The Bad Penny (beta)

Trivium is quite possibly The Bad Penny‘s guiltiest of pleasures, and we’re gunning to see them in concert for the 10th-or-so time Nov. 29 at Revolution Concert House in Garden City, Idaho. But to balance out this website’s legitimacy, we’re counterbalancing our affection for vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy’s band by unearthing this harsh but fair analysis of his lyrics that IndiePit originally ran in 2009.

Hey, what can we say? Trivium is pretty good at breakdowns; The Bad Penny ain’t too shabby at takedowns. Also, any guilt we might feel over this lambasting of Heafy’s lyrics is rendered moot by the band charging $55.70 to attend the aforementioned show. Not cool in the economically devastating times in which the non-billionaires among us are currently trying to survive.

Trivium took two years to make their latest album, 2008’s Shogun. That’s ample time to write lyrics that at least, if nothing else, make sense.

But they don’t. If you’ve given the record even a cursory listen, you’ve probably left scratching your head – or wondering if frontman Matt Heafy is channeling some sort of extraterrestrial language.

And if you haven’t bothered to dig even deeper and actually pick apart the words, we’ll save you the trouble.

See, we like to pride ourselves as having at least some copy-editing experience. So we’re going to treat the lyrics to the record – which Trivium will continue to tour behind this fall – as if Heafy had submitted them to us for review. And because he seems to have a soft spot for clichés, we’ll point those out too.

“Kirisute Gomen”:

Cool track name for a metal song, as it references both Samurai warriors and James Bond. Off to a good start.

Living by the bloody creed

A creed is a set of beliefs. So, given that it’s not something physical, it can’t be bloody. Unless you’re using “bloody” as it’s used across the pond. Like, “If only my fellow, insufferable bloke countrymen didn’t believe in that bloody creed.” But you’re not British, so we have no idea what’s going on here.

Air of battle tasting stale
Reeks of deceit

Again, you’re attributing physical qualities to the metaphysical, which doesn’t fly. You can make an argument that air has a taste, but air cannot smell like deceit. Why? Because deceit doesn’t have a smell. Sure, some people say that dogs can “smell fear” or whatever, but last time we checked, battlefields weren’t occupied by legions of warmongering Jack Russell Terriers.

I can see in their eyes
They’ve already died
Inside, but as for the outside
I’ll take their fucking heads

So inside they’re dead … but they’re really still alive? Did this suddenly become a George Romero movie? And “As for the outside” just doesn’t fit here; maybe, “They’ve already died, but I’ll take their fucking heads anyway.” Because you’re a bloodthirsty metal warrior or something.

Quake has bred with the storm
Conceiving war

So wait, an earthquake mates with a storm and gives birth to … war? Even if you don’t mean this in the literal sense, we haven’t the slightest how an earthquake and a storm can be combined, and that the end result would be squadrons of soldiers fighting each other. “Humor has bred with nonsense/ Conceiving Shogun.” Now that would work.

I live by my own path in life

Cliché total: 1

No turning back now

Cliché total: 2

I won’t be held down

Cliché total: 3

Forced into a shallow grave built upon their empty ways

A grave is built upon something that’s empty? Brain starting to hurt …

There’s hell to pay

Cliché total: 4

A bloodied mess, flesh masquerade

“Flesh masquerade” has a nice ring to it, but as for “bloodied mess,” we’re pretty sure you mean “bloody mess.” Unless there was a mess in the first place, and then that existing mess got bloodied.

With all the blood making a flood

Oh come on, you’re rhyming now? Dude.

You made your path by crossing us

This can’t be possible.

He who spits the fire seethes
All he detests
Decapitating, bloody creed

Now the creed is not just able to be bloody but is also able to perform actions, like decapitating people? We thought you were the one doing the decapitating, per what you said above (“I’ll take their fucking heads”). Are you the creed? Have you pulled some sort of Dr. Manhattan move where you can reconstitute yourself as a concept or something?

“Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis”:

Another pat on the back for a killer song title. Metal bands don’t mine Greek mythology often enough.

Don’t hesitate, eradicate

Because we like the song title so much, we’ll give you a bye here.

Torn between Scylla and Charybdis
Feel the fear ripening, go taste it

No, no, no. Fear cannot ripen. Nor, for the reasons spelled out above, can it have a taste. How about “feel the waters ripping, I’m filled with fear”? ‘Cause that, you know, would tie in with the analogy you’re using – and it would also make sense.

Feast fruits of valor, if you face it

Cougar watermelon dashes vengeance altogether more.

Walls of carnage surround your weakness

No, they don’t. Because they can’t.

Crash down like oceans

Cliché total: 5

In total darkness, drowning in bleakness

How about just “drowning”? Isn’t that good enough? ‘Cause that would fit in smoothly – and coherently – with the whole Scylla and Charybdis concept. Assume that your audience is smart enough to already know that the situation is a bleak one.

Divided by destiny
Torn between death and doom

You almost succeeded here. “Torn between death and doom” – perfect, since Scylla and Charybdis were contrasting, equally fearsome monsters. But … “divided by destiny”? Aren’t the two destinies actually more or less the same here, since they both result in, you know, death?

Apprehension runs down your chin

Let’s go with “blood” instead of “apprehension.” Yeah, then this lyric will actually make sense.

Life’s a battle

Cliché total: 6

Face down that which makes you bleed
Turn it ’round and force your seed
Down

You mean, like, rape it?

“Down From the Sky”:

And the streak of clever song titles comes to an abrupt halt.

A chasm grows
With the cavity of serpentine teeth

Like where you’re going with this one, but “a chasm grows serpentine teeth” would be more economical – and sensible.

The vampires feed on the wars of mankind

Again, let’s go a little more economical here. “The vampires feed on the wars of mankind” becomes “The vampires feed on mankind” and – viola – that works.

I’ve opened up my eyes

Cliché total: 7

Seen the world for what it’s worth

Cliché total: 8

Tears rain down from the sky

We’re not sure if this even qualifies as a cliché. No, it doesn’t, because “cliché” implies that it’s overused – and no band besides Trivium would dare speak a phrase as lame as this.

They’ll blow it all to bits

Cliché total: 9

This battle’s not the same
Which they have led us to believe

Iraq war reference, maybe? Nice job here.

A synthesis of propaganda
Terror and deceit

Beautiful, you’re on a roll, keep up the good work …

We are the cattle
They the slaughter
Our meat: gasoline

Definitely talking about Iraq here … you got a gold star on the way …

They pump us through the machine’s valves
To cleanse the world’s “disease”

… All right, now you’re losing us. This metaphor is getting way overextended – and messy.

We are the ammunition
That will cause all life to cease

This is a bit clearer.

Annihilate
All those who stand in their way
Obliterate

Metal. Cool.

“Into the Mouth of Hell We March”:

Let’s just go with “Mouth of Hell.” You’ll keep the H.P. Lovecraft flair, and it’ll sound extra potent with the fat trimmed.

Life is hard, a fucking battle

Cliché total: 10

The time is now and here’s your drum roll

Cliché total: 11. Also, since there’s not actually a drum roll at this point in the song, let’s lose that part.

“Throes of Perdition”:

Staring the sun right in the eye

Since when does the sun have an eye? Unless you’re talking about the one in the “Teletubbies,” let’s just go with “staring at the sun.”

Vultures circle above, hyenas mocking the kill

Good, stock metal imagery.

Excrement drooling down their chins

Wait, what? Why are you suddenly talking about shit? Menacing hyenas are scary-sounding enough, there’s no need to have their faces smeared with shit. After all, these are hyenas, not monkeys.

Atop the cliffs I look down, into the starving Hell-mouth

You milked this metaphor enough in the last song. Let’s move on.

The rabid foam crashes hard on its teeth

No it doesn’t.

Their mouths salivate

No they don’t. And how is it that there are now two Hell-mouths? Is there a Hell-mouth-producing factory around here? If so, someone, please call the EPA.

They fear who leads and will kill to stay still

Please avoid rhymes-of-convenience from here on out, especially when they only serve to confuse.

Life feels like Hell should

This one has really been bothering us. It’s one thing to fall back on another “cliché” – “life is hell” (h/t Matt Groening) – but if you’re comparing what life feels like to something else, in this case Hell, you can’t then turn around and redefine what Hell should feel like. That’s like us saying, “This strawberry ice cream tastes like what Oreo cookie ice cream should.” Or something.

Pull another knife out
Stick it with rest of them
When my back is full
Turn me around to face it

This would defeat the whole purpose of sticking a knife in someone’s back.

“Insurrection”:

A straightforward song about destruction that is refreshingly cliché-free.

“The Calamity”:

The mother of ruination comes to fuck all
Mutilating everything, spread wide open, beckoning
Beckoning me

That’s a pretty perverse sexual fantasy, but we’ll let this one go.

Ripping a hole through the air we breathe

Nah, that’s not possible.

An apocalypse
Encased in a shell, so beautiful

Really. If this is true, we’re hopping aboard the End-Timer train.

We’re screaming without sound

Cliché total: 12

Come crater our woe out

Are you trying to use “crater” as a verb here? That’s acceptable – just not in this sense. When you “crater” something, you’re making indentations in it. “Crater” isn’t synonymous with “scoop” or “extract.” Plus, even if it were, then “woe” could not be the subject of this sentence.

The banishment of everything once alive will start now

Unless you’re banishing zombies, then you’re being mighty redundant here. Simple way to make this sentence make sense: Subtract the words “once” and “alive.”

“He Who Spawned the Furies”:

Another Greek mythology reference, cool. But why not quit the posturing and just call the song “The Furies”? Because the song is actually about Cronus? Still, go with our suggestion instead.

The afterbirth has barely dried

Gross. But hey, this is metal, so it flies. As does most of the rest of the song.

“Of Prometheus and the Crucifix”:

Ooo, more Greek mythology – plus the Bible too? Good metal synergy.

My flesh is ripped at daily
It’s the cross I bear

Credit is where credit is due: Comparing Prometheus’ punishment to Jesus Christ’s? That actually kinda works.

I feel it tear out my insides
A pain so heavy I could collapse
I feel it just may kill me
I must brave through this storm

Since Prometheus is immortal, we’re not sure he can feel pain. And likewise, we’re pretty positive he isn’t under the impression that he’s going to die anytime soon, as he undergoes the eternal punishment of having his liver pecked out of his belly every day. Plus, there’s no need to introduce another metaphor here – that of a storm. We already get the drift.

Also, that last line brings the cliché total to 12.

I am made exemplary
Lashed up by the public scene

Wrong, wrong, wrong. He is being made an example of, not exemplary. Exemplary means something special. And that’s not what’s happening here; Prometheus is being punished as a way of telling humans they should be careful not to upset the gods.

Bleed my heart upon the grounds

Just eliminate the words “my” and “heart,” and you’ll be in good shape.

You’ve turned this scapegoat into
The lion that will devour you whole

If you’re talking about Christ here, don’t you mean “martyr” instead of “scapegoat”? You should be familiar with the former term, given that one of your older songs is tragically named “Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr.”

“Like Callisto to a Star in Heaven”:

Causing the exile of your life

Dude, just say, “Causing your life to end.” Even if it doesn’t rhyme. Because this lyric is awful.

“Shogun”:

Won’t hold my tongue from lashing out

Give us a second to cringe over this overwrought combination of two clichés.

Cliché total: 14

Drawn by the blood that I have shed

Ditto.

Cliché total: 16

Time will not heal all of your pain

Cliché total: 17

I cannot wait for it all to come crashing
Down

Cliché total: 18

Look within to calm the storm

Cliché total: 19

There’s no turning back

Cliché total: 20

And there it is. Heafy, next time you’re writing song lyrics, don’t hesitate to give us a jingle. Our hourly rate is affordable. We promise.

This entry was posted on 11/15/2025 at 7:40 am and is filed under Essays, Sound Off with tags Matt Heafy, Trivium. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.