Trivium launched a new era this past Friday, October 31, as they kicked off their “Struck Dead” North American tour. The show at the House Of Blues in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, marked the first live performance with their new drummer, Alex Rüdinger (formerly of Whitechapel).
The debut confirms Rüdinger‘s position, replacing longtime drummer Alex Bent who parted ways with the band in October. In a detailed statement, Rüdinger revealed this new gig is actually the fulfillment of an opportunity he was forced to pass on nearly a decade ago.
Rüdinger explained the situation on social media, writing: “Nearly 10 years ago, I was asked about playing with Trivium, & it was honestly one of the most conflicting situations of my career.” At the time, his band Good Tiger had just launched via a successful crowdfunding campaign, and he felt he couldn’t leave.
“I didn’t want to let my friends down,” he wrote. He admitted this led to a difficult choice: “In the end, I made the decision that I thought was right, & not what was truly best for myself… it’s something I did in fact come to regret (quite a lot).”
That regret ended just weeks ago when he saw the position was open. “I saw that they parted ways with their drummer, I immediately reached out, & here I am,” Rüdinger stated. “To say I’m thrilled to be doing this is truly an understatement. I feel as though I have an incredibly rare opportunity — a second chance at something that I always wanted. It’s honestly quite surreal.”
Trivium frontman Matt Heafy confirmed the long-running connection, commenting on Rüdinger‘s post: “Thank you so much Rudi-san. It took us a decade — but we’re finally making music together. Here’s to the future!”
Fan-filmed footage of the new lineup’s debut performance in South Carolina has already begun to surface online.
