TRIOSPHERE – The Heart of the Matter

I must admit that I had never listened to or stumbled on the progressive power metal band named Triosphere until recently, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by just how good this Norwegian 4-piece actually is. "The Heart of the Matter" is the band’s third full-length album and contains 12 catchy and well-crafted songs that bring to mind such brilliant outfits as Iron Maiden, Dio, Judas Priest, Kamelot and the likes, but the female vocals courtesy of Ida Haukland and the progressive elements that crop up from time to time add a certain touch and emotive quality to the compositions that make it somewhat difficult for me to pinpoint who exactly Triosphere sounds like or could be compared to in an overall perspective, and that is a good thing in my humble opinion.

The musicianship is excellent, and that pretty much goes for the clear and powerful production as well. The riffs are generally very catchy and melodic, but there are quite a few twists and turns throughout the album that not only add variety to the songs, but also a sense of the unpredictable in the sense that you never know what is coming up next or where the song is heading. Sure, there are a lot of complex and technical stuff going on in places, but it never ruins or overshadows the actual song itself. The vocals are very convincing and passionate, and the lyrics appear to be pretty personal, which some power metal bands could definitely learn from.

"The Heart of the Matter" is a well-crafted, solid, and interesting album from start to finish, and you ought to check this one out if you are into power/progressive metal. Highly recommended!

http://www.facebook.com/triosphere