Rock and metal are known for pushing boundaries, often embracing the outrageous and experimental. From the teased-out hair of glam rock to Jimmy Page's iconic double-neck guitar with Led Zeppelin, rockstars are no strangers to going over the top. And according to Guitar, Matt Heafy, Trivium's guitarist, is right in line with that tradition.
In a conversation with Metal Hammer alongside Bullet For My Valentine's Matt Tuck, Heafy reflected on his love for extended-range guitars—specifically, the nine-string guitar. While Tuck mentioned he'd been learning the seven-string, Heafy encouraged him to take it even further, declaring, "You've gotta try the nine-string now!" He acknowledges the extra strings can feel a bit excessive, calling the guitar "silly," yet Heafy finds it undeniably fun, "I don't think it'd fit Trivium or Bullet but it's so much fun to play."
This isn't the first time Heafy's enthusiasm for the nine-string has made waves. Back in 2021, Amsterdam's custom shop, Red Layer Guitars, crafted a nine-string specifically for his Ibaraki project. The build came with a twist: tuned as low as B-flat, Heafy described it on the Drinks With Johnny podcast as "freaking insane." The tuning allows it to drop into bass-like depths, making it perfect for experimenting with "weird music."
"This guy builds two guitars a year," Heafy said of the luthier behind the instrument. "He built a guitar for me and a guitar for Fredrik Thorendal from Meshuggah. I love it. I've just been screwing around making weird music with it."
When he first received the guitar, Heafy recorded a nine-string version of Trivium's "Down From The Sky." With the tuning so low, the song took on a heavier, bass-like sound—an unexpected twist that Heafy seemed to relish.
Beyond Heafy's nine-string escapades, Metal Hammer captured an exciting revelation from Matt Tuck: Bullet For My Valentine will be dropping new music in sync with their upcoming co-headline tour with Trivium, and we recently knew they are once again working with producer Carl Bown (Bring Me the Horizon, Sleep Token), who produced Venom, Gravity, and Bullet For My Valentine.
The first single, expected early next year, will feature Tuck's seven-string guitar, hinting at an even heavier direction for Bullet's sound: "The first single for our next campaign, which may or may not be in January, will have the seven-string on."
Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine will be out on the road in 2025 celebrating the 20th anniversary of their albums Ascendancy and The Poison. There are quite a few dates, all of which you can get below. Tickets are available here.
Trivium & Bullet For My Valentine
1/26 Cardiff, UK Utilita Arena
1/27 Cardiff, UK Utilita Arena
1/28 Glasgow, UK OVO Hydro
1/30 Manchester, UK Co-op Live
1/31 Birmingham, UK Utilita Arena
2/1 London, UK The O2
2/2 Düsseldorf, Germany Mitsubishi Electric Hall
2/4 Stuttgart, Germany Scheleyer-Halle
2/5 Zurich, Switzerland The Hall
2/7 Paris, France Le Zenith
2/9 Antwerp, Netherlands Lotto Arena
2/10 Hannover, Germany Swiss Life Hall
2/11 Amsterdam, Netherlands AFAS Live
2/13 Hamburg, Germany Sporthalle
2/14 Berlin, Germany Max-Schmeling-Halle
2/15 Frankfurt, Germany Jahrhunderthalle
2/17 Milan, Italy Alcatraz
2/18 Munich, Germany Zenith
2/19 Vienna, Austria Stadthalle
2/21 Gliwice, Poland Arena
2/22 Prague, Czech Republic Forum Karlin
2/23 Luxembourg, Luxembourg Rockhal
2/26 Lisbon, Portugal Campo Pequeno
2/27 Madrid, Spain Vistalegre
Trivium, Bullet For My Valentine, August Burns Red & Sylosis
3/30 Vancouver, BC PNE Forum
4/1 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
4/3 San Francisco, CA The Masonic
4/4 Wheatland, CA Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sacramento Hard Rock Live
4/5 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort*
4/8 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium
4/10 Las Vegas, NV Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
4/11 Inglewood, CA YouTube Theatre
4/12 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre
4/15 Dallas, TX Gilley's South Side Ballroom
4/16 San Antonio, TX Boeing Center at Tech Port
4/17 Houston, TX Bayou Music Center
Trivium, Bullet For My Valentine, August Burns Red & Bleed From Within
4/19 St. Louis, MO The Factory
4/20 Omaha, NE Steelhouse Omaha
4/22 Ashwaubenon, WI EPIC Event Center
4/23 Grand Rapids, MI GLC Live at 20 Monroe
4/25 Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Casino Hotel- Showroom
4/26 Chicago, IL Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
4/27 Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit
4/29 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE*
4/30 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore Philadelphia
5/2 Boston, MA MGM Music Hall at Fenway
5/3 Laval, QC Place Bell
5/4 Toronto, ON Great Canadian Resort Theatre
5/6 Washington, D.C. The Anthem
5/7 New York, NY The Rooftop at Pier 17
5/9 Bethlehem, PA Wind Creek Bethlehem Wind Creek Event Center
5/11 Nashville, TN The Pinnacle
5/13 Corbin, KY Corbin Arena
5/14 Atlanta, GA Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre
5/17 Charlotte, NC Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
5/18 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater
