Band:	Triosphere
Album:	The Road Less Travelled
Style:	Power metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	May 26, 2010
A review by:	Jason W.

01. Ignition (Intro)
02. Driven
03. Human Condition
04. Death Of Jane Doe
05. Marionette
06. The Road Less Travelled
07. The Anger And The Silent Remorse
08. Watcher
09. 21
10. Worlds Apart
11. The Last Haven (Outro)
12. Echoes

Triosphere's The Road Less Travelled has done what few of even my most respected releases have succeeded in, as it has walked up to my so often numb and indifferent heart, turned it around, and stepped right on in like it had the key the entire time. Decisive in its immersion in raw energy, The Road Less Travelled is not only a muse to reaching new heights with its plethora of inspired melodies, but also acts like an intellectual tailwind that never leaves me, keeping my mind strong and focused.

Just as humanity seems content with gambling with itself and its future, Triosphere is bent on kicking over that table. Penned by lead and rhythm guitarist Marius Silver Bergesen, at only two tracks deep we are already offered numerous solos, the invigorating drum tempos of Ørjan Aare Jørgensen, and tightly wound riffs within a fist of progressive-tinged power metal. After a blistering introduction in "Ignition," "Driven" announces itself as uninterested in saving nothing of our current state, with the enthusiasm of a runner cresting over the most difficult incline of the competition, ready to leave the past in the dust. Already awash in a professional production as well as a warm mix and mastering job by Tommy Hansen, The Road Less Travelled not only establishes itself seriously, but also leaves its heart open, willing let its personal and thrilling side show through clearly.

"Welcome To The Human Condition." When vocalist/bassist Ida Haukland spoke this line to open up "Human Condition," it was the first indication that I was listening to an album that was going to affect me well into the future. Atop a pensive group of chords, her voice has that ideal amount of rasp to it, offering a restrained wail, and shows she is fully comfortable with her innate ability and tone. With lyrics reflecting a self-created, toxic human environment that's only a sanctuary for those already with a grave, Ida's voice gives us a weathered quality of someone who is not just an onlooker, but someone who has lived the pain, the frustration, and has the burning desire to act.

Marius gives us several more exciting solos intermixed with T.O. Byberg's rhythm section in tracks like "Death Of Jane Doe" and "Watcher," songs that act like bookends to what I feel is the emotional core of The Road Less Travelled. Turning inward to that devastating portion of one's development in which personal realizations, struggles, and a consequential rediscovered fire inside take precedence, the tempo slows down a bit, giving the guitars a chance to reach a powerful level of clarity and deliberate melodies. "Marionettes" is that song that makes me pause along my journey, as Ida's explosive cries reverberate the emotional scale, signifying the point the individual no longer will be society's toy but instead will walk on its own. Ida's whisper of the word "dance" after the moment of silence at the finish of Marius's beautifully pensive solo here haunts me successively more each listen. Follow this up with the title track's rousing vocal arrangements that may be the catchiest part of the album, then the thoughtful, cello-driven buildup of "The Anger And The Silent Remorse" into a massive climax as she sings "I can't take anymore," and I found myself so worked up from tears intertwined with a galvanized determination that it took me several listens just focus on the rest of the album.

Finish out the album with not only a progressive-minded guitar instrumental, but then a reflective instrumental of piano and cello redeveloping the major melodies of the entire album, and Triosphere complete what at first seemed a familiar concept of progressive and power metal and turned it into one that takes us from the inner chaos of our human world to an visionary place of new beginnings and thoughts. Marius proves himself a composer and guitarist of absorbing depth, and Ida taps straight into the inner fire inside my mind and being, so much so that I feel gained just that needed extra connection to make my journey on that rarely traversed path all the worthwhile.