I think I am one of the few Trivium fans that likes Crusade as much as the other albums around it (though Shogun is probably still my favorite). I know for a lot of Trivium fans they tend to see the Crusade as an unusual or bad. However, I am also one of the few Evergrey fans that enjoyed MMA as much as much as most of their earlier stuff.
For me, by far, the best Trivium effort is Shogun. I mean THIS INTRO:
Still one of the most awesome opening sections of any song I've listened to.
The stuff I've heard from this new album doesn't feel as adventurous and brave as old Trivium. To that end I'm not as entertained by it. In Waves was a solid album that just didn't really get my blood moving the way I expected.