Threshold - Dead Reckoning 2007

Tracks:
1. Slipstream
2. This Is Your Life
3. Elusive
4. Hollow
5. Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams
6. Fighting For Breath
7. Disappear
8. Safe To Fly
9. One Degree Down
10. Supermassive Black Hole

Band:
Mac (V)
Karl Groom (G)
Richard West (K)
Steve Anderson (B)
Johanne James (D)

Discography:
Wounded Land (1993, SE 2001)
Psychedelicatessen (1994, SE 2001)
Extinct Instinct (1997, SE 2002)
Clone (1998)
Hypothetical (2001)
Critical Mass (2002)
Subsurface (2004)

Guests:
Dan Swanö (V)

Links:
thresh.net
myspace
nuclear blast

British progressive metalers, rockers, weirdos or whatever you like to call them, are back with their eight studio album in their career. An album that have been highly praised in a number of metal/rock magazines, so the question really is if we shall fall in line and praise the album or go against the stream and say it is poor, we will see in a bit.

Firstly I want to share what the music sounds like, or try to do so. It is progressive metal. Well not that painting description is it? It means guitar driven heavy music with loads of hooks and ever-changing musical landscape, this with crystal clear production and loads of keyboard to add with leads and atmosphere. About that, it is hard to describe in words, look at the three names we dropped in the info, they aren’t that far away.

With that put aside we can focus on the issue and say that this is quite handsome, it is not far away from Critical Mass which I hold as the top note from Threshold as of yet. i does not quite reach the level of Critical Mass or Extinct Instinct but it is quite close on all accounts, but that was to be expected from Threshold which by far is the most consistent of the progressive metal band. But this consistency may also be somewhat of a weakness since they always seem to keep within certain boundaries and that masterpiece of an album will never come unless you are willing to risk a total fiasco. There will not be any Images and Words or Scenes From a Memory without failures that you believe in.

Still, with Threshold you know what you get all the time, their albums are always there, they may not be these truly, madly and deeply fantastic albums, but they are always really good. A Threshold record can be said to be a very safe investment.

A little downpart to this album is that shortly after it was released, the singer Mac left the band. For touring he was replaced by former singer Damian Wilson who can be heard on Extinct Instinct, we will have to wait and see if it will be the solution in the end. The thought is chilling even though I feel that Mac’s singing suites Threshold better, but Damian is this amazing singer with this amazingly passionate voice that may work really well in another progressive metal album.

With Threshold you know what you get even before you buy the record, and that is the case now as well and that is really impressive.

A musical piece for the ones really interested in music.

offical website