Threshold
Hypothetical

THE REVIEW

A few days ago, we were met with some bad news: Andrew McDermott, known as Mac, vocalist of Threshold from 1998 to 2007, passed away at the age of just 45 due to health issues stemming from kidney failure following 4 days in a coma. During his 9 years with Threshold, with whom he recorded 5 albums (from "Clone" until his departure after "Dead Reckoning"), he demonstrated great skill and his incredible voice capable of singing high notes without losing melodic emphasis and never becoming aggressive.

I thought the best way to commemorate him was to talk about an album I hadn't yet discussed: "Hypothetical". It is one of the three albums (the other two are "Critical Mass" and "Subsurface", which I have already reviewed) that, in my opinion, represents the period of maximum inspiration for the British band. It is an album where all characteristics of the Threshold sound find equal space: the thrash metal-inspired riffs, the melodic breaks with guitar arpeggios, atmospheric parts, and excellent electronic inserts, as well as the pompous AOR-style choruses and pleasant solos of both guitar and keyboards. And Mac's vocal performance on this album is as remarkable as in the subsequent albums; it might seem a little weaker and less flashy in the slower moments (probably a weak point for him) but never experiences significant downturns. For those wanting to venture into the world of Threshold, this album could be a good entry point.

The album opens with the sharp and powerful opener "Light And Space," led by powerful guitar riffs that also leave room for atmospheric moments. It’s followed by the strong "Turn On Tune In," more thrash-oriented, followed by the enduring "The Ravages Of Time," with over 10 minutes of duration that, after the atmospheric intro, starts with powerful thrash strikes only to then give way to a central part characterized by a significant keyboard interlude followed by delicate and dark guitar passages; a passage that will be repeated after the good instrumental section including a noteworthy keyboard solo. A track that represents one of the high points of the album. Then follows the melodic and melancholic "Sheltering Sky," with emphasis on piano keys and a slow rhythm but with some heavier riffs preventing it from being classified as a ballad.

"Oceanbound" returns to favor killer riffs and more sustained rhythms, but the slow central part reveals itself to be a notable change of pace. "Long Way Home" features even sharper riffs close to thrash but the keyboards with their piano touches help soften it a bit. As the penultimate track, we have the ballad "Keep My Head," and this time it truly is a ballad. The emphasis is on the keyboards and Mac’s voice shines most in the chorus; the guitar solo is also not bad. And to close, we have one of the career gems of the group: "Narcissus," which appears quite catchy in the first minutes, with powerful guitars alternating with softer parts and the usual pompous choruses with overlapping voices, then the central part brings the best: first, a beautiful part with Richard West's keyboards that, between atmospheric sounds, piano sounds, and others almost neo-prog in style, creates a dense and pathos-filled atmosphere, then a remarkable instrumental section clearly inspired by Dream Theater, rhythmically excellent, alternating with great skill significant guitar and keyboard solos to then return to the melodies of the previous minutes.

Thus comes the end of a work imbued with all the class this British band knows how to offer us. I feel inclined to give the highest scores to most of this band’s albums, probably because they have a decidedly very personal sound; from my point of view, Threshold is not the stereotypical progressive metal band of which there are thousands of clones just waiting to be discovered on Progarchives but instead is a band with its own style and a rather personal way of combining elements, I would say.

Browsing various forums, sites, etc., I often notice they are not mentioned as bands like Dream Theater and Pain Of Salvation are. Even though I'm not a fan of posthumous commercial processes like those that happened with people like Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse, I think the news of Mac's death is a good opportunity to rediscover this band, especially for those who never considered it before.

Progressive metal in any case loses a valuable voice, perhaps not one of the absolute best but certainly involved in the best production of one of the most important bands in the field. We probably would not have seen him with the band anymore as he left after Dead Reckoning in 2007, but perhaps we could have seen some of his solo work, as he was working on some.

At 45, to remember him, we also lost another illustrious voice: Mike Baker of Shadow Gallery, who died in 2008, to whom many would have immediately thought after reading the news. I hope this 45 doesn't represent a curse like that of the rockstars represented by the number 27! In the meantime, I invite you to explore Threshold's discography hoping they will come out soon with a new album that now seems almost certain to feature their original vocalist Damian Wilson.