THRESHOLD
“LEGEND OF THE SHIRES”
Album Review By Dawn King
8/10
I am really what you would call a dabbler with English, prog-metal band, Threshold. The first album I heard was Dead Reckoning in 2007 and I never really delved much into their back catalogue either, only liking the odd song here and there. Their comeback album in 2012 “March of Progress” became a favourite of mine but then I didn’t really take much notice of 2014’s “For the Journey.”
Now, 2017 see’s a new line up and a new album with “Legend of the Shires.” Says the band: “It’s time for a new chapter. The Threshold family has changed again, and we can’t wait to get out there.”
The band was formed in Surrey, Southern England, by guitarist Karl Groom in 1998, and the band were a unique proposition from the start. Driven by a youthful confidence and passion, they quickly became the UK’s top source of adventurous and progressive metal and they have built their reputation on the strength of their song writing, their collective chemistry and their total disregard of passing trends and fads, playing the music they want to play.
With the new album comes a “new” singer, Glynn Morgan, a vocalist who has previously recorded with the band. Theirs is not the greatest of stories when it comes to vocalists, having recently parted ways with Damien Wilson, singer for the past ten years after his third stint with the band. There was also the tragic loss of Andrew “Mac” Macdermott, who sadly passed away in 2011, but they are now welcoming Glynn back into the fold, after being absent from the band since the recording of 1994’s “Psychedelicatessen”
Says Richard West: “We didn’t just want to go with a new singer, so Glynn was the only man on our list. He’s got such an amazing voice, it’s been beautiful working with him again.”
Legends of the Shire is described by the band as “a colossal double album, full of the most vivid, vivacious and supremely confident music” that they have ever recorded. It’s eighty-three minutes in length and remorselessly absorbing. It’s a sprawling, multi-layered album but still contains all the beautiful refrains, soaring choruses and moments of balls to the wall metal that die-hard fans will be expecting. It has hidden depths with a number of unexpected twists and turns.
The last two albums were, for me, a little TOO progressive, being a bit more laid back, and this album sees the return of the Dead Reckoning era (which also happens to be my favourite era.) Glynn’s voice reminds me very much of Mac’s, strong and rocky and gives the songs that little bit of an edge.
Every aspect of Threshold’s music has been cranked up with this album, but still showcases their excellence as songwriters and musicians, while Glynn stamps his vocal authority all over this album.
Magical chemistry, from Karl’s guitar playing to Johanne’s frantic drumming, has always been a major part of Threshold’s appeal, and it has already started to bubble to the surface in this new line up.
Not being a die-hard fan of either Threshold or progressive metal, I thought this album was fantastic and if someone was to hear Threshold for the first time through this album, I think they could be well and truly hooked. There are enough intricacies to keep the prog fan happy, while enough hooks, riffs and drum beats to appeal to the more metal fans.
Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the gig they have in London in December, but I think it will be a great show and I hope everyone has a fantastic time.
If the next album this band turns out is as good as this one, I could yet become one of those die-hard fans!
TRACKLIST
CD 1:
The Shire (Part 1)
Small Dark Lines
The Man Who Saw Through Time
Trust The Process
Stars And Satellites
On The Edge
CD 2:
The Shire (Part 2)
Snowblind
Subliminal Freeways
State Of Independence
Superior Machine
The Shire (Part 3)
Lost In Translation
Swallowed
http://www.thresh.net/
https://www.facebook.com/threshold/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ThresholdOfficial
https://tunein.com/artist/Threshold-m275981/?autoplay=true
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7KTRbZ1YTch5oXQOmQTStM?autoplay=true
http://www.deezer.com/en/artist/16681?autoplay=true
https://twitter.com/Threshold
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