Power of Metal.dk Review

Tritonus
Prison of Light
Rating
 
Style: Progressive Metal
Release date: 1 November, 2013
Playing time: 51:11
 


How does a band formed in 1990 not put out a debut album until 2013? Your guess is as good as mine, but I will say that Tritonus has much going for them. This progressive metal band has a fresh style and a cool vibe to all of their music. "Prison of Light" is a great debut album that I appreciate massively.

The band showcases a dynamic metal style of grinding guitars, awesome bassy goodness, blast beats, and atmospheric keys. Indeed, the music is driven by the incredible bass lines that bassist Oystein Moe has put together: I really can't stress enough how much this elevates the music overall. The low, growling guitars are also not that common, with some similarity to Symphony X, I'd say. The production isn't the best, but it's definitely competent enough to let the music shine.  Vocalist Rolf Kristensen has an interesting voice that borders on caterwauling at times, but not to my discomfort. He has a very melodic voice that almost reminds me of Mike Andersson of Cloudscape.  He sings well, though, and even has quite a range.

I do find one problem, though. The band is really, really good at making tracks that open with an incredible jam that gets your blood pumping and your foot stomping. However, I feel like the songs often go nowhere after that. The songs are never close to catchy, which isn't necessarily bad, but it's definitely not a bad thing to want to sing along, is it?  I feel the band could work on writing better melodies, as their skill at composing metal portions is simply fantastic. 

So, after a couple decades, Tritonus has released their debut album. "Prison of Light" is a technical affair that feels just right in many ways. It has its weaknesses, but I want to encourage this band to keep going and keep playing what they love. I think success will find them soon enough.


Tracklist
01. Prison of Light
02. Demons
03. Remedy
04. Blindfolded
05. Castle of Life
06. Ten Thousand Years
07. The Quantum and the Lotus
08. To Travel Without Motion
Label: Tritech Music
Distribution: Tritech Music
Artwork rating: 80/100
Reviewed by: Jason Spencer
Date: 24 April, 2014
Website: www.tritonus.no