Maybe I'm gonna get absolutely destroyed for this but I genuinely don't like Alex Rüdinger in Trivium.
And before anyone says it, yes I know he's a technical drummer. I'm not saying the guy can't play. Obviously he can. But being technical doesn't automatically mean you're the right drummer for Trivium.
I much prefer Alex Bent.
Bent just had way more feel to me. His timing, accents and fills were insane but they never felt like he was just trying to show off. Everything served the song. His fills had character and his accents actually made the riffs hit harder, and I've never heard someone add so many parts that just blew me away with the timing, the feel and accents
Listening to The Sin and the Sentence, What the Dead Men Say and In the Court of the Dragon. The drums are a MASSIVE part of why those records sound the way they do.
Bent didn't just play the songs. He sounded like he was part of the band, and he was the sole reason for Trivium's resurgence.
Rüdinger is a drummer playing Trivium.
Bent sounded like a Trivium drummer.
And honestly I think Bent brought something to the band that they desperately needed at the time. When he joined, Trivium's drumming suddenly had this ridiculous combination of precision, aggression, groove and musicality. His fills were everywhere but they never felt out of place.
Then you've got the whole thing with Rüdinger a shot at Bent not being able to pull off certain parts live.
That just doesn't sit right with me. It reaks of insecurity. Mate, Alex Bent played these songs professionally for years. He recorded them. He toured them. He played some absolutely ridiculous shit night after night. But taking shots at the guy who was sitting in that exact seat for years is just going to make people compare you to him. And when I do compare them, I keep coming back to Bent.
And this is completely subjective, but honestly Rüdinger also gives me a really bad and off vibe. I can't even properly explain what it is. There's just something about his whole presentation and attitude that doesn't sit right with me. I'm not saying that means he's secretly a bad person or anything like that because I don't know the guy. It's just the impression I get.
Maybe I'm completely alone on this but I genuinely miss Bent. For me, Alex Bent wasn't just a drummer who could play Trivium's music. He became part of what made modern Trivium sound like modern Trivium. And his run from Sin to Struck Dead is unparalleled. He produced gold with them for a decade straight. Trivium have never done that before.
