallica and Slayer, among others) with its mix of thrash, classic heavy metal and more. For the generation of fans who grew up with this album, the concert was a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The band’s breakthrough track «Tears Don’t Fall» got a huge reaction from the crowd, while the more recent – and excellent – «Knives» demonstrated how the band have evolved their sound to include groove-based elements.
Trivium
Formed in 1999, Florida’s Trivium have sold more than a million records since their inception. With ten albums under their belts, the quartet have lost none of their enthusiasm and joy of playing. In Zurich, vocalist and guitarist Matt Heafy kept going to the front of the stage to interact with the audience, his face wreathed in smiles throughout the gig.
Going back in time to their second album «Ascendancy», the band exhibited their chops with full-steam-ahead guitar riffage and punishing blast beats. Songs like «Pull Harder on The Strings of Your Martyr» and «Dying In Your Arms» remained fan favourites, and the switch in «Suffocating Sight» from breakneck double-bass kicks to halftime grooves was a delight. Celebrating «Ascendancy»’s album art, Trivium took the album cover’s slightly disquieting figure and put it on stage as an inflatable doll – it's always fun to have a friendly demon zombie as decor.
For newbies and old fans alike, this triple bill of metal was a roaring success.
- Anna Wirz
Promoter: Good News Productions AG
Photos of Orbit Culture are here.
Photos of Bullet For My Valentine are here.