Artist: Threshold
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2004
Rating: 2.5/5
Threshold have hit the brakes. The British progressive metallers have started repeating their motifs and are becoming one-dimensional, which only proves that this album came out way too soon for any truly “spicy” fresh ideas to have emerged in the two years between their last two studio albums. As a result, the album limps badly on the progressive side.
Don’t get me wrong! For those of you who meet the band for the very first time through this album, it’ll be a real discovery, because the record is bursting with distinctive touches and ultra-melodic hooks. The band has a completely one-of-a-kind voice, and from the first second to the last “Subsurface” sounds utterly like itself, the way only Threshold can. The sound is once again damn alive and conjures up a fantastically grandiose atmosphere, something most of Threshold’s peers can only dream about. The instruments sit in ideal balance throughout. Threshold build the bulk of their melodies on the massive guitar riffing of the Groom/Midson duo and on the keyboard arrangements of bandleader Richard West. It’s shocking, really, how the keyboards still find enough room in the sound next to the juicy wall of guitars, not just to stand as equals, but to push the whole magic a step further, and they’re indispensable to the band’s musical body. The sonic space is filled to the brim, and the band puts convincing, atmospheric storytelling first, through the poetry they preach. The rhythm section is made of the right stuff too. Drummer Johanne James’s contrasting barrage is clean and precise, the rolls are varied, and he especially shines with his imaginative, jolting use of the double bass pedal in the transitions. This clean drum assault is backed up by the excellent, production-wise crystal-clear melodic bass lines of newcomer Steve Anderson, who recently replaced founding member and bassist Jon Jeary.
But “Hypothetical” (2001) and “Critical Mass” (2002) sounded that way too. What’s more, Threshold have actually simplified things, and “Subsurface” is quite far from the colorfulness and unpredictability of those two earlier releases. And of course, the mini-epic is back with us again! That’s the more-than-ten-minute The Art Of Reason, but in terms of the creative enthusiasm poured into chasing wit, it doesn’t come close to the likes of Critical Mass or Ravages Of Time. Too often we’re served repetitive motifs that are stripped down and simplified, resting on nothing but open heavy riffing and melodies driven over a thousand times, mostly over a massive mid-tempo rhythm, which adds to the monotony and dullness of the new record. The vocals of Andrew “Mac” MacDermott are expressive, soulful, committed and tastefully wrapped in layered backing-vocal harmonies, but what good is that when he’s (again) strolling down lines we’ve already heard? Even the rhythm changes and the use of solos follow a formula that’s turning into the band’s worn-out catchphrase.
The only bright spot on the album that I can actually call progressive metal is the song Pressure. Here Threshold burst out, very convincingly, with that real, recognizable fire of their adventurous, exploratory side, which also holds a fair dose of unpredictability.
The album will definitely delight all the die-hard Threshold fans who are happy with the band’s current state of mind and will gladly slot it into their Threshold CD collection. Thanks to their loyalty to the fans, the band will surely rake in nothing but glowing ratings on metal e-zine sites. Realistically, though, it’s a real shame, because Threshold have extraordinary creative potential and are capable of much, much more than what they delivered with “Subsurface”. Boys! Take a long break, breathe in some fresh air, go enjoy yourselves in Cuba while Castro is still alive, and in about three years happily step back through the door of the recording studio.
Lineup
Andrew “Mac” Dermott – vocals
Karl Groom – guitar
Nick Midson – guitar
Steve Anderson – bass guitar
Richard West – keyboards
Johanne James – drums
Production
Karl Groom & Richard West
Track list
1. Mission Profile (8:15)
2. Ground Control (7:13)
3. Opium (6:48)
4. Stop Dead (4:21)
5. The Art Of Reason (10:20)
6. Pressure (5:17)
7. Flags And Footprints (4:54)
8. Static (5:07)
9. The Destruction Of Words (6:14)
Album length: 58:29
SPECIAL EDITION INCLUDES:
1. Extended booklet
2. Bonus track: What About Me (4:19)
3. Video footage and weblink to special internet content
