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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A curious amalgam that works, December 13, 2001
I'm being mean by not awarding this CD five stars but I really hate issuing five star reviews in case something better comes along!
This is an astonishingly good CD that is very difficult to pigeonhole. Band influences aside this is a mixture of power metal, prog and AOR!! The main catalyst to this is vocalist, Mac, who you could quite imagine pairing up with the likes of Journey or REO Speedwagon. This recipe could so easily have backfired but the song constructions, links and musicianship are so strong that it really works extremely well.
As a benchmark, the music feels close to Everygrey (but less morose), Enchant (but better production) and Queensryche (but less pretentious).Overall a very pleasing new discovery for me and one where I will quickly invest in the back catalogue.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Balance and an expressive vocal performance, January 18, 2005
Threshold's 'Hypothetical' is from the start a great compositional CD. Each song is well crafted, the love of writing good melodic and harmonic (How about those lush, layered, harmonius vocals?) shining through each piece. Some will fault this reviewer for being "out to lunch", but in comparison, Mac's performances on these songs are in some ways reminescent of Steve Walsh's voacal contributions with Kansas. What I'm trying to say is that, in a world where R&B "divas" and hip looking, long-haired, throaty, three-octave Vagnerians, who have talent, but abuse it, Mac's abilities, though no doubt competent and able to produce this kind of vocal gymnastics, goes in another direction, that, in giving a song power by the drama of the piece and through the words and knowing not to go too far. Sometimes simple, subtle songs like 'Sheltering Sky', or the power of God speaking down upon humanity 'Light and Space', or even the disturbing, slipping grip of reality in 'Turn on Tune In', there is a story to be told, and in using another Kansas comparison, 'Song for America' (Kansas: 'Song for America'), tells it with beauty, grace, power, and sensitivity. Progressive-Metal doesn't have to be trite, it can reach an emotional chord, and Threshold does it in spades.
And even more impressive than the guitar work of Karl Groom and Nick Midson are Richard West's keyboards, who also displays a older school of Progressive music. Also, kudos to Johanne James on drums for not abusing the oft heard, tired cliches of the "quad" (Double bass/Snare/etc.) "dugga-dugga-dugga-dugga" that's been creeping up on a lot of material lately in so many songs. There is sensibility and variety in his drumming. More drummers need to explore more of their instrument. No worries about burn out of old, and again, trite, techniques on this CD.
And lastly, my arena, lyrics. And boy, these people are poets. There is something lyrical in their lyrics (if you happen to be a fellow writer, you understand my point). Here's two examples of what this band is capable of when creating a complete work of art:
1.(From 'Light and Space'):
I am the storm that won't be calmed
I am the calm that follows
I'm the stars that fill your day...
2. (From 'Narcissus'):
I want nothing of your snarling mongrel strain
Your smarmy doggrel lies
And if these words have singed your fur
Consider yourself a whipped cur
The images paint a picture hard to shake off, while the music, doing the job it's supposed to do when setting to words, keeps the dramatic and emotional tension and landscape from start to finish. The listener in fact, will travel eight different landscapes, from meloncholy, to powerful awe, to wire taut conflics, with an energy that's hard to come by in a market often overshadowed by the next big copy of a copy of a copy.
Good job to these bright English fellows. And good luck to them in the future, in not creating mere entertaining ear candy, but viable art.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow, October 10, 2001
This is simply one of the finest prog metal album around - and I don't say that lightly. Yes, Dream Theater and Shadow Gallery may have more technical ability, but for sheer audio enjoyment this squares up to them and holds its own. Light and Space is the song Threshold have long promised but never quite delivered, a masterfully blended meld of heavy riffs, abruptly changing time signatures, searing lead and soaring vocals. That they admit it was hard to record is proof of its brilliance. Turn On Tune In is very 'Latent Gene'-like, but my favourite has to be Sheltering Sky, with its wonderfully simple yet effective chorus lines. But this now - there's even a brilliantly amusing riff (the intro to Long Way Home) that is just SO old school Megtadeth!!!!!! Great stuff!!!!!!!!! This is simply a superb, intelligent, modern masterpiece that deserves more publicity.
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