Threshold
Extinct Instinct

THE REVIEW

Threshold might be one of the most repetitive bands in the prog-metal scene: most of their albums resemble each other like two peas in a pod and always offer the same sounds, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that they have created masterpieces.

I am about to review what I consider to be the most underrated album the band has ever produced! "Extinct Instinct" is, in my opinion, never listed among the group’s masterpieces, yet I think it is superior to albums like "Wounded Land", the perhaps overrated "Psychedelicatessen", or even "Hypothetical".

It’s the album where Threshold’s sound takes a turn that will be confirmed in subsequent records... Darker and colder atmospheres compared to the warmer and sunnier ones of the first two albums, a harder sound leaning towards thrash, and greater complexity in the compositions with many more tempo changes, more daring and less cautious use of sounds, and more pronounced technique. The only flaw is Damian Wilson's not exactly excellent voice, which will fortunately give way to the more mature Andrew McDermott in the next album.

An album that offers everything Threshold's music can give from the very first "Exposed", with that truly impeccable guitar and keyboard intro; it then continues with "Somatography", where more delicate parts alternate with strong thrash accelerations, and the final keyboard loop is really well inserted. And what about "Eat The Unicorn" (aside from the rather insignificant title, tell me what "eat the unicorn" means)? One of the best pieces they have ever written, with strong and aggressive rhythms that also leave space for atmosphere and complex guitar and keyboard solos. The semi-ballad in Queen style "Forever" is an excellent prelude to the powerful yet always melodic "Virtual Isolation", while "The Whispering", with a warmer atmosphere compared to the other pieces, is really a song with two faces (and saying two seems really little); the delicate and clean guitar arpeggios of some verses transform, in the chorus, into powerful strumming accompanied by incredible choirs... a track created to unleash the most frantic but also to entertain, overall one of the most successful on the record. "Lake Of Despond" is instead a bit underwhelming, although it is well-crafted in terms of atmosphere. The ballad "Clear", well-tuned with piano and guitar, is still capable of giving emotions, while "Life Flow" offers good melodies and all in all a nice keyboard solo in the central part. And to close the album is another superlative track, "Part Of The Chaos", this one too less dark and closer to the atmospheres of the first two albums, which in its 8 minutes alternates powerful guitars, very well-placed choirs, and a beautiful instrumental part where guitar and keyboard once again embark on fine solos.

The outro "Segue", a guitar arpeggio accompanied by voices of people in the background, closes an album that really, and I say "really", deserves more attention and which I would honestly not want to hold back from calling a "masterpiece".

The limited edition of 2001 also contains the splendid acoustic ballad "Mansion" and the radio edit versions of "Exposed" and "Virtual Isolation".