Well that’s buggered the opening for my review! How can I start with “Threshold, the UK’s finest Progressive Metal band return…” when the record company are going to great lengths to claim that Threshold aren’t a Progressive Metal band any more. Which is also a bit of a bugger because I rather liked Threshold the Progressive Metal band! So what the hell are they then?
In truth, I don’t think Threshold have been a full-on Prog Metal band for years. Not actually since recently reinstated vocalist Damian Wilson was in the band the first time. And that was a long time ago. With the vocal talents of the sadly no longer with us Andrew MacDermott, the band steadily became what could be referred to as technical Melodic Metal I guess…a Melodic Metal band that could nerd it up a bit when needed. So, on their previous album (the first to re-feature Wilson) I think the band were trying to almost give the fans what they wanted – modern-day Threshold with Damian Wilson on vocals. “For The Journey”, is therefore a continuation in some respects and exploring a new chapter in others.
But thanks to the Prog ban, it befalls people like me to try and find a term to describe the band – and do we get thanked for it? I’m favouring Technical Melodic Heavy Metal for the moment, but if I were to term the band ‘Plod-Metal’ for instance due to the similar time signatures throughout some of the album’s later tracks they wouldn’t like it. No, they’d prefer Epic or Majestic I’m sure, but it does cause problems. For instance, the album’s centrepiece, the 12 minute ‘The Box’ reminds me quite a lot of classic Shadow Gallery. But they were and are an unashamed Progressive Metal band. It’s all very well to distance yourself from a genre when it becomes uncool, as so many bands did back in the 90’s, only to look stupid when they go back to that sound ten years later. That mention of the 90’s isn’t by complete accident by the way, because musically many of the songs on “For The Journey” have that dirgey, down-tuned guitar quality that ironically many 80’s Metal bands adopted when trying to survive the 90’s. It didn’t work for many back then (a big hello to Skid Row!) and I’m really not sure it’s working for Threshold. The music doesn’t seem to gel completely with Wilson’s voice or his ultra-melodic choruses. And the big, gushing, piano-led, 80’s style Power Ballad ‘Lost In Your Memory’ doesn’t really fit with the rest of the album at all.
But that’s just one person’s opinion and the band are on a personal journey (hence the title maybe) – I’m pretty sure existing fans will find plenty to love about this album, not least the continued presence of the highly respected vocal talents of Damian Wilson. There are some great moments on this release, but I’m just not sure they fit as snugly as they used to. Threshold are now a little bit edgier, a bit darker and actually ALMOST progressive. But after the driving rhythms of the opening track it’s just all a bit mid-tempo for me, and yes, I’m sorry to say, ploddy. Maybe I’m missing something and for that I sincerely apologise to band and fans alike, because I really WANT to like this album – they are after all, one of the UK’s best Progr…Oh for crying out loud…Technical Melodic Metal bands and I want to support them. Unfortunately, “For The Journey” as a whole just left me a little cold. Sorry. Nice cover art and production though!
(6/10 Andy Barker)
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