Trivium’s Ascend Above the Ashes tour with Jinjer and Heriot made its stop at The Fillmore in New Orleans on December 12th, and it was one of those nights where everything just clicked into place from start to finish. From the moment you walked in, you could tell the crowd was ready, as the room was already full waiting on the openers. The Filmore was full of band shirts, people catching up over beers, and that loud background noise that always means something epic is about to go down.
Heriot opened the night and didn’t ease anyone into it, just a full assault out of the gate. They came out loud, aggressive, and straight to the point. No long speeches, no buildup, they delivered just heavy riffs and pure intensity. The raw vocal power of Debbie Gough and Jake Packer created a cacophony of sound that filled the earholes of everyone in the venue, like a metalcore sound bath. They’re the kind of opener that makes you stop whatever you’re doing and actually watch and throw down. By the end of their set, the crowd was already moving and fully pumped, which doesn’t always happen that early in the night.
When Jinjer hit the stage, the energy skyrocketed all the way up. You could feel the shift immediately. Tatiana is an absolute force live, where one second she’s delivering these brutal vocals that hit you in the chest and the next she’s singing clean like it’s nothing. It is like seeing a demon and angel possess the same body on stage. The band was locked in as always, and the groove in their songs really came through live, especially as bassist Eugene let the rhythm of the songs echo through the venue and Vlad provided the heartbeat. The pit started up fast as the Ukrainian quartet opened with “Duél” and really hit its peak during “Rogue”, but it never felt out of control, just people letting loose and feeling the music, while others crowd surfed over the top. “Someone’s Daughter” hit hard emotionally, and when they played “Pisces,” the entire room felt locked in together. The fan favorite song always lands live, and this night was no exception, delivering the perfect closing for an extraordinary set.
By the time Trivium came on, The Fillmore was completely packed and bursting with metal filled energy. They came out with a ton of confidence and energy, and it showed right away, as Matt Heafy yelled at the crowd and the crowd gave it right back at him, stomping and jumping as the band led into “In Waves”. The floor felt like it was about to cave in as the crowd went wild. The set flowed together like a well orchestrated Spotify setlist, jumping between older fan favorites and newer tracks without killing the momentum. There was never a lull in the intensity and it could be used as the perfect gym soundtrack! Songs like “Like Light to the Flies” and “Strife” had everyone screaming along. The Filmore show put on display how long Trivium has been doing this, and how masterful they still are at it. The floor showed off how hardcore the fanbase is, as they knew every word and never slowed down in the pit. What stood out most was how connected the band felt to the crowd. Matt Heafy talked just enough between songs to keep things personal, but mostly let the music speak for itself. The band’s sound felt natural, like they were genuinely enjoying playing this set in New Orleans delivering an electrifying night of music that carried onto the streets after the night ended.
By the end of the night, everyone was exhausted in the best way, but too hyped up to rest. Ears were ringing, voices shot, shirts soaked, giving all the signs of a great show. Walking out of The Fillmore, it felt like one of those nights you’ll randomly think about months later and go, yeah, that was a killer one. No weak sets, no dull moments, just a solid, heavy show from start to finish, and exactly why live metal never gets old.
Follow Trivium, Jinjer and Herior on their socials below:
Trivium: Instagram // Facebook
Jinjer: Instagram // Facebook
Heriot: Instagram // Facebook
