Band:	Triosphere
Album:	The Heart Of The Matter
Style:	Power metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	November 07, 2014
A review by:	Jason W.

01. My Fortress
02. Steal Away The Light
03. The Sentinel
04. Breathless
05. Departure
06. The Heart's Dominion
07. As I Call
08. Relentless
09. The Sphere
10. Remedy
11. Storyteller
12. Virgin Ground

Timeless, yearning, nostalgic, and burning like a fire on the shoreline's edge that doesn't quit no matter how hard the waves crash, Triosphere's third full-length is so solid I am unable to choose my favorite songs, and instead am left just saying "all of them." Taking the direction of their previous work, yet tightening the focus at every turn, the band turns inward with the duality of breathless calm and tearful angst. The Heart Of The Matter is not only a resoundingly accurate title for the music within, but a testament to all that Triosphere stands for.

Within the liner notes, guitarist and songwriter Marius Silver Bergesen thanks fellow vocalist and bassist Ida Haukland "for bringing my songs to life with her amazing vocals and superb lyrics." And what a perfect way to describe exactly how the album unfolds. The listener is gifted with layer upon layer of an endless feast of vocal melodies served with riff after riff, embodying that central relationship between the heart and mind that pervades so much of the album. The hours of labor spent perfecting the symbiotic relationship of the two is one of the most satisfying elements of The Heart Of The Matter, and one that makes playing this album on repeat so tempting.

Several of the tracks begin with deceptive moments of softer guitar parts, or, as in the case with "The Sentinel," a serene string section. Then, right at that dramatic pause, Marius's opening riff of the album's third track bursts forth with exhilarating precision that is only matched by Ørjan Aare Jørgensen's assertive drumming. And just like the band's traditional arrangements have us waiting for, this all leads to not one but two guitar solos, courtesy of Marius and guest soloist Simone Mularoni (DGM), that surely could be a highlight of any live set. Another current choice for more exciting riffs and solos is "Storyteller," which gives T.O. Byberg and Marius a chance to trade solos midway through. Not only that, but "Storyteller" features a bit of a throwback in one of the repeated verses to that more aggressive edge found on the band's debut, about a minute into the track, and Ida's characteristic subtle rasp sounds as on point as ever.

But I'll be honest and say that it is the more pensive moments that made me fall in love with Triosphere for the third time in a row. Marius's delicately slow and bluesy solo of "Breathless" is the ideal companion to follow some of the most heartfelt lyrics of the album. How can I resist lines like these?



Ida's vocals are as powerful as ever, authentic with sorrow, and with a thoughtful perseverance that narrates the inner struggle. In "Departure," Ida's vocal melody at the start of the main chorus is what makes the song for me, as it turns a corner like the protagonist who smiles inside as the wind warmly begins to blow at her back, and each step of the journey fills with purpose again after days of exhaustion. And while the past may be something we can never return to even though we may look back, that fight and search for something better, more complete, is the heart of all that keeps us moving. "Relentless" not only sums up the protagonist's mission in an adrenaline rush of double bass drums and guitarwork, but the title itself characterizes just how deep the urge to win the war within will be:



The Heart Of The Matter is a painstakingly focused and poetic power-driven melodic metal album that expresses the undying spirit to overcome our struggle, but also desperately tries to remind us to respect our journey and difficulties along the way. Mature in every way possible, yet with the enthusiasm of youthful hope and the biting mark of inner angst to keep us alive, Triosphere tears down the walls that so many would live eternally in, and instead demands we fight to escape the separation of the mind and the heart. "Do we dare to remain brave?" is one of the final lines of the album; and the answer is a resounding "Yes." The melodic soundtrack to "reclaim our virgin ground" is before us.