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The English band in 2002 released another chapter of their long but silent career.
It's undeniable that the prog-metal scene is completely overshadowed by bigger names. However, I also find it undeniable that among these renowned groups there should be (I add deservedly) the 6 Englishmen who for 14 years have been producing works worthy of attention not only within the narrow musical genre they operate in, but also in today's broader musical landscape, not limited to the usual prog clichés. In fact, Threshold, with this good album, prove to be certainly influenced by the big names of prog-rock (Pink Floyd, Genesis) and prog-metal (Dream Theater above all, given the strong metal component of the tracks, but also by bands that have nonetheless made the history of "hard" music (Metallica especially).
In this "Critical Mass" you'll find prog, but in a part that surely coexists with the heavy and aggressive soul of the Englishmen, in a result that will surely reach perfection in the following "SubSurface." The band's performance is certainly excellent: Mac, the vocalist, proves to have a warm and definitely good voice, fortunately without resorting to extreme vocalizations. The performance on the instruments, on the other hand, is never intrusive: intelligent solos, tight rhythms in perfect thrash-heavy style, a keyboard that is limited to creating atmospheres and rarely launches into synth solos. The album opens with "Phenomenon": an excellent opening track, energetic enough and equipped with a fairly standard song structure: verse, chorus, and possible instrumental sections or variations. And the formula works perfectly, thanks to choruses that often turn out to be very airy, full of pathos and at times characterized by epic melodies.
The height of this recipe is reached with the following "Choices" which features an instrumental section to be taken as an example: the instruments in this track chase each other, compete, and the more progressive element of the group here takes over. "Falling Away" is instead a classic of the band, where the melodic, epic vein and the prog section come together in a truly majestic track. It is followed by the very hard "Fragmentation" where the thrash aspect of the group comes to life. This is the prelude to another excellent track: "Echoes of Life". Almost 9 minutes of beauty: there are great alternations of moments of calm and sonic explosion, the former characterized by the sweet sound of a piano and the latter by instrumental sections rich in incredible riffs. Truly admirable is the guitar solo (also quite long) on a sweet pianistic base initially, then continuing in its final explosion, returning to the main theme of the song.
"Round Round" reintroduces intense metal outbursts in a very dark atmosphere, like the following "Avalon" which I consider the weak point of an otherwise perfect album: predictable rhythms, as well as all the melodies in a whirl of monotony. All this to lead to the title track, also the last track of the album. "Critical Mass" is a suite divided into three parts, a 13-minute summary of all that Threshold are: the metal, the melody, the sweet and acoustic side in a stunning finale. The grand melodic soul of this group comes to life in wonderful solos. To prog fans and the like: this album will not fail to engage and excite you. Without making unnecessary comparisons with more illustrious colleagues, Threshold live by their own light offering, in a genre that is frankly stale, a personal interpretation of what prog-metal should be, respecting all the ingredients of the recipe and adding a pinch of their own ideas and undeniable originality.
Recommended also to those who believe that prog-metal is only Dream Theater and SymphonyX. Here, we are on the same qualitative level.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Phenomenon (05:28)
Safe from all the hurting safe from all the lies
Locked myself away now blindfold on my eyes
Lost in your predictions fiction from the stars
Bound to be your destiny you know who you are
Someone stopped the starlight loosened up the ties
Now the door is open open like my eyes
So if the sky's about to fall i'll still be up there flying
It's just the fear of what's in store that ever stops you trying
And if the storm throws you around it only makes you stronger
But when the stars come crashing down it's a phenomenon
Scared of all your visions scared of all you hear
Thought you'd bring security but all you brought was fear
Someone stopped the starlight brought me back to life
Set me free from your deceit threw away the lies
So if the sky's about to fall i'll still be up there flying
It's just the fear of what's in store that ever stops you trying
And if the storm throws you around it only makes you stronger
But when the stars come crashing down it's a phenomenon
I don't want many things just a chance to spread my wings
Don't know what the future brings but I want to be there
Someone stopped the starlight loosened up the ties
Now the door is open open like my eyes
So if the sky's about to fall i'll still be up there flying
It's just the fear of what's in store that ever stops you trying
And if the storm throws you around it only makes you stronger
But when the stars come crashing down it's a phenomenon
03 Falling Away (06:53)
There's a fire by the wayside
And it burns so bright
As the smoke rolls over us
We think that we're bathing in light
As we tend to our gardens
The world is growing wild
But we live in our tiny heads
And can't see past our own tiny minds
As we turn away from heaven's bright sun
To earth's dark star
We're powerless we're paranoid
We'll never know what we destroyed
We're arrogant so ignorant
We're falling falling away
So we stop by the wayside
And we think we're smart
We vote for the pretty ones
And curse when the world falls apart
And we swear we'll do better
But the sky's about to fall
So the smoke rolls over us
And we are doing nothing at all
We turned away from heaven's bright sun
So here we are
We're powerless we're paranoid
We'll never know what we destroyed
We're arrogant so ignorant
We're falling falling away
We're breaking we're stalling
We're drifting we're falling
We're headstrong for so long
We're always falling away
04 Fragmentation (06:34)
We are fragmented
Clinging on to a concept known as how
Drifting through dimensions
In a place which we call now
Simply unaware
Of what goes on above beyond and before
Behind us fly the ragged fragments
Of what should have been much more
Been much more
So unsure
Opening doors
Separate entities in ebb and flow
Diverse quantities behind us show
Fragmentation
Fragmentation
We thought that we would live forever
Now we're mortals like the rest
We were lion hearted fighters
Who were never put to the test
Can't foresee the end but it's round the bend
And it's putting us to flight
I would go with you if you asked me to
And you're frightened that I might
I just might
Souls in flight
Just not right
Separate entities in ebb and flow
Diverse quantities behind us show
Fragmentation
Half of a fantasy but I never got
Half of the fanta see? but I never got
Half of the fans to see but I never got
Half of the van to sing but I never got
No I never ever never got
Half of the fantasy but I never got
Half of the band to see but I never got
Half of the fans to sing but I never got
Half of the royalties no I never got
It's time to reconvene the wolf pack
And gather these disparate parts
And to exorcise the maniac
And separate these scars
Let my blood flow fast
And neutralise the yearning in my heart
Let my spirit fill with energy
Like its waiting for the start
For the start
A broken heart
Torn apart
Separate entities in ebb and flow
Diverse quantities behind us show
Fragmentation
Fragmentation
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Other reviews
By splinter
The mere atmospheres, always very dark and cold, make you want to listen to the album.
The longest song Threshold has ever produced... a really intelligent and well-placed finale to close an album as usual splendid!
