Trivium’s Matt Heafy Discusses Metal + New Side Project at Rare Acoustic Show in New York City

With Trivium‘s Matt Heafy slated to perform an acoustic set at the Moscot Gallery and Music Space on the corner of Orchard and Delancey Street in New York City on Monday (Aug. 13) night, the 50 or so lucky fans who were clamoring to get in were in for a treat.

Heafy doesn’t do solo acoustic performances often. In fact, throughout the night, he kept reminding the crowd how nervous he was to not have his fellow bandmates onstage helping him out. Fortunately, for those lucky few in attendance, Heafy’s nervousness was only in his head. He gave an absolutely unforgettable intimate performance. From opening with Depeche Mode’s ‘The Sweetest Perfection’ to closing the night out with his band’s ‘Built to Fall,’ the night was full of surprises.

In addition to playing a seven song set, Heafy took questions throughout the performance from the crowd. He discussed his favorite Metallica song (‘Master of Puppets’), talked about how if he wasn’t doing music he would love to be “doing food,” and even gave fans a glimpse into his next project, Mrityu.

“It was originally intended to be full-on black metal … 90s style, second or third wave black metal,” Heafy told the crowd. Things changed, though, when he and Ihsahn, the founder of Norwegian black metal band Emperor, started discussing the project. “Somehow we got in touch and I sent the demo along. He started passing a few things to me to listen to, films to watch, CDs to check out, and it inspired this band to become this whole other thing. I don’t even know what to call the genre anymore.

“It’s not going to play shows. It’s just me on vocals, guitar and bass. I’m going to have Nick [Augusto] on drums. If it ever did play live, I’ll only have Trivium guys play in it,” Heafy said. “You’ll maybe see something with that band a year from now. It’s got to be staggered with the Trivium release. So yeah, I’ll be doing another thing. I guess you can call it extreme metal.”

As the frontman for one of the biggest American heavy metal bands, Heafy shared his opinion on the current state of metal, specifically looking at the United States’ metal scene. “People look at metal as kind of a genre of music in the U.S. and the U.K. Yes, it is obviously a genre of music, but other places in the world take it as a lifestyle, like it’s this thing that’s far beyond just something you turn on quickly,” he explained. “That’s the way I’ve always lived with metal … A big thing with our band lately is definitely that we’ve been re-energized for our love of the genre, that it goes beyond just a sound and a style of music. I think everyone should carry that through and defend it as more than just a genre of music.”

Late in the evening he added, “New bands, I won’t say what genres, are doing very trendy things, things that are very of the moment. As a metal fan, it’s kind of scary, but I’m fortunate that we’re able to keep doing what we’re doing.”

Seeing Heafy pour his heart and soul into covering some of the most important songs in his life and rip into Trivium tunes with a single acoustic guitar was a unique experience that will not soon be forgotten. For those lucky enough to be in attendance, this proved to be the concert of a lifetime.

Heafy’s performance at the Moscot Gallery and Music Space benefited an organization that he feels very strongly about, the Moscot MobilEyes Foundation. According to its website, MobilEyes’ mission is “to preserve sight and improve lives by providing free quality medical eyecare and eyewear to New York City’s underserved populations.”

Trivium’s Matt Heafy Acoustic Set List, 8/13/12

Depeche Mode – ‘The Sweetest Perfection’

Elvis Presley – ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’

Nine Inch Nails – ‘Hurt’

Roy Orbison – ‘In Dreams’

Opeth – ‘Harvest’

Trivium – ‘Dying In Your Arms’

Trivium – ‘Built To Fall’