:: Threshold - Dead Reckoning

Threshold

If there’s a band within the progressive rock/metal scene that deserves mainstream recognition and success more than any other group, it’s UK act Threshold. Since the release of its debut album ‘Wounded Land’ in 1993, right through to the previous studio album ‘Subsurface’ in 2004, Threshold has slowly evolved and matured to become one of the underground scene’s best-kept secrets, with every album drawing more and more fans to its unique brand of progressive rock. Having completed the contractual obligations to Inside Out Music, Threshold took the opportunity to rethink its position within the scene, and decided to sign on with Nuclear Blast Records for this latest full-length release ‘Dead Reckoning’. Apart from the change of labels and a temporary change within the line-up, Threshold has also decided to take a slight change of direction sound wise, with ‘Dead Reckoning’ darker, heavier and more modern sounding than anything the band has produced in years. From the moment that the guitars open up ‘Slipstream’, it’s immediately clear that Threshold has toughened up the metal aspect of its sound, but not to the detriment of the melodic choruses that the band is well known for. ‘This Is Your Life’ contains the guitar heavy approach of the opening track, with the keyboards used more as a backing instrument rather than a leading component, while ‘Elusive’ takes the metallic aspect one step further. If there’s one remarkable thing about Threshold, it’s the ability to make incredibly complex song arrangements sound effortlessly simple, and there’s no stronger example than the epic ten-minute centrepiece ‘Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams’. Boasting stunning multi-layered harmonies and melodies, cleverly crafted time changes and some of the heaviest music laid down by the band to date, ‘Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams’ is a track that will appeal to those who like the technical aspect of the musicians' abilities, as well as those who appreciate the sheer catchiness that Threshold excel at. Both ‘Hollow’ and ‘Fighting For Breath’ meld the keyboard/guitar approach synonymous with Threshold’s past, while the experimental sounding ‘Disappear’ showcases a decidedly stripped back and new sound from the band, and one that definitely works in the band’s favour. Fleshing out the remainder of the album is the heavy ballad ‘Safe To Fly’ and the stunning finale ‘One Degree Down’. If there was ever an album to push Threshold from out of the underground and into the mainstream, then it’s ‘Dead Reckoning’. Threshold has never failed to impress with its previous albums, but ‘Dead Reckoning’ is without a doubt the band's strongest effort yet, and destined to be hailed as one of the best progressive rock/metal albums of 2007.