The Road Less Travelled is the second studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Triosphere. It was released in 2010 by AFM Records. It is the first album to including new guitarist Tor Ole Byberg, with the band expanding into a quartet.
| The Road Less Travelled | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 28, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, power metal, progressive metal | |||
| Length | 56:28 | |||
| Label | AFM Records | |||
| Producer | Marius Silver Bergesen Ida Haukland | |||
| Triosphere chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Road Less Travelled | ||||
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The album's style is different from its predecessor, Onwards, as it has a more melodic sound. "Echoes" is an all-piano and cello instrumental medley of the tracks 2 to 10. The Japanese edition also includes "Lawless", in tribute to Blackie Lawless, and a cover of the Guns N' Roses's song "Welcome to the Jungle". Guitarist Marius Silver Bergensenn wrote all instrumental parts, with vocal melodies and lyrics by singer and bassist Ida Haukland.
Production
editIn July 2010, Ida Haukland said the new album "...is about daring to choose a path that, even though it might be unconventional or more challenging, nevertheless leads you towards your goal and ambitions."[1]
The Road Less Travelled is produced by Silver and Haukland, making it the first disc of the band to be only produced by the band itself. This time, Silver is not credited for any lyrics, and Haukland for any music (except for all the vocal melodies). The album thanks includes the bands W.A.S.P., Arch Enemy and Kamelot and the singer Jørn Lande.
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Ida Haukland; all music is composed by Marius Silver Bergensenn and Haukland except when noted1
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ignition (Intro)" (Bergensenn) | 1:59 |
| 2. | "Driven" | 4:38 |
| 3. | "Human Condition" | 4:36 |
| 4. | "Death of Jane Doe" | 4:45 |
| 5. | "Marionette" | 5:33 |
| 6. | "The Road Less Travelled" | 5:26 |
| 7. | "The Anger and the Silent Remorse" | 6:24 |
| 8. | "Watcher" | 4:47 |
| 9. | "Twenty One" | 4:49 |
| 10. | "Worlds Apart" | 6:24 |
| 11. | "The Last Haven (Outro)" (Bergensenn) | 2:16 |
| 12. | "Echoes" (Bergensenn; bonus track) | 4:51 |
| Total length: | 56:28 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Lawless (A Tribute to W.A.S.P.)" | 6:01 |
| 14. | "Welcome to the Jungle" (Guns N' Roses cover; written by Guns N' Roses) | 4:18 |
1Bergensenn is credited solely for composing the music, but Haukland is credited for "lyrics and vocals melodies", meaning that she acted as composer for the vocals parts.
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Blistering.com |    [2] |
| Dangerdog.com |  [3] |
| Metal Forge | [4] |
| Nightfall in Metal Earth | [5] |
| Funeral Rain | [6] |
| Metal Underground |  [7] |
Since its release, The Road Less Travelled has received very favourable reviews. Blistering.com gave the album a good review staging Triosphere were a "Smart, savvy, free-of-pretense progressive metal". The review went on to conclude "we’re looking at the future of power/progressive metal right in front of our faces".
Dangerdog Music Reviews stated the three ingredients of the album were "bulletproof chops, songwriting skill, and imagination" and "beyond recommended" the album, giving it the maximum rating. The Road Less Travelled was later choose as one of the fifteen Albums of the Year, with the site making it at the top of the internet page with the words "Complete and utter perfection. What more is there to say?".[8]
Personnel
editTriosphere
edit- Ida Haukland - vocals and bass
- Marius Silver Bergesen - lead and rhythm guitar
- Tor Ole Byberg - rhythm guitar
- Ørjan Aare Jørgensen - drums
Additional personnel
edit- Espen Godø - keyboards and mellotron
- Kjell Magne Robak - cello on (4, 7, 8 and 12)
- Arild Følstad - piano (on 12)
- Erling Malm - backing vocals (on 5 and 6)
- Alessandro Elide - percussion (on 2 and 10)
Production
edit- Marius Silver Bergesen, Ida Haukland - production
- Tommy Hansen - mixing
References
edit- ^ "Rock Realms Interview by Jon Wilde". rockrealms.com. 2010-07-16. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- ^ Blistering.com review Archived 2012-03-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Dangerdog Music Review
- ^ Metal Forge Review
- ^ "Triosphere : The Road Less Travelled (2010)".
- ^ Funeral Rain review
- ^ Metal Underground review
- ^ "Dangerdog's list of albums of the year". Dangerdog.com. Retrieved 2011-08-02.