Critical Mass

Threshold hit their stride with 2001's mighty “Hypothetical”, an album that laid waste to everything they had recorded prior, and set the benchmark for accessible progressive metal the world over. They never got the respect or the sales that were due, given that they put an incredible amount of time and creativity into everything they put out, but at least in the UK, this British band were starting to make people sit up and take notice. Threshold channeled this new-found surge in popularity and created “Critical Mass” a year later.

For many, the Mac era will always be the highlight in Threshold's career, and the man is on fire here. Pushing his sharp, almost snarling delivery into higher registers for what is arguably one of his finest performances, Mac delivers these fine vocal lines with strength, conviction, and purpose. The rest of the band are tight as hell, as usual, with keyboard maestro Richard West and guitarist Karl Groom getting the lion's share of the attention. I've often found West to be a better soloist when it comes to the instrumental sections, showing a great amount of flair and sophistication, while Groom's passion is all about the riff. Those looking for a classic Threshold fix will find nothing to turn your nose up at here, though the album is a little different from the one that preceded it.

While “Hypothetical” was a rampaging affair, with a razor sharp guitar tone and an almost prog-power sensibility about it, “Critical Mass” take a more melancholy tone. It's rather ballad-heavy, with songs like “Falling Away”, Threshold's take on “Space Dye Vest”, and the spacey “Round And Round” feeling somewhat tiresome against the album's heavier cuts. The band have never been about speed or technicality; Threshold are song-driven, and every track here is well-crafted and expertly written. I dig the slower, more sedate feel of this album, but some might find it rather lacking in terms of flow, especially considering tracks like opener “Phenomenon”, which is Threshold running at full throttle, or the grinding, crowd-pleasing anthem “Fragmentation”, with its to-die-for chorus.

On the whole, this is one the band's more mechanical offerings, but it does contain a number of their best songs. “Echoes Of Life” is a killer West number with some of the best vocal lines on the album, and early epic “Choices” is a roller coaster of emotion and energy. The middle section is particularly striking, with its off-kilter melodies, courtesy of bassist/backing vocalist Jon Jeary, who would sadly leave the band after this, passing on all lyric-writing responsibilities to West.

So to recap, an excursion into melancholy for Threshold, one of prog-metal's most consistent band's. If you're just starting with them, go for “Hypothetical” or “Subsurface”. Seasoned fans will appreciate “Critical Mass” on another level.