Thresholds

Second album syndrome, sophomore slump, sequelitis, whatever you want to call it. Hall of Fame death metal bands are particularly prone to this crippling disease (Entombed, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Suffocation, Dismember, Possessed could all be listed as casualties). The underlying causes are pretty obvious when you think about it. This is a type of music that thrives on youthful enthusiasm, aggression, hunger and energy. The early death metal scene was based on ideas developed organically, rehearsed endlessly and pressure-tested through demos and EPs. The debut albums that followed are the culmination of many years' graft and experimentation. Those records comprise the core of the death metal canon, second albums can rarely match them for depth.

Nocturnus suffered as badly as anyone from second album syndrome. Their debut (“The Key”) was/is a wonderful record, brimming with vitality and originality. It's an album which revels in the ridiculous, it was one of the first extreme metal albums to embrace keyboards (beyond mere atmosphere). It went further with science fiction themes than anything before it. It is a record where every risk pays off (even the decision to mute the bass in the mix). It may tread a fine line between genius and stupidity, but it has incredible kinetic energy, amazing riffs and solos, and a dark, oppressive feel. It was also really fucking extreme for the time. The band's second album ("Thresholds") had a lot to live up to, but surely no-one expected it to be as bad as it turned out. Imagine a sluggish, lacklustre version of “The Key” with boring riffs, no structure and one of the worst death metal productions ever. That's "Thresholds" in a nutshell.

I’ve barely listened to “Thresholds” in the last 20+ years. I wanted to see if my opinion had changed in writing this review. It hasn’t. This is still a piece of shit. There are occasional good ideas, the lead guitar playing is impressive from a technical standpoint (more advanced than on “The Key”). There are lots of melodic and flashy solos and some sweep picking, which was pretty rare for death metal back then. People who like this stuff might find something of worth here. Personally, flashy solos mean nothing to me without good riffs. The predominant riffing on “Thresholds” could be described as 'lifeless chugging that overstays its welcome’. The overall production is muddy and light, the absolute worst combination for death metal. The guitar tone is muffled and clipped, it sounds like someone scraping ice off their car window on a frosty morning. The bass drum is barely audible. The vocals (done by a new guy) are too quiet, giving them no power or character. The dominant keyboards sound silly without meaty riffs to work from.

The production flaws might be overlooked if the album had any energy or spark, but everything that made the “The Key” awesome is muted here. You remember those amazing, over-the-top, fast tunes which threw infinite ideas together and hoped for the best (“Lake of Fire”, “Andromeda Strain”, “Droid Sector”)? Well “Thresholds” has nothing like that. Instead we get the sound of a band going through the motions whilst the lead guitarist shows off some new techniques. Most of it is arranged around five or six minute ‘songs’ which comprise random meandering and noodling around. Take “Tribal Vodoun” for instance, some chuggy riffs merge into a bizarre scratchy section (1:11), which lasts about a minute before slowing down and speeding up (several times), then there is another long bit of chugging before a squealing solo and it ends with a sudden burp. “Aquatica” is another one which gets bogged down in chugging, solos, chugging and more solos. Most of the album follows this pattern.

OK, there are a couple of (almost) highlights. “Subterranean Infiltrator” is a decent song, it builds the speed in a logical way, has a great solo and some nice riffs (like the one at 1:52). With a better production it would sound good. “Climate Controller” isn't bad, at least it has catchy vocal hooks, some slow brooding sections, and most of the riff transitions make sense. If anything, these promising moments make "Thresholds" even more frustrating to listen to. I’m sure the band members know how much this record sucks (Mike Browning is scathing about it in interviews), but albums like this could bury a band’s career in the pre-internet era. Consign this album to the black hole of history and listen to “The Key”.