Hey friends!

Life has been good. I'll backtrack...

When shogun came out, we started writing music individually for what we knew would be material for the next record.

The three guitarists all separately started putting music together mentally, dressing-room-edly, crappy computer recorded demoedly, etc.

As technology progressed, we each started manning different programs to record with- I'll go into detail of mine- first was programming all digital guitar parts of what would be my parts into apple logic. The next phase was putting real guitars onto that.

From there we all passed the songs around and compiled vocally our ideas for each other to better the songs. Throughout the later tours, we started learning the selected songs as combos, trios, then the band. We would jam some at sound checks and rehearsals, crafting the pieces together.

Once the cycle ended for shogun, we knew better which 20 from the initial 40ish we would select to work as a band. We worked for weeks to craft each song perfectly, nailing 15-18 songs.

Some trimming here and there, a spontaneous new song and ex-ing of familiars left us with 15 perfect songs for the record.

We prepro live simultaneously recorded 13-17 of them, narrowing down again... So 15 now.

Next was click track setting with scratch guitars to prep for a more polished version of the demos. (the previous had rhythm guitars, bass, and drums recorded live; vocals and solos and melodies placed over them separately.

The purpose of the first round was for us to finally hear our actual songs played by the band. This next round is to perfect the songs, and hopefully use the scratch guitars and clicks for the real record.

15 songs. Whew.

In other news. Returning from the Florida keys right now as I type. (I'm obviously not driving.) it was a fantatic experience. Spent the first day in fort lauderdale and Miami with a guided tour from Paolo; the first 3 keys days were rained out, so we visited the in door spots.
The next batch were all snorkeling and diving (breath held, non scuba for me). I learned how to swim down, poke the lobsters with a metal stick to lead them into a net. Lobsters propel backwards at an incredible speed when threatened, so the behind the net technique was a good trap. The second to last day found my father in law teaching me how to "clean" them.

I apologized to each lobster before hand. You have to grasp by the tail and spin... It is barbaric, but it is also living off of seasonably, sustainable local wildlife.

I'm really into food, and having a live lobster, being able to cook and eat immediately with a bottle of wine was a truly amazing experience.

I'm a firm believer in responsible farming and hunting (staying within season for vegetables, animals, etc).

Practiced basketball quite a bit too. There was a court nearby.

The ride home has consisted of: brazilian jazz, angra, Paco de Lucia, beach house, death cab for cutie, nevermore, and others.

kidding.

mwahhahahahaaaaaa!

got ya.

anywho.

update. we currently have 16 new songs. 16! we aren't even slated to begin tracking the record until late september... so, basically we're further along than we've ever been (in terms of "record" time).

i really feel this batch of songs is something all four of us completely back and stand behind; we're all very proud of the music coming about- and i promise this is the greatest collaboration of our band to date. we've made records technically "as a band" before (if by "as a band" you mean we're all on the cd together). this time around however, all four of us are constantly pushing each other; challenging each other to push the boundaries of comfort; go beyond the first, second, third, or twentieth impulse. it's really shaping into something special.

as we've hinted at before- we do have everything in line for what is going on conceptually, musically, artistically, etc, but unlike before (where we keep giving little bits of info or excerpts that are difficult to digest as merely a component of the whole), we're going to hold off until everything is together before unveiling our masterpiece.

i know you're all going to love it; we all love what we're currently creating- and it's all for you and the four of us to enjoy together.

i hope all is going fantastic

matt

Hey !

life is going great.

moustachemay is going fantastically, new pic up today here: http://moustachemay.com/staches/kiichi/2625/. music is going great- we currently have 9 songs ready. 9!!!

we have never been this productive and creative ever as a band; it's truly inspiring to be so inspired. haha.

so. 9 songs. all with choruses and solo ideas!

gotta run!

xoxo
mkh

hi!

so i just posted a twitter update that you can find at the bottom of this...

but what's new in triviumy land.

it looks like the site is revamped! which is nice.
we've been resting a bit before getting ready to get into jamming for the next record...

we start the last monday of this month to start prepping for our last show on may 1st.
oh! shit. i forgot to mention on twitter...
i'm most likely participating in this years mustache may! hahaha... i know it sounds insane. but it's gonna rule. and jon paul douglass (my photog buddy) is gonna be my sponsor/ photographer. it's going to be hilarious.

we have so many songs it's kind of silly actually... so many really killer tunes happening too. lots of song titles, lyrics, music, etc... lots of vision for the artwork, photos, videos, and all that.
before we kind of came up with everything as we went, but this time- everything is being thought of a ton before it's ever actually created or finalized.
we want this to be the one.
well- live i guess i said it would be... so yes. it will be. ha.

gibson/epiphone!
it is gonna happen.

it's going to be a les paul custom body- we're gonna do a limited run on gibson custom (which is the super high end ones) and do a full on epiphone run of les paul custom mkh's. i'm going to carefully oversee every step and be sure that the gibs and epis are amazing.
i just tried a bunch of their custom epi stuff- and it kicks the shit out of "some" guitar companies' main USA stock that i've played. which is pretty damn awesome.

aside from all that... i hope everything is going awesome- we're gonna be keeping you all in mind when we make this new music- we want everyone to love it... and to convert all the non-believers into the trivium warriors like you and me.

peacceeee

xoxo




twitter post

yo!

sporadic tweets i know.

so what's new. (be prepared for hastily typed, stream-of-consciousness-bad-grammared twitlonger-ish stuff...)

vacation has been great. finally willed myself back into a gym schedule (it had been 6-8 months since physical exercise) so that's good and productive and all...

hmm.

watched a buncha movies, played a buncha games, watched a lot of TV.

lost has been ruling. last night's episode was fantastic (was also really into the episode about Richard).

last night's south park was fantastic! i really liked how they brought back alllll the
celebs and even some old school cartman drama.

glee is back. hahah. yes. i do like this show a ton.

"world's greatest dad" was a dark indie comedy starring robin williams. (robin williams is a teacher with an asshole of a son; who, accidentally, kills himself. williams is a failed book writer, who then forges a suicide note that becomes a hit... check it out.

rewatching matrix blu ray. 1st one down.

bought lotr trilogy blu ray... yet to watch.

rebeat codmw2 (switched back to ps3, sellin the xbox... sorrrrryyy xboxers)

gow3 rules.

eh... constructive stuff... vacuumed, mopped, shop-vacced, obsessively cleaned up the entire house multiple times. (i think it's a way that i adjust to being home and off tour.)

it is nice to be home for a little break- still been writing some pretty darn good stuff for the next record. we resume practice the last monday of this month (to prep for our most-likely-last-show of the entire year in orlando. earth day birthday is the name of the show- playing with korn, papa roach, sevendust, etc.

apogee hooked me up with the new ONE. it is spectacular- i just received the little stand thing via ups. just now.

gibson and epiphone are going do definitely do a matt heafy signature. this is a dream come true. so we're currently in talks of what and how and all that good stuff.

aside from all that... i've just been eating, relaxing, exercising, playing games/watching tv/movies, and hanging with family.

if you're in orlando, be sure to check some of this out...

for a local farmer's market that actually sells meat (a rarity in orlando): stardust/autobahn market on monday's 6-10pm: bigwheel provisions.

sushi: shin sushi on orange
mexican/puerto rican: el coqui mexicano
turkish: bosphorous (trick is to go with 4-6 people and share. huge portions/ overpriced if just two of you.)
vietnamese: little saigon
thai: s.e.a. thai
gastro pub: ravenous pig

many others- but hit those first.

that's it!

hey my friends.

i know i've been sparsely posting.
i know twitter has been a desert.
i have damn good reason. again.

well... as you can all see. today was a big day. a lot of news happened. a ton of feelings got mixed, clarified, exacerbated... and to clarify... here's a new episode of terrance and phillip...
i kid.

so.

i'll backtrack.

life has been busy.

i'll go back to the 2 legs of the north american headliner...

we were ambiguous... mysterious... evasive.
we had to be.
the last time line up changes in trivium happened (yes, there have been tons actually... i'm the 2nd singer, paolo the 4th or 5th bassist, corey the 2nd or 3rd guitarist, nick now the 2nd drummer.... mind you- all this happened BEFORE ascendancy).

it's not like we know how to do it, how to be and say and all that.
and hell. i felt bad about it. (specifically meaning when we got to hang with all of you on the tours, or hear about your questions via TW or myspace, etc... and you all knew SOMETHING was up.)

the truth is... (if we can keep it completely, strictly between trivium world and myself)... is that the truth is really long. it gets strewn up and confused in depictions and definitions and memories and anger and happiness...
but in all honesty, with everything that is currently going on (specifically and only referring to the drummer thing) is that there are so many sides... so many things... and so many damn details in the span of 1999-2010.
the ONLY people that could possibly wholely understand it all are the 4 (shogun line-up) trivium members. but maybe even they can't fully.

to put it all in exact terms how i'm feeling right now....

there are things in life... (relationships, careers, bands, college major choices, etc, etc)... that sometimes, with no matter how much good or bad or mediocre- just don't work out the way they were at first. and for all parties involved (or at worst: the GREATER good of the majority) that certain things need a change.
it's an obvious greater change for a majority in this case (the 4 current triviums)... but i truly, in my heart believe that (whether it's going to take days, months, weeks, years) that everyone involved with the change will recognize that this is for the mental and physical health and best for everyone who (was) involved.

i know my grammar stinks a tad... glass of barossa wine in post practice, pre-dinner...

all things aside- it was time for a change. a change that was 100% necessary for the lives of everyone involved. and if it didn't happen- everything. EVERYTHING would have been comprimised. for everyone involved... you all especially as well.

"the proof is in the pudding" (a quote i'm sure has existed longer than my week ago discovery of it- via manager/best friend justin arcangel) is something that will be apparent for everyone in the trivium-universe (people that love, hate, or apathetically *insert word here*) is something aptly applied to "shattering".

when you all hear it. you'll know.

i feel the true friends and fans of us will simply know... within the first listen of the song.

it's a puzzling thing that isn't just defined properly or easily by anyone... just hear it. give it a chance- and you'll know where our band is going.

we just wrote two more songs within the week... they're even better than "shattering."

it's like we're a new band.

we have art ideas, photo ideas, video ideas, music ideas, live show ideas... everything- for the next record.
it's all for the people involved (the band, the fans, the friends) and we're going to nail it, purely in the name of love. love of music.

i hope my ramble wasn't too rambley...

life is going in an amazing direction now
you'll see.