Threshold
Critical Mass

THE REVIEW

Really very enjoyable this "Critical Mass", the sixth studio album by the British band Threshold. Once again, Threshold leave nothing to chance! The mere atmospheres, always very dark and cold, make you want to listen to the album, but also from a technical point of view the album is very well conceived. Definitely one of the group's most successful work alongside various "Hypothetical", "Subsurface", "Psychedelicatessen" (which I am reevaluating a lot)... ...and all the others!

The start of the day is promising with the direct "Phenomenon" where distorted guitars alternate with fine electronic experiments; the guitar solo is good too. Track 2 "Choices" is one of the highlights of the album, and those exquisite Dream Theater-like guitar-keyboard touches alone are worth the purchase of the disc. "Falling Away" is perhaps one of the songs in their repertoire with the best-cared-for atmospheres, thanks to the clear sound of Richard West's keyboards, but the guitar-keyboard unison that comes in after the middle is also beautiful. Even "Fragmentation" is a song that synthesizes the band's typical power and melody; those guitars are really strong, the riffs really heavy between one verse and another, but the keyboards are also capable of delivering touching melodies! And what about "Echoes Of Life", another powerful highlight of the album; melancholic piano touches wander here and there throughout the track, really flawless atmospheres, and a beautiful instrumental part with guitar and keyboard solos... all to create a really poetic and moving track! Unfortunately, "Round Round" seems a bit too filler compared to the other songs; better instead the melancholic ballad "Avalon", based on a very tender piano! And how many bows should we make in front of the superb "Critical Mass"? Too many! The longest song Threshold has ever produced, with its 13 minutes and 35 seconds, but also one of the most unpredictable! Numerous minutes deliver what Threshold usually inserts in their music, which are powerful guitars, impeccable backgrounds as usual, and keyboard solos, then towards the end, the rhythm suddenly drops, offering a more psychedelic and hypnotic part of their production... for a few minutes, we are caressed by a very gentle acoustic guitar accompanied by a light and timid synthesizer... a really intelligent and well-placed finale to close an album as usual splendid!

Highly recommended for those who love strong emotions! Anything else to add? What? Just listen!