Triosphere – The Road Less Travelled

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AFM Records
Produced by Marius Silver Bergesen & Ida Haukland

If a measure of a good CD was how good its intro is, then Norwegian progressive power metallers Triosphere’s second full-length The Road Less Travelled might just win hands down. Opening with gentle atmospheric guitars before rushing into a thunderous gallop and a huge powerful heavy metal sound, this is a record that begins letting you know it means business.

First song proper, Driven, doesn’t let up and shows that the album’s intro is well deserved. Enter lead singer Ida Haukland, who’s enormous and soaring voice is everything a power metal singer – male or female – should be. Her voice is strong, powerful and yet able to carry a melody when necessary – certainly not to be confused with some of the very meek sounding front women other power metal bands have to offer. Not that this is entirely her show, with lead guitarist Maruis Silver Bergesen happily shredding over a highly capable rhythm section. This is distinctly power metal of the darker, heavier variety; but there’s a strong progressive leaning here that is slightly reminiscent of fellow countrymen Communic.

This isn’t all about heavy guitar riffing though, as subsequent track Human Condition shows that this is a band able to take it slowly without losing any of its power. That being said, if there’s any flaw with The Road Less Travelled it is the fact that as a whole the album isn’t quite as a fast and heavy as initially promised. This is in part because whilst the album is never quiet or weak sounding, the band’s progressive nature often leans towards more sombre and structured songs – in contrast to the band’s glorious introduction.

Not that this takes away from the album’s appeal too much, and those willing to accept that this isn’t going to be an outright shred fest will find an interesting and diverse progressive metal record. Hell, for most this should prove to be nothing but a good thing – there are plenty of bands who are about nothing but being fast and heavy, the fact that Triosphere try to do something more whilst still staying in a heavy metal framework will no doubt appeal to a lot of fans. Nowhere on this album does this work quite as well as on the album’s title track, The Road Less Travelled, successfully managing to employ the band’s heavy style with an elegant, emotive and near-epic song structure.

In conclusion, The Road Less Travelled isn’t an entirely perfect record, but it is a very good one nonetheless. Those hankering for a loud but melodic heavy metal record and a proper, fully-fledged female metal singer need look no further.

“ interesting and diverse ”

Tracklist: Ignition / Driven / Human Condition / Death of Jane Doe / Marionette / The Road Less Travelled / The Anger and the Silent Remorse / Watcher / Twenty One / Worlds Apart / The Last Haven

Written by James Donovan
More: 2010, Albums, Female-fronted, Progressive, Triosphere