Maaty Heafy gained huge success thanks to his career in Trivium. Taking steps into the music world at the ripe age of 11, Heafy’s fame has gotten bigger with each day passing. Besides his musical life, there is more to know about him. If you are a fan of Trivium, here are eight facts to not miss out on about both Trivium and Heafy.
1. Heafy Played Saxophone Before Guitar
Imagine being a saxophone player in a metal band. This might have been the case for Heafy if his music career continued in different ways. Before getting his first guitar at 11, Heafy played saxophone in his middle school and high school years, which eventually paved the way for guitar.
2. He Tried to Join a Band with a Pop Punk Classic
Not everyone pursue their music career with the first band they had been in. Although he did gain recognition with his first band, his first failure can be counted as the band he tried to get into. Growing up with pop punk music, Heafy tried to join a local band called Freshly Squeezed at the age of 11, in whose auditions he played Blink-182’s ‘Dammit’ on guitar. He was rejected.
3. Heafy’s Initial Plan Did Not Include Singing
Although the singer has been singing for over 20 years now, his initial plan was to stick to playing guitar. He first joined Trivium after performing a guitar performance at a school talent show. A month after his joining, the original singer, Brad Lewter, took less than a month to leave the band because he did not agree with the band’s members about the band’s creative future musical paths. The drummer managed to convince Matt to take on the role of lead vocalist. Initially, Heafy had doubts about his singing abilities, but eventually, he embraced the role as the primary singer for Trivium, along with the lead guitarist role.
4. Heafy Learned Screaming Because His Cleans Were ‘Not Good’
Starting to sing at the age of 12, Heafy still had a lot of challenges to get in to since his vocals had not fully developed yet. Aware of the situation, instead of using his clean vocals in the songs, Heafy taught himself to scream and growl without any vocal coaches and classes. Eventually, his vocal cords were harmed severely. More than ten years after his career with Trivium started, he was advised to take vocal classes by the Avenged Sevenfold singer M. Shadows.
5. The Origin of the Name ‘Trivium’
The name ‘Trivium’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Trivium,’ meaning ‘three ways’ or ‘three roads,’ with a focus on the idea of these paths converging. In the context of Trivium’s music, it has been suggested that this ‘three-way mix’ symbolizes the blending of three primary music styles: melodic death metal, thrash, and metalcore.
Additionally, in Latin history, ‘Trivium’ can represent three of the fundamental seven liberal arts: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. This concept aligns neatly with Trivium’s artistic output, symbolizing what you are taught or listen to, the process of interpretation, and the actions that follow.
6. Trivium Was Heavily Inspired by Different Bands
Well, although now it’s hard to put the band in a subgenre or category, it can be said that Trivium got their sound by combining different bands’ sounds. In their debut album, ‘Ember To Inferno,’ the band’s influence from early Metallica and Machine Head is clear, as well as In Flames.
Similarly, their third studio album, ‘The Crusade,’ has been resembled to both Metallica and Dream Theater by many fans.
7. Heafy’s Net Worth
Matt’s primary source of wealth stems from his involvement with Trivium, and his daily streaming on Twitch has also contributed significantly to his financial success. Additionally, he boasts approximately 2,800 subscribers on Twitch, generating approximately $7,000 in monthly revenue. Moreover, his YouTube channel has garnered more than 178,000 subscribers, and his Instagram account boasts over 250,000 followers. As a result of these various income streams and assets, Matt’s current net worth stands at $6 million.
8. Heafy Has a Side Project Called ‘Ibaraki’
Achieving success with only one band is not enough for Heafy. The rocker launched a one-man project called Ibaraki and collaborated with names like Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance and Ihsahn of Emperor. Pursuing a black metal career, the name was inspired by a Japanese demon taken from feudal legend. But this is not Heafy’s only revelation with black metal. Before Ibaraki, he was a member of Mindscar, a black metal band from Florida.
Though Heafy first wanted to be involved in a black metal project in 2009, he was afraid of doing so due to the fans’ thoughts of ‘Matt’s commercial, he knows nothing, he’s not allowed in.’ Ultimately, the project came to life in 2021 and Heafy released his first song at the beginning of 2022.
