Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Threshold
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release: 2014
Running time: 55:00
Rating: 4.5/5
With »For The Journey«, once again backed by the traditionally flawless production of guitar virtuoso Karl Groom and keyboard wizard Richard West, the English prog metal heavyweights Threshold have finally managed to record two studio albums in a row with singer Damian Wilson in the lineup. Damian has actually left the band twice in the past, after the debut »Wounded Land« (1993) and after the album »Extinct Instinct« (1997), but he always managed to come back just when the band needed him most. After the tragic death of singer Andrew ‘Mac’ McDermott in 2011, he returned and they recorded the excellent album »March Of Progress« (2012) together, and it became clear that the old magic was back. The band had also reached a new level of artistic maturity and come out of a tough ordeal even stronger. »For The Journey«, their tenth studio album, is in many ways a stylistic successor to that predecessor, though it’s still varied enough that nobody can accuse Threshold of leaning too heavily on worn-out compositional and arrangement formulas.
»For The Journey« delivers eight new songs, and the opening energy catalyst »Watchtower On The Moon« gets all the longtime fans worked up right away, since it could easily have come from the »Hypothetcial« (1999) era. Punchy guitar passages are woven together with layered synth textures, and with the crushing drum meanders of the always fascinating Johanne James behind them, they build a dark atmosphere. The melodic chorus is backed by an epic arrangement, with Damian’s mighty, always emotionally all-in vocals standing out. Those vocals suck the listener into the album in an instant, while short, subtle sections keep a nice balance with the complex instrumental parts, full of bravura improvisations on electric guitar and synth.
»Unforgiven« is built on complex, furious guitar variations, while Damian’s deep vocal range beautifully develops an ambient drama. Mighty symphonic textures and ethereal vocal harmonies flow through it the whole time. Groom’s piercing guitar solo provides a melancholic way out. As has long been the Threshold custom, most of the lyrics on »For The Journey« are socially critical, taking a biting look at various human delusions.
»The Box is a brilliant twelve-minute epic that opens with a subtle piano-and-acoustic arrangement, soon joined by Damian’s always emotionally highly expressive vocals. After a dynamic shift into a hard-hitting section, with no shortage of furious rhythmic nuances between the rumbling bass lines from Steve Anderson and James’s drum stampedes, comes an epic chorus that all the longtime Threshold fans will love, since it will briefly remind them of some of the songs from the Mac era. Mighty guitar-and-keyboard harmonies deepen the intense atmosphere, while this gorgeous epic sits somewhere between prog rock and prog metal the whole way through. The orchestral climax is one of the highlights of the entire album.
»Turned To Dust« provides a nice stylistic and atmospheric contrast, a punchy piece with brutal guitar passages and uncompromising drum crashes, which fans of the metal side of the British prog metal champions will enjoy most. Groom’s melancholic guitar variations are once again a feast for the ears, while Pete Morten’s rhythm guitar neatly ties together the melodic structure of this dynamic composition, which also boasts a mighty chorus of the kind only Damian’s vocals can ‘conjure up.’ On »Lost In Your Memory« the Threshold guys show off their sophisticated side, building a central melodic arrangement in the midst of melancholic guitar harmonies, peaking in an emotionally intense chorus that will lodge itself in the hearts of all longtime fans in no time.
»Autumn Red«, one of the most innovative moments on the album, is another somewhat darker piece, with generous layers of keyboards and clever transitions into melodic sections, where an unusual combination of punch and sophistication reigns. The central organ arrangement is brilliantly executed, and the uplifting chorus under the baton of vocal master Wilson sounds even better. Of course there’s a complex instrumental section, but it’s neatly subordinated to the central motif, since Threshold have always been experts at crafting carefully structured songs with a ‘beginning and an end,’ and unlike some prog metal acts they’ve never gotten lost in any technical-improvisational extremes.
»The Mystery Show« has an opening section ruled by mighty symphonic arrangements and Damian’s layered vocals that sounds like music from some tense horror film, while the mighty chorus is once again pulled off in a very shrewd and sophisticated way. This composition recalls a stylistic blend of the current band and Threshold from the Mac era (from the album »Hypothetical« onward). It’s only fitting that the album’s closer is one of its best moments, and that’s true of »Siren Sky« too, which boasts a brutal combination of uncompromising guitar phrases and merciless drum crashes, followed through branching symphonic textures by a fascinating transition into an ethereal chorus, with Damian at the peak of his always impressive vocal abilities. West’s orchestral arrangements are a balm for the ears and an important source of sophistication in building the epic mood.
The bonus track »I Wish I Could«, a cover of Kyrbgrinder, opens with a breathtaking Groom guitar improvisation and is yet another very good piece with a slight oriental flavor, though in terms of atmosphere it’s not exactly the best choice to tack onto the end of this CD.
With »For The Journey« Threshold have once again made a top-shelf album that will go down among the best progressive rock and prog metal records of 2014, and they’ve managed to find real consistency within their latest lineup too. Ever since opening a new chapter in their career with »March Of Progress«, the best British prog metallers have been determined to fight their way back to the world prog metal throne, currently (once again) occupied by Dream Theater, but maybe the time has come for the scepter to land in English hands again. »For The Journey«, which takes a bit more time investment during the first few listens than some of their past albums before it fully wins the listener over, is definitely one of the best achievements in Threshold’s discography so far.
Lineup
Damian Wilson – vocals
Karl Groom – lead guitar, backing vocals
David West – keyboards
Johanne James – drums
Steve Anderson – bass
Pete Morten – rhythm guitar
Production
Karl Groom and Richard West
Track list
1. Watchtower On The Moon
2. Unforgiven
3. The Box
4. Turned To Dust
5. Lost In Your Memory
6. Autumn Red
7. The Mystery Show
8. Siren Sky
