Trivium’s Matt Heafy has named the most personal song he’s ever written.
During an audience Q&A in the new issue of Metal Hammer, the singer/guitarist says Departure, from Trivium’s breakthrough second album Ascendancy, marks one of the most personal and difficult pieces of songwriting he’s ever done.
The song tackles themes of depression, suicidal ideation and other mental health issues, and chronicles Heafy “finding [the] encouragement to tackle those things head-on”, as he explains.
“Ascendancy’s Departure was one of the toughest songs I’ve written,” Heafy begins. “It deals with the intense depression that I’ve dealt with most of my life. As I’ve grown into adulthood, I’ve become more aware of what makes me tick and got some of these things figured out in terms of why my brain reacts in certain ways due to anxiety, OCD, ADHD… All those things that can couple up and lead to depression.”
He continues: “Departure was me finding encouragement to tackle those things head-on, and thoughts of suicide and not wanting to exist on this planet anymore.”
Heafy adds that “it’s been intense going back to some of those [Ascendancy-era] songs” as Trivium prepare for a co-headlining world tour with Bullet For My Valentine in 2025. The bands will play their respective 2005 albums, Ascendancy and The Poison, in full to celebrate their 20th anniversaries. See dates and details below.
For his part, Bullet For My Valentine frontman Matt Tuck says his most personal material is on the band’s sixth album, 2018’s Gravity. “That’s the only moment in my life I’ve really struggled with mental health issues,” he says. “That entire record was a battle – a battle to put out, a battle to please the fans, because I always knew it’d be divisive.”
Tuck adds: “But once I decided to let myself fully invest in that side of me and not give a fuck, it was a liberating experience and was a big part of my recovery.”
As well as the Q&A with Heafy and Tuck, the new issue of Metal Hammer features a massive interview with Papa Roach as they gear up to mark 25 years of Infest. It also lists nu metal’s greatest deep cuts, details the return of Linkin Park and visits Epica in the studio as their record their next album. Order your copy now and get it delivered directly to your door.
Trivium / Bullet For My Valentine 2025 tour dates:
Jan 26: Cardiff Utilita Arena, UK
Jan 27: Cardiff Utilita Arena, UK
Jan 28: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Jan 30: Manchester Co-op Live, UK
Jan 31: Birmingham Utilita Arena, UK
Feb 01: London The O2, UK
Feb 02: Düsseldorf Mitsubishi Electric Hall, Germany
Feb 04: Stuttgart Scheleyer-Hall, Germany
Feb 05: Zurich The Hall, Switzerland
Feb 07: Paris Le Zenith, France
Feb 09: Antwerp Lotto Arena, Belgium
Feb 10: Hannover Swiss Life Hall, Germany
Feb 11: Amsterdam AFAS Live, Netherlands
Feb 13: Hamburg Sporthalle, Germany
Feb 14: Berlin Max-Schmeling-Halle, Germany
Feb 15: Frankfurt Jahrhunderthalle, Germany
Feb 17: Milan Alcatraz, Italy
Feb 18: Munich Zenith, Germany
Feb 19: Vienna Stadthalle, Austria
Feb 21: Gliwice Arena, Poland
Feb 22: Prague Forum Karlin, Czechia
Feb 23: Luxembourg Rockhal, Luxembourg
Feb 26: Lisbon Campo Pequeno, Portugal
Feb 27: Madrid Vistalegre, Spain
Mar 30: Vancouver PNE Forum, Canada
Apr 01: Seattle Paramount Theatre, WA
Apr 03: San Francisco The Masonic, CA
Apr 04: Wheatland Hard Rock Live, CA
Apr 05: Reno Grand Sierra Resort Grand Theatre, NV
Apr 08: Denver Fillmore Auditorium, CO
Apr 10: Las Vegas The Pearl Concert Theater, NV
Apr 11: Inglewood YouTube Theater, CA
Apr 12: Phoenix Arizona Financial Theatre, AZ
Apr 15: Dallas Gilley’s South Side Ballroom, TX
Apr 16: San Antonio Boeing Center At Tech Port, TX
Apr 17: Houston Bayou Music Center, TX
Apr 19: Chesterfield The Factory, MO
Apr 20: Omaha Steelhouse Omaha, NE
Apr 22: Green Bay Epic Event Center, WI
Apr 23: Grand Rapids GLC Live at 20 Monroe, MI
Apr 26: Chicago Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom, IL
Apr 27: Detroit The Fillmore Detroit, MI
Apr 29: Pittsburgh Stage AE Outdoors, PA
Apr 30: Philadelphia The Fillmore Philadelphia, PA
May 02: Boston MGM Music Hall at Fenway, MA
May 03: Laval Place Bell, Canada
May 04: Toronto Great Canadian Resort, Canada
May 06: Washington DC The Anthem
May 07: New York The Rooftop at Pier 17, NY
May 09: Bethlehem Wind Creek Event Center, PA
May 11: Nashville The Pinnacle, TN
May 13: Corbin The Corbin Arena, KY
May 14: Atlanta Coca-Cola Roxy, GA
May 17: Charlotte Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre, NC
May 18: Raleigh Red Hat Amphitheater, NC
