Key Takeaways
- New Venture: Matt Heafy is developing a video game titled Kunoichi, featuring a female warrior heroine.
- Musical Influence: The game’s score combines metal, industrial, electronic, and traditional Japanese music.
- Personal Journey: Heafy discusses his mental health journey and its impact on the Struck Dead EP.
- Studio Development: Trivium has established a new studio in an airplane hangar, enhancing their creative process.
Trivium’s Matt Heafy has caught the scoring bug and during his recent interview with Full Metal Jackie for her weekend radio show, the singer revealed he’s got a new video game venture in the works.
The singer was beaming about his experiences with scoring the music for Deathgasm 2 and creating a score for the True Believers comic earlier this year when he revealed he’s now expanded his scope into the video game world.
“My good friend Kendall and I, we’re actually making our own video game. It’s a four-person team, two designers. Kendall is the creative director/story writer. Myself as the composer,” shared Heafy, adding. “We’re making like a cyberpunk futuristic side-scroller video game, like Japanese video game and it’s gonna be incredible. It’s a female warrior heroine story. The music is awesome. It’s a mixture of metal and industrial and electronic and traditional Japanese as well.”
The game carries the title Kunoichi and Heafy says of its music, “So it’s me playing a lot of the traditional Japanese instruments people have been seeing me use, but being able to see the demos of that has been pretty incredible. It’s been fun to do all the stuff.”
In a wide-reaching chat, Heafy also delved into the new Trivium Struck Dead EP and the physical and mental journey that he underwent as the record came together. He also details the extensive preparation that he undergoes on a daily basis and shares the history of their airport hangar that’s now become the studio they’ve always dreamed of.
Heafy speaks about seeing Trivium’s influence and how its impacting a new generation of acts, the band’s recent split with drummer Alex Bent and explains why this past year has been his favorite time within the group. Check out more of the chat below.
It’s Full Metal Jackie. Super excited to welcome back for the first time in a long time, Matt Heafy of Trivium. Things are obviously starting to pick up in your world again with the Struck Dead EP and this big tour with Jinjer and Heriot. What typically is your life like in those periods between finishing recording and starting the promotional cycle and touring? Are there family moments or things you try to make sure you get in before you leave for an extended period? And are you mentally and physically prepared for what’s ahead?
I basically have two ways of living, on-tour living and off-tour living, and I like to keep the consistency the same. I basically never take time off of my singing, screaming, guitar-playing regimen ever. So Monday through Friday, I make sure I at least hit one to four hours a day of singing, screaming, guitar-playing and that’s typically while I’m streaming on Twitch and all my social medias.
I get up at about 6:30. The kids are up. I start cleaning up, getting the kids prepped. My wife starts making food for everybody. I’m doing my vocal exercises while I’m doing this. We bike the kids to school, come home, then I start prepping for jujitsu, so I’ll go off to jujitsu.
How would I break this schedule out to make even more sense? So three days a week, I go to yoga. I go to yoga class. My wife just became a certified yoga teacher, so I’ll go to her classes on Monday, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I have three days a week of strength conditioning, that’s Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. I’m working with a strength and conditioning coach and nutritionist as well, just to help get my jujitsu better, to be more fit for life.
My goal with the whole thing with life and fitness and everything is longevity so that I’m in shape for my grandkids so I can be playing with them as I play with my kids as their children. And then a lot of self-care.
That’s great.
Yes, then jujitsu generally three to five days a week included into that week as well, then the five days a week of singing and screaming. So I try to treat singing as I would jujitsu. It’s like something that’s year-round. I’m always practicing it. It’s always up to date. It’s always ready to go. And then once the tour comes in, we’ll start peppering in full band practices. But the guys do the same thing basically with band practice. We all religiously practice individually and then practice tons as a band as well.
Trivium, “Bury Me With My Screams”
That was “Bury Me With My Screams.” Let’s talk about how this Struck Dead EP came together.
What’s very interesting about that song and this EP is it was written as we were preparing for the Ascendancy anniversary. So basically, we were fully in that headspace of we’ve time traveled back to The Ascendancy record. We’re rehearsing for the Ascendancy World Tour, doing all that stuff, getting in the headspace of this and around this time, this was last year.
I talked about this onstage before “Departure Every Day,” the song “Departure” is a very dark song. It’s a song about thoughts of end of life and all these intense moments and I promise there’s a light at the end of the tunnel of this story. So in mid-last year, I essentially had like a mental breakdown/midlife crisis, whatever you may call it. And amidst that, I looked back at Ascendancy and said, “Wow, I’m still feeling these same things that I had back in 2004, 2005. Why is this? How is this?”
So like I talked about longevity physically, I had the goal mentally. I wanted to be a better father, better husband, better bandmate, better friend, better person and be able to live easier. So I started going into treatment with a psychiatrist and a cognitive behavioral therapist while doing all the other positive things that I’ve always done: exercise, jujitsu, yoga—all these things. And basically it wasn’t enough for me; so I started doing this heavy treatment stuff; and the light at the end of the tunnel was I was able to get out of it.
So “Bury Me With My Screams” is the first song that I wrote during this time. So these three songs were written as before, during and after this essential nervous breakdown that I had last year.
I was rebuilding my mind in 2024; in 2025 had a meniscus explosion in jujitsu; a hip tear; an adductor tear from jujitsu; so I was rebuilding my body in 2025; lo and behold by end of 2025 we’ve obviously had to do mild lineup change with band; so now we’re fixing band up; everything is getting bigger; better every single time we have these changes.
With that being said what is my biggest fear? I don’t know because all these things keep coming; I make sure that I can pivot; survive afterwards.
Matt, I realize this EP came at difficult time for you. You’ve spoken about dealing with health issues over past year; getting back point where you can be back onstage again; how much of that journey fueled what we’re hearing on The Struck Dead EP?
Massively! Lyrically it was all about mental aspect; essentially having that mental collapse in middle last year; having rebuild it! It wasn’t simple thing us snapping fingers talking person couple times week!
It was matter retraining rewiring brain through hard work! What’s amazing light end tunnel all this was come out having more fun everything I’ve done entire life since ever!
Nowadays playing shows most fun I’ve ever had playing shows! Used always be my head thinking voice going home I’d put voice out all these things just flying around head floating around shows wouldn’t be something I’d able enjoy full on because I’d be so worried about hurting myself which is silly thing!
Once sort let go realized able let go that jujitsu life conversations people! It was so freeing!
The next thing was meniscus tear! It basically exploded eight days before we were supposed headline Bloodstock Fest sold out Bloodstock Fest show! Got surgery seventh day before started PT within two days after surgery! Flew out played show! No one knew really had meniscus thing other than me because said had it! Leg back about 99.5 percent strength!
So any obstacles coming way feel like we are able address it head on recalibrate correct come out stronger end!
Matt this EP also came about while you were revisiting material from The Ascendancy album for its 20th anniversary; you’ve mentioned also influencing heaviness latest effort! I know each record its own experience but are you someone who prefers start fresh each record or open seeing how past experiences can color present?
Records one through seven definitely drastically different from each other! They all sound so different which love we tried that! Last three Sin in Sentence, What Dead Men Say, The Court Dragon, are little more cohesive! They’re little more similar!
But it’s expanding upon records one through seven painting their own sonic landscape! With what we’re doing ’cause typically we keep records we’re working on quote secret but this time we’re not! So we finished The Struck Dead, no holds barred! Everything written set guidelines “We can only write music when we’re together hangar playing together four us!” So exactly what hear being headspace The Ascendancy, feel like really tapped back into super aggressive super technical side!
With record eleven where we’re going with same thing! We only writing when we’re room together! There’s no midi demos sent each other! Purely four dudes room playing live! Let’s see happens! Let’s see makes feel good! Let’s make music feel like haven’t heard before! Pretty amazing!
A simple concept! Almost like taking your band back garage days feel like usually when best stuff life metal rock come about when band together creating together!
Matt one great thing from “Bury Me With My Screams” unveiling your studio inside hangar home base have! And know has been labor love that’s probably still progress some extent but how was it get work out your own place? Are there still things left complete within full hangar space? How are making uniquely Trivium?
Amazing! Forgot what year it was but there point where started saying myself “Man hate our practice place hate we’re renting this!” We were renting tiny room weird music store actually burned inside out once then they fixed came back always smelled smoke after that!
Said “We should own something!” So found amazing converted airplane hangers mentioned mother-in-law once said “Oh you know who’s selling one those? Ashy’s cousin!” Luckily Ashy’s cousin has incredible construction contracting business we were able buy from them!
The built us created our own headquarters fully owned! Even just having before putting studio into absolutely amazing! Here’s place could store all our stuff put memorabilia up have all our gear one place!
But then yes as expanded able hire Roger Darcy who’s one greatest studio builders planet! Helped spec us out something he s-spec’d us out perfect studio where every wall built ten layers deep every material exactly specifically placed studio! He’s mega audiophile best music ever sounded room before! To be able have our own home base where can make albums make music videos livestream take photos archive every amp head could ever want every guitar could ever want every microphone guitar pickup guitar pedal everything!
Something don’t see often even bands bigger than us don’t see archival library-esque headquarters where can essentially do craft best like having own dojo own headquarters amazing love very much perfect easy drive over there!
A giant space everyone we’ve ever shown … it’s tangible thing walk inside see fruits all our labors one go awesome!
Matt you are out road Jinjer and Heriot feels like yesterday you were guys way up but now you’re vets clout how much hand do you have picking bands you’re playing with what your thoughts up coming generation metal bands? Anyone catching ear you’re excited see how things progress?
There many absolutely incredible bands coming out nowadays happy got my own radio show where can play all my favorite bands all time that’s basically my goal just play things love bands up coming love wanna help push progress!
We’ve always picked lineups tours but around tour Trivium Arch Enemy While She Sleeps Fit For Autopsy really nailed it! Not saying haven’t nailed before ’cause mean shoot think back 2006 Slayer Trivium co-headlining U.K Mastodon Amon Amarth what hell lineup!
Said always something think “What would Trivium fan wanna see? Who band love wanna bring out support really wanna see grow into something special?” Fit For Autopsy being we’ve done lot being able produce Frozen Souls’ last record talk play lot amazing!
An absolutely incredible thing see these up coming bands example guess they’re up coming biggest fricking rock band planet III Sleep Token first show ever Trivium show Hammersmith Ballroom London first metal record The Ascendancy. Then had him come play us Bloodstock said “Hey what Trivium song do wanna play?” He’s like “Throes Perdition.” So he picked song off Shogun, probably one most people wouldn’t pick or think it’s amazing!
Evens down Malevolence guys singer telling me first song ever played band ever was “Pull Harder.” Josh Malevolence also knowing all this stuff Austin As Lions really really incredible always just want people have music something they can enjoy!
If it’s ever something pushes them further inspires them wanna start band then they form band making music I’m fan find later on think that’s one greatest gifts could ever have!
Matt since we last talked Trivium have undergone another lineup change sounds like things ended well Alex Bent wrapping time behind kit can speak Alex’s contributions stabilizing drum position band solid stint? Also speak what means have Greyson [Nakrutman] from Sepultura coming fill time being?
Certainly funny people kind look us Spinal Tap band like “Hey you guys have had many drummer changes.” Although do not hold record most amount drummers band feel like most bands always cycling out drummer potentially.
You’ve had four drummers our band brought Alex because had great time previous guys but thing previous ones Trivium’s music pretty wide birth what can do sometimes super technical fast long arduous sometimes simpler sometimes requires simpler approach something we’d have guys could do one end spectrum not other vice versa.
