Paolo Francesco Gregoletto (born September 14, 1985) is an American musician and songwriter who is best known as the bassist of the heavy metal band Trivium.

Music career

Trivium

Gregoletto joined Trivium on September 5, 2004 when Matt Heafy, Corey Beaulieu and Travis Smith were in the studio demoing new material for what would become '' Ascendancy''. Gregoletto was in the studio with Jason Suecof next to where Trivium were demoing, and was told by Suecof that they needed a bass player. After jamming with other members, Gregoletto agreed to record for ''Ascendancy'' and tour to promote it with the band. Gregoletto originally had no intentions of staying with Trivium, but wanted touring experience. He joined just in time for the tour Trivium booked with Machine Head. Apart from playing bass, he also is capable of playing the guitar. He has been a songwriter for Trivium since ''The Crusade'', on which he composed the songs "To The Rats" and "The Rising" on his own, as well as being the co-writer of "Anthem (We Are The Fire)" with Matt Heafy. He also wrote the intro riff for the track "Throes of Perdition" while playing guitar. Gregoletto is known to be most frequently interactive with Trivium fans, often answering questions, posting many videos, photos, and band updates via his official Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Gregoletto has also recently opened an online forum. Since 2013 he has written a monthly column for the UK's ''Bass Guitar Magazine''. Metal producer Colin Richardson called him the best bassist he has ever worked with.

Technique

In an interview with '' Bass Guitar'' magazine (July/August), Gregoletto revealed that he uses a variety of techniques to perform his

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...

s, as is typical of modern bassists. While he primarily used a pick to perform during the tour for ''Ascendancy'', he now more frequently adopts a two fingered plucking style to pick out the more elegant

counter-melodies In music, (German for ''primary voice'') or is the main voice, chief part; i.e., the contrapuntal or melodic line of primary importance, in opposition to . (German for ''secondary voice'') or is the secondary part; i.e., a secondary contr ...

and rapid pentatonic accompaniments necessary for some of Trivium's material. He will also frequently use a three-fingered plucking style, as favored by Billy Sheehan, in order to achieve a gallop rhythm (one eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes) in the style of Iron Maiden's

Steve Harris Steve Harris may refer to: * Steve Harris (musician) (born 1956), founder member and bassist of the band Iron Maiden * Steve Harris (actor) (born 1965), American film and TV actor * Steve Harris (basketball) (1963–2016), American basketball playe ...

. In the same article, he revealed that he prefers to warm up by performing

chromatic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are most often used to characterize scales, and are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair, ...

exercises up and down the whole neck of the bass, using both plucking and picking styles. Paolo performs bass solos on the following songs: "Becoming the Dragon", "Broken One", "Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis", and "Incineration: The Broken World". In most of his solos he uses a guitar-like tone with a wah pedal as well as occasionally tapping.

Equipment

Gregoletto was endorsed by

B.C. Rich B.C. Rich is an American brand of acoustic and electric guitars and bass guitars founded by Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. History The company started making electric guitars in the 1970s. In the following decade B.C. Rich gained a broad expos ...

. In the early days when he first joined the band he used a red custom shop Eagle bass. He has a signature 5-string Warlock bass, as well as a custom Mockingbird.https://www.myspace.com/theofficialbcrich/photos/11622293 Gregoletto was also seen in the videos for Trivium's 2015 singles "Silence in the Snow" and "Until the World Goes Cold" playing a 5-string Warwick Corvette with two humbuckers and a flame maple top. He has been seen playing this same bass at live shows supporting '' Silence in the Snow''. He stated on his Instagram account that he had now fully switched from B.C. Rich to Warwick, but did not specify the reasons, though he still stated he loved his B.C. Rich instruments. In 2021, he became a Kiesel Guitars endorser.

Discography

Metal Militia

* ''Perpetual State of Aggression'' (2003)

Trivium

* '' Ascendancy'' (2005) * '' The Crusade'' (2006) * ''

Shogun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'' (2008) * '' In Waves'' (2011) * ''

Vengeance Falls ''Vengeance Falls'' is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. It was released October 10, 2013, in Japan, October 14, 2013, in UK, and October 15, 2013, in US through Roadrunner Records and was produced by David Draiman, th ...

'' (2013) * '' Silence in the Snow'' (2015) * '' The Sin and the Sentence'' (2017) * '' What the Dead Men Say'' (2020) * '' In the Court of the Dragon'' (2021)

References

External links

Trivium's official web site

Paolo's official Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregoletto 1985 births American heavy metal bass guitarists American male bass guitarists Trivium (band) members Living people American people of Italian descent 21st-century American bass guitarists 21st-century American male musicians