http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6l3BMxxUPU (Video of "Creeping Death" performed by Trivium, Corey Taylor, Robb Flynn)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNrrgo2IRlo (Video of "In Waves" by Trivium)

Revolver Golden Gods Weekend (part IV)

Los Angeles

(w/ Robb Flynn, Corey Taylor, Trivium, Slipknot, Machine Head, Danny Worsnop (Asking Alexandira), John Moyer (Adrenaline Mob/ Disturbed), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Lizzie Hale (Halestorm), and everyone from the Metal and Rock universe)

Full of good times and good food, we headed back to the area by the award show and parted ways for the time being. Ashley and I prepared to head over to the Golden Gods and eventually met up with Trivium band and crew and management and label. The concept of the "Golden God Awards" is one that originated in the U.K. with our friends at Metal Hammer magazine. The Golden Gods in the U.K. is essentially primarily for all things Metal. It's an awards show with performances and readers and bands and celebrities who all gather once a year to pay tribute to artists who deserve tribute according to the readership. Metal Hammer U.K. is one of my personal favorite magazines on Earth - it's always stuck to it's guns of being whole-heartedly metal. It'll delve here and there around the Metal-genre, but is always at heart… about the lifestyle of Metal.

The first Golden Gods in the USA was put on by Revolver (and all since in the USA as well) - the first one that I went to… wasn't quite there to say the least. This time around? Shit. They got it nailed. Chock-full of Rock and Metal's finest artists, a couple great (a couple not so great) performers and collaborations, great staging, lighting, artist-treatment, press… all that. Revolver nailed it on this one.

Ever since our band's… let's call it… "re-birth"… we've basically gotten along with everyone in our genre and surrounding genre; making amends with most of those who we would have needed to make amends with maybe due to past turmoils (more on those in my future book perhaps…) - I am sure there are still a few who have been perhaps wronged by a younger, more piss-and-vinegar-and-jizz-and-shit-filled Matt Heafy and/or Trivium - and we'll get around to making amends one day (if you are deserving of it). I digress. Yes - it is great to run into all our buddies from past, present, and future touring. We caught up with John from Disturbed/Adrenaline Mob and Mike Portnoy from A.Mob as well; Lizzie Hale interviewed us alongside Megadeth; we got a sick photo with Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top; got interviewed by Dee Snyder; bumped into Lacuna Coil and a couple other friends from the industry like Zakk Wylde (!).

Never in a million years did I think my dressing room sign would read: "Trivium, Slipknot, Robb Flynn." That fuckin' rules. We were able to catch up with Dave from Machine Head, Sid and Clown from Slipknot - and share the d.room, watching the award show from our T.V. Those of us in Trivslip-Head warmed up, suited up and headed down to rip that award show a new pooper.

Trivium is a metal band, and we are damn proud of it. We love playing to people who haven't been shown the light of metal. We knew our fans were there in spirit (and Xbox live-stream-spirit), so yeah - we were playing a show to them… those who were there at the awards show and didn't know us… we were there for some "Kirisute Gomen." We dropped a punishing performance of "In Waves" and "Pull Harder," then gave the introduction for Robb and Corey.

It may be gutsy to say (keep in mind, this is the same guy who is quoted with that whole "next Metallica" thing) but I would daresay that that performance of "Creeping Death" was the best performance of that song outside of Metallica performing it. It was monumental and amazing. I thank Robb and Corey for making another one of our dreams come true.

After the show, it was a quick couple of reunions (I got to see my buddy Danny from Asking Alexandira real quickly, he sent me a shot of the performance from side stage) then a couple of interviews. One of the interviews, crazily enough, was with Zakk Wylde interviewing us. It was unfortunately cut short due to Gene Simmons needing to be interviewed by him so ASAP that they shoveled us out of the way (it was Gene Simmons though… so I didn't mind and wouldn't have wanted to keep him waiting… he is the man).

The boys hung out and captured and broke some hearts… me and Ash were beat and wanted to rest up for our 4 am lobby call.

All in all… completely (obviously) worth the trip.