TRIOSPHERE – Oceans Above, Stars Below

As acknowledged in the band’s press release, Triosphere’s fourth studio album, Oceans Above, Stars Below, released through Frontiers Music Srl on August 28, 2026, has been a long time coming! Triosphere are a Norwegian heavy metal band formed in 2004 that combines elements of hard rock, progressive metal, power metal, and thrash metal into one. Their last album, The Heart of the Matter (2014), came out almost 12 years ago. The lineup that plays on that album includes Ida Haukland on bass guitar and lead vocals, Marius Bergesen on guitars, Tor Ole Byberg on guitars, and Ørjan Aare Jørgensen on drums. The lineup that plays on Oceans Above, Stars Below is almost exactly the same, except Kenneth Tårneby replaces Jørgensen on drums. There’s a heaviness to the album, but there’s also loads of melodies. Not that Oceans Above, Stars Below has a chance of getting radio airplay nor is it commercial by any means, but there are pop qualities to the music with soaring vocals, catchy choruses, and sonically gorgeous production.

Better Late Than Never

The album’s intro, “Premonition,” is dark and atmospheric like the roman gods have descended from above with haunting backing vocals and cinematic imagery. It transitions perfectly into “Of Tyrants,” the first album track with vocals. Speaking of vocals, Haukland is a phenomenal singer! Her vocals are confident and compelling, drawing listeners in from the first note. “Of Tyrants,” one of the many examples on the album, combines power metal and thrash metal into one with ferocious double kick drumming, frantic energy, yet anthemic and inspiring melodies. The title track plays with time signature changes to create a gorgeous piece that would sound great with an orchestra. “Monster’s Ball” has a fun vibe, not like a college rave fun vibe with DJs playing formulaic pop music, but fun enough for an underground metal scene. The melodies are bright and cheerful, and it’s got a good driving beat.

In another life, “Through the Phantom Wall” would make an excellent pop track with its well-written hook and sing-along chorus. The drums sound so mean and powerful, the instrumentation provides an atmospheric wall (no pun intended) of sound, and the guitar playing is insane. “Shorelines” is tied with “Through the Phantom Wall” for being the most pop-sounding song on the album. It’s got a great chorus, a driving beat, infectious melodies that’ll stick in listeners’ heads easily, Haukland’s vocals are strong yet pleasant on the ears, and as a welcomed surprise, there’s a bluesy and tasteful guitar solo that shifts the mood slightly. “Cadence of Chaos” is the big epic on the album, clocking in at five minutes and forty-two seconds long. There’s so much going on playing-wise, however, that the song goes by fast. It’s moody and atmospheric with a dramatic flair and like the title track, it would sound amazing with an orchestra.

Final Assessment

The album closes with an instrumental titled, “Gjenklang,” which is basically a medley of the album tracks such as “Of Tyrants,” “Through the Phantom Wall,” and “Shorelines,” etc. It’s like déjà vu, but also a full circle moment, taking listeners back where they started. The playing is symphonic with orchestral and piano instrumentation. As mentioned earlier, the album’s production is gorgeous. It’s modern, fresh, heavy, and vibrant. Though the guitars and vocals are the main highlights of the album, the bass playing is also nicely done; thick and juicy bass lines going on. For those who are interested in cinematic and emotionally-driven heavy metal, give Triosphere’s Oceans Above, Stars Below a chance!

Album Tracklist

1. Premonition
2. Of Tyrants
3. Oceans Above, Stars Below
4. Monster’s Ball
5. Through the Phantom Wall
6. Shorelines
7. Lightning in a Bottle
8. Encore
9. Embers
10. Orpheus’ Bane
11. Cadence of Chaos
12. Gjenklang

Band Lineup

Ida Haukland – bass guitar and lead vocals
Marius Bergesen – guitars
Tor Ole Byberg – guitars
Kenneth Tårneby – drums

Check out the visualizer for “Through the Phantom Wall” from Triosphere’s Oceans Above, Stars Below album!