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After their excellent studio
album ‘Critical Mass’ (2002) and the equally successful DVD
‘Critical Energy’ (2003), the expectations for the next release of
the English standard-bearers of progmetal, Threshold, were
highly-strung. The fans, who attended a gig during their last tour,
already know about the departure of John Jeary, bass player and one
of the founding members of the band. But they found an excellent
replacement in Steve Anderson, which keeps the stability and the
attended characteristic sound of the band. And to be honest, the
musical direction of the band was mainly put together by guitar
players Groom and Midson and keyboard player West.
Musically, “Critical Mass” was
used as a reference, although most of the tracks sound a bit heavier,
helped by the use of double bass drums by James. So it has become a
perfect marriage of heavy metal and progressive rock, with from time
to time some AOR passages. The album has become more complex and
maybe less accessible, but after a few listenings, this “Subsurface”
will surely become an indispensable item in every collection.
This time, a lot of attention was
paid to the lyrics. It hasn’t turned into a concept album, but most
of the songs deal with the same theme, elaborating on “Falling Away”
from “Critical Mass”. In fact, it’s not optimistic at all - the
indifference of man, the downward spiral of society, the curtailment
of our freedom because of the globalisation – all items for
discussion, of which no unanimity exists, but maybe that’s the
purpose of the band... to give food for thought!
In ‘Ground Control’, strong
progmetal takes turns with progressive (Genesis) fragments completed
with dreamy guitar solos, while Mac has definitively put Damian
Wilson out of our minds.
‘Opium’ has a distinct AOR feeling, put in a heavier ‘metal’ jacket.
It contains some sort of Pain Of Salvation intermezzo, brilliant
guitar and keyboard solos and even a choir.
“The Art of Reason” is a very beautifully built song. It’s the
longest track and also a progressive piece with the necessary
changes in pace, an AOR chorus and dazzling guitar and keyboard
solos.
And this goes on up to the end of the album. The band has put an
emphasis on the compositions on this album and even the ballad (‘Flags
and Footprints’) isn’t avoided, although Threshold does something
more with it than the average metal band.
Subsurface is the seventh album
of the band. If it has become their best is difficult to say. It
needs to grow on me for some time, but isn’t that the case for every
good progressive CD? This music must appeal to the fans of
progressive rock, progmetal and even classic rock, which makes their
definitive breakthrough a possibility. Don’t miss their shows in
Belgium and Holland in September!!
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