Paolo Gregoletto of Trivium

What was it like recording new album in the middle of a pandemic and all of this crazy social unrest in the world today?

It was sort of like our little escape from it all, cuz we really weren’t going out or doing anything. We were trying to stay safe as possible – especially if we were going to be with each other inside for long periods. It was crazy, but it was also a nice way to shut everything out and really focus ourselves on this project and putting everything we had into it – because we really had no other distractions or other things to worry about. It was kind of freeing in a lot of ways because normal scenario, we’re worrying about tours coming up, because you’re always juggling so many things. It was just nice to have a clean slate – it’s record time – just focus on that – don’t worry about anything else – and we’re going to see this through until we feel it’s done.

What as it like being on a tour with Megadeth and Lamb Of God after not being on the road all of this time, and what were some of the highlights for you?

The shows themselves were the highlights because seeing that many people come out after a long period of no touring was just a really great feeling. It was extremely successful – in the midst of all this stuff happening – tours cancelling – shows being moved – it just felt like to get through this tour and to make it happen was a real big accomplishment for all of the bands on it. It just felt great playing. And then aside from that, being back out on tour with the guys, with the crew – we had to adjust our usual off day activities which is usually going to restaurants and stuff like that – so we always had to find places that had outdoor seating just to have extra safety with everything – just to make sure there were no issues the entire time. Even though we did have an issue at the beginning, but after that we really tried to do our best. I’m just very happy we got through it because we kind of had to be the example that it could be done – that you could be safe – you can do you best and you can make the shows happen. For us, no matter what, we would have made shows happen. Whatever form of the band could have gone onstage would have gone up there. If I had to mix the show myself, I would have done it.

That was very true. You guys were one of the first major tours to get out there.

Yeah, we were definitely kind of the Guinea pigs, I guess.

You have a 20-year anniversary coming up with your previous band Metal Militia. Your album Perpetual State Of Aggression came out 20 years ago next year.

Oh wow! That’s insane!

When you look back on the album, what do you think of it now in retrospect?

You know – it’s kind of funny – I think about it nostalgically obviously – that was my first real band – but also feeling a little vindicated that like playing thrash – we were a little too early for the third wave of thrash. Actually, when Trivium really started to kind of take-off, I feel like there was a thrash resurgence with a lot of bands, which was cool. (Metal Militia) was kind of early to the game. I don’t feel like we influenced any of those bands at all, but it was just cool that some people were thinking about the same things. We were just a little too early for that kind of scene. But it was fun – it was a learning experience for me. I was the main guy pretty much all the way through, so I had to learn a lot of stuff about dealing with other people in bands – and dealing with everything that comes with being in a band – recording, playing shows, getting people to take stuff seriously, dealing with egos. Locals bands are full of drama. If anything, you come out of that and realize how much more dramatic being in a local band can sometimes be. Local scenes can be really cutthroat.

One of the shows Metal Militia played was the infamous Milwaukee Metalfest. What was that experience like?

I think it was my first time playing out of state. There were so many bands. That was my first time playing on a festival, so it was a good kind of experience of things to come – just seeing what it was like playing to a decent amount of people. It was my first time playing in an arena which was pretty exciting. Just flying out to the gig – just the whole process – it was really fun. I think I was like 16 or 17 when we did that. It really wasn’t too long before I was linking up with Trivium – maybe like two years later. But it was cool getting out and seeing a lot of other bands. I actually got to see some cool stuff – I think it was like Decapitated’s first tour in America with the original lineup – it was unbelievable – they were so good! Macabre was there – they were really fun. Vital Remains with Glen Benton was really fun. I got to through all the cool vendors and buy a bunch of CD’s and stuff that I couldn’t find anywhere. So, it was like a great overall experience.

How did you initially wind up connecting with Trivium? You were still in Metal Militia at the time…

Years before that, we played a show in Daytona – they were on the bill – we were on the bill – it was like a festival type

gig but there wasn’t that many people there – it was like inside of a club. So, we kind of connected a little there. And we reconnected – funny enough it was the Milwaukee Metalfest promoter Jack Koshick’s other festival in Florida – the only time this happened called the Sun and Steel Festival in Tampa. Trivium was on it – it was right after Trivium got signed, I think. Trivium was about to go on their first tour ever. We kind of linked up there. And I was at the point where I felt my band was sort of at its end. I had been through so many lineup changes with people either not taking it serious or not fitting in with me. And it was like okay it’s run its course and I maybe need to look for something else. I’m very happy that I was able to see that and feel that, and feel like I needed to move on to something else. Because a lot of times I think that’s a very hard thing to do, because when you’re the main person, you don’t want to relinquish the control you have and everything. For me, it really wasn’t even about that – it was can I play with people who are on the same level as me in terms of taking this serious and of course playing. And I felt like Trivium was definitely a band on that level, but obviously they had their own setup already done – they had a bass player who actually quit a couple of weeks after that tour – and then they got a fill in that just didn’t work = and then it was just like our fate sort of aligned there. They needed a bass player – I needed a new band – we did a tour with Machine Head and Chimaera, and it worked! We gelled, and we went and recorded Ascendency a couple of months later – and it was just off to the races from there. Even though it didn’t feel like it, there was a lot of down time after Ascendency was recorded – we didn’t get out on tour for a couple of months. But once we started touring, it was all year – 250 shows for the next couple of years every year. Yeah, it was just crazy how it all just happened like that. It was a real chance event, but I took advantage of the opportunity.

Are you currently involved with any other bands or projects outside of Trivium?

No, I’ve not had any desire to do more than Trivium. It’s such a full-time thing, and so much of my creative output just feels like it needs to go into Trivium. Especially now that we have this hangar, we have a lot of ideas of things we want do there besides just our normal rehearsals. Eventually we’re going to have our studio built there as well. We have so many ideas of things we’d like to do when we’re not touring. And of course, everyone now lives in Orlando. I have a new kid – Alex has a new kid – so I feel like that is my other full-time project outside of Trivium – making sure that she’s raised and that I’m fully there for her. I don’t want to get too sidetracked. Trivium again is so full time – and this is without even touring full time at the moment until we really get back to it next year. Just enjoying family time and then Trivium time.

10 albums in, and it sound like this is still exciting for you and the band…

Yeah, yeah – I don’t feel like we’ve lost that excitement. If anything, we’ve kind if gained it back even more so since The Sin And The Sentence. When Alex got in the band, it just felt like this real burst of energy with me, Matt, and Corey. And I feel like with Alex bringing this whole new set of skills into our band – and this great attitude and vibe – it just kind of reinvigorated the entire project. And I feel like for fans, they feel the same. You can sense it. The moment we started playing together live, because the first thing Alex did with us was the European tour before we even got to making a record with him. We really felt like we had a good thing going right from day one.

Alex has been in a lot of cool bands himself in the past such as Battlecross and Dragonlord. So, do you have any messages for Trivium fans in the States who are reading this now?

I just want to thank everyone who has either picked up a copy, ordered a copy, or streamed the new album In The Court Of The Dragon. We wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing right now – we wouldn’t be as far as we are – we wouldn’t be on Album 10 – we wouldn’t have a hangar where we could come up with all these crazy projects and ideas and kind of have a home base to base ourselves out of – without the level of support we’ve had. I think a lot of people say that about their fans. But 10 albums in, I feel like we’ve been very vindicated that we have some of most diehard fans in the world – and we wouldn’t be this far without them.

https://www.trivium.org/