Matthew Kiichi Heafy
Born: January 26, 1986 | Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (Raised in Orlando, Florida)
Role: Lead Vocalist, Rhythm & Lead Guitarist, Songwriter, Producer
Genres: Metalcore, Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Black Metal, Progressive Metal
Biography
Matthew Kiichi Heafy is an American-Japanese musician best known as the frontman, lead vocalist, and rhythm/lead guitarist of the Grammy-nominated heavy metal band Trivium. Joining Trivium at just 12 years old after performing Metallica’s "No Leaf Clover" at an eighth-grade talent show, Heafy took over lead vocal duties following the departure of original frontman Brad Lewter and steered the group to international acclaim with landmark records such as Ascendancy (2005) and Shogun (2008).
Celebrated for his aggressive thrash-inspired downpicking, dual-guitar lead harmonies, and dynamic vocal range, Heafy is also a prominent music streamer, martial artist (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt), and solo artist. In 2022, he launched his long-gestating extreme/black metal solo project Ibaraki in close collaboration with Ihsahn (Emperor), blending Japanese mythology, folklore, and blackened avant-garde metal.
Bands & Key Lineups
Trivium (Main Lineup)
- Matt Heafy – Lead Vocals, Rhythm & Lead Guitars (1999–present)
- Corey Beaulieu – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Backing Scream Vocals (2003–present)
- Paolo Gregoletto – Bass, Clean Backing Vocals (2004–present)
- Alex Bent – Drums, Percussion (2016–present)
Ibaraki (Solo Extreme Metal Project)
- Matt Heafy – Vocals, Guitars, Composition
- Key Studio Personnel / Guests: Ihsahn (Production, Synthesizers, Guest Vocals), Nergal (Guest Vocals), Gerard Way (Guest Vocals)
Other Projects & Collaborations
- Capharnaum – Lead Vocals on Fractured (2004)
- Roadrunner United – Team Captain, Songwriter, Performer (2005)
- Dines x Heafy – Collaborative EP with YouTuber/guitarist Jared Dines (2020)
Selected Discography & Albums
With Trivium
- Ember to Inferno (2003) – Lifeforce Records
- Ascendancy (2005) – Roadrunner Records
- The Crusade (2006) – Roadrunner Records
- Shogun (2008) – Roadrunner Records
- In Waves (2011) – Roadrunner Records
- Vengeance Falls (2013) – Roadrunner Records
- Silence in the Snow (2015) – Roadrunner Records
- The Sin and the Sentence (2017) – Roadrunner Records
- What the Dead Men Say (2020) – Roadrunner Records
- In the Court of the Dragon (2021) – Roadrunner Records
With Ibaraki
- Rashomon (2022) – Nuclear Blast
EPs & Collaborative Releases
- Trivium (Blue Demo) (2003)
- Dines x Heafy (2020) – Collaborative EP with Jared Dines
- Ibaraki and Friends (2022) – Companion Children's Book & Audio Project
- True Believers (Original Score) (2024) – Graphic Novel Soundtrack
Matt Heafy (Trivium) - Catastrophist - Playthrough