Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Threshold
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release: 2017
Running time: 83:00
Rating: 4.5/5
»Legends of the Shires« is the eleventh studio album from English prog metal champions Threshold, and their second with singer Glynn Morgan in the lineup after »Psychedelicatessen« from 1994. Before recording »Legends of the Shires«, Threshold made a decision that plenty of fans found controversial and parted ways with their beloved longtime singer Damian Wilson. That makes it the third time he’s left, and this time apparently, for the first time, not by choice. Why the band’s two bosses, guitarist Karl Groom and keyboardist Richard West, made such a drastic call that so many people didn’t like, and decided to end the successful story with Wilson for the third time, is anyone’s guess, but that’s all in the past now. The split with guitarist Pete Morten was apparently more amicable, since he left on his own initiative to focus on new musical projects. So »Psychedelicatessen« singer Glynn Morgan is back in the ‘old flock’, and anyone who happened to forget that his vocal chops are every bit as good as Wilson’s got a fresh reminder of his singing greatness from »Legends of the Shires«, an album that surprised in a distinctly positive way. His voice is similar to Wilson’s, yet different, and Threshold simply couldn’t have found a better replacement at this point. Judging by the structure of most of the songs on »Legends of the Shires«, Morgan’s vocals are even a more fitting choice than Wilson’s more operatic approach.
Threshold’s latest effort is a welcome breath of fresh air after »For the Journey« (2014), which was a very good album but already started repeating a few things, something the two bosses and producers, Groom and West, evidently noticed too. Compared to »For the Journey«, this one has a few more prog rock elements, which means it’s a noticeably more eclectic record that often stretches beyond the traditional prog metal framework. It’s also worth mentioning that it’s a concept project and the first double album in Threshold’s history, which surprised quite a few fans. The band hasn’t revealed the details of the story just yet, other than that the concept of »Legeds of the Shires« is about the journey of a people, or maybe of an individual, trying to find their changed place in a new world. Let’s hope that’s not an allusion to the recent Brexit and that the background is far more metaphysical and romantic, unlike day-to-day politics.
Musically, »Legends of the Shires« is a pure triumph of epic harmonies, virtuoso vocal performances, mighty symphonic arrangements and complex time changes, and it’s one of the most varied albums of Threshold’s career so far. The piano-driven intro »The Shire (Part 1)« leads us into the dramatic »Small Dark Lines«, where the band hits full throttle with fiery guitar runs and pompous keyboard textures, all while keeping the melody and subtlety at a high level. The nearly twelve-minute epic »The Man Who Saw Through Time« isn’t just one of the best and most complex moments on the album, it’s one of the best things the band has ever done. Here they cross prog rock and prog metal elements in an incredibly refined way and create an unforgettable atmospheric journey. That said, this time around there are some similarities to neo-prog heavyweights Arena, a band that some people have traditionally liked to compare the far more metal-leaning Threshold to now and then.
»Trust the Process« keeps up the great atmosphere with a mighty, anthemic chorus front and center. It’s a track that, in structure and ambience, sounds a lot like some lost »Psychedelicatessen«-era outtake. You can hear on almost every composition that West has become noticeably more creative on keyboards than he was on »For the Journey«, while Groom also serves up more interesting solos than he did a few years back. Johanne James, one of the best drummers in prog metal/prog rock, who forms an outstanding rhythm tandem with bassist Steve Anderson, meanwhile makes sure the dramatic transitions run at full steam and with steely efficiency.
On the distinctly melodic »Stars and Satellittes« the band surprises with superb vocal harmonies. On »The Shire (Part 3)«, interestingly, lead vocals are taken over by former longtime bassist Jon Jeary, who apparently found some time to briefly lend his old buddies a hand. There are fourteen songs on the album and not a single weak moment among them, each serving up at least one interesting, refreshing sonic idea, while a tense, dramatic mood prevails throughout, apart from the occasional acoustic moments. The highlight of the second disc, if not of the whole album, is without a doubt the epic masterpiece »Lost in Transition«, where these outstanding musicians once again repeatedly step across the thin line between prog metal and prog rock on a grand scale.
Dramatic changes at the mic clearly do Threshold good, since they keep coming out of them even stronger and more vital than before. The concept treat »Legends of the Shires« is a triumph of some very welcome, refreshing ideas within Threshold’s trademark sound, and the end result is one of the highlights of their studio career so far. Let’s hope that Morgan, the band’s hugely successful returnee, doesn’t leave as quickly as he did after »Psychedelicatessen«, given the real drama the band has been through in the past with otherwise excellent singers, such as, besides Glynn, the previously mentioned Wilson and the sadly late Andrew ‘Mac’ McDermott. Right now everything points to »Legends of the Shires«« marking the start of a new and very successful chapter for these resilient English prog metal greats.
Lineup
Glynn Morgan – vocals
Karl Groom – guitar, production
Richard West – keyboards, production
Steve Anderson – bass
Johanne James – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Jon Jeary – vocals on “The Shire (Part 3)”
Production
Karl Groom and Richard West
Track list
CD 1 (40:42)
1. The Shire (Pt.1) (2:03)
2. Small Dark Lines (5:24)
3. The Man Who Saw Through Time (11:51)
4. Trust the Process (8:44)
5. Stars and Satellites (7:20)
6. On the Edge (5:20)
CD 2 (41:32)
1. The Shire (Pt.2) (5:24)
2. Snowblind (7:03)
3. Subliminal Freeways (4:51)
4. State of Independence (3:37)
5. Superior Machine (5:01)
6. The Shire (Pt.3) (1:22)
7. Lost in Translation (10:20)
8. Swallowed (3:54)
