Trivium kick off the UK leg of the Ascendancy Tour at Leeds Cockpit, where the band had played a few months before during the Roadrunner Roadrage tour to a half empty venue.
Since then the band have played a blinding set at this years download festival, toured the entire world and made some friends and enemy's at Ozzfest, and now the venue has long since sold out.
Outside the venue kids have been hanging about for a few hours trying to get in or to just grab a chance meeting with their new hero's of rock.
We have returned have a chat with Matt about their crazy year so far, and how our mates Trivium are doing...
Thanks for giving us the time again for a quick chat.
How have trivium been since we last you here with 3 inches of blood and still remains on the Roadrage tour?
Matt - Oh it's just blown up man, about twice, five times the size at least here, it's been absolutely crazy, when we go out in the street we get mobbed..
Yea?
It's awesome.
Yea you seemed to be getting a lot of interest from everywhere the last time were here.
Well we'll see what happens tonight, I don't really know.
How was Ozzfest?
Ozzfest? well the shows where good, the fans were good, that's all I've got to say about it..
Hahaha.
That's it man, I mean we got treated like shit by security, the Iron maiden fiasco, we took our side, I mean we love Black Sabbath we think Ozzy's cool but the people that did it is fucked up.
Yea we all read about it on the internet and magazines.
We were there and we did what we could.
Yea?
We put Iron Maiden banners on our stage, ended with the trooper everyday and we'd all wear Iron Maiden T-shirts everyday.
When I first read what had happened I thought it must have been some kind of hyped up prank or something.
We got fucked with because of that too
Yea?
We got bottles of piss thrown at us everyday
Was there a kind of divide between an Ozzy camp and Maiden camp then?
I dont even know, we got the PA cut on us on the last day.
Ah right, bit too handy to be a coincidence, I mean PA's dont just turn themselves off do they?
They don't, but the shows where great and the fans where great and that's all that matters.
Your diary is looking pretty full with dates in Europe with arch enemy after this
Yea we go through Europe and then onto Japan with arch enemy, then we are back in the states
That takes you right upto December time right?
Yea, but we've been straight touring since April '04 though
So I was wondering what kind of things you were looking forward to next year?, more of the same?
I'm really looking forward to writing, and I'm really looking forward to coming back a third time with this tour, coz it's going to be twice the size of this, I'm looking forward to Download next year and recording a new album, and maybe having a small vacation.
You recently did very well at the Kerrang awards with Best international newcomer, and playing with Rob Flynn.
Yea it was a cover medley it was amazing, he's one of hero's, it was great being able to jam with him.
Obviously you've been involved with the Roadrunner United project, I was wondering how you got involved in that?
Our A&R guy just called me up one day and asked if I'd want to do it, I wrote 4 songs on the road, I wrote 4 songs in 2 weeks, came home and recorded everything in a week.
I was going to ask about the recording
It was really good, but really quick, we didn't get much time to like hang out it was just in out, in out, in out, done.
Yea track that's available to download from Robs team seems to be getting people interested
My songs are really interesting, instead of writing songs that sound like my songs, I wrote a song that sounds like king diamond, a punk rock song, a black metal song, and a southern rock song.
Will all the songs be on the album?
They are all on there, I've even shot a video with Deano which will be out soon.
Ok, really looking forward to hearing it all.
What's the best thing about playing in Trivium?
I think the best things about playing in Trivium is that it's really been a growing experience, I mean it's like what month is it now?
erm, September
Yea, if you think back to even September 2004, no one knew who the fuck we were, now you've bands saying we're assholes, press and fans saying we're the next big thing, but it's really awesome there's some really cool stuff happening.
Does it get overwhelming at times?
No, we want to take it to the next level.
What would you say is the worst thing about playing in Trivium?
Being away from family and friends I guess.
Ok, What advice would you give any other young up and coming bands that aren't being slated by the press or being told that there great all the time?
Keep doing it until you are, I mean we didn't get here by luck, we got here by hard fucking work, we've been playing '99, I've been in this band since '99, you've go to believe in yourself, you know not listen to all the shit talkers, all the people that will hate you, and keep doing it for yourself and remember that you love doing it, and keep reminding yourself that it is possible.
Yea it's clear when checking out the website with all the older pictures of your first trips to Europe that you have been doing it a while and your not just a new things that has just happened.
Yea I mean the first show I did with Trivium I was 13
Hahaha, so you've kinda grown up in the band?
Yea, it takes a while, I think one of the biggest things is people are always asking me, "How do I get signed?, how do you sign to Roadrunner?"
You don't send your shit to them, they find you, they find the bands that they want to sign, in fact they are checking out one of our friends bands Sanctity right now..
Oh, we'll keep an eye out for them then
They are incredible, we are hoping to play with them the next time we are over here.