Review by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
No rating supplied
Andrew "Mac" McDermott (vocals), Jon Jeary (bass),
Johanne James (drums), Nick Midson (guitar), Karl Groom (guitar),
and Richard West (keyboards) are Threshold. This group has been around
for several years, which may come as a surprise to some of you. This
current lineup has weathered the storm of change and come out of it
with nothing but clear blue skies ahead.
"Hypothetical" is a prog metal fest with a vast array of sounds
performed with plenty of vim and vigor. There are many different changes
in the music heard throughout the run of this CD. The basics are in
place as far as traditional metal sounds are concerned, although they
do manage to display their mettle as musicians by mixing it up sufficiently
for the entirety of this disc. Mac has a beautiful voice that is able
to mold itself around anything the group can dish out. From the ballad
"Keep My Head", which sounds like Toto at the height of their success,
lets everyone know that they can change gears at a moments notice
and then revert back to body slamming and head banging melodic metal.
"Turn On Tune In" sounds like something Genesis would have done after
the departure of Peter Gabriel. The closer "Narcissus" is the decisive
track… if there is one song on this CD that shows you how a progressive
rock song is constructed this is it. The authoritative and far-reaching
keyboards of Richard West comes rolling in like thunder through your
speakers while the piercing and poetic symphony of Karl Groom’s and
Nick Midson’s guitars accentuates the head bashing rhythm section
of Johanne James and Jon Jeary. All the influences are apparent; Queen,
Genesis, and Yes to name a few. This is a middleweight class group
pushing the envelope trying to move up to the heavyweights. They are
damned close. This album is a real attention grabber.
1. Light And Space
2. Turn On Tune In
3. The Ravages Of Time
4. Sheltering Sky
5. Oceanbound
6. Long Way Home
7. Keep My Head
8. Narcissus
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