Classic Rock Start Page Album Review
THRESHOLD - Subsurface
1. Mission Profile 8:15
2. Ground Control 7:10
3. Opium 6:47
4. Stop Dead 4:18
5. The Art Of Reason 10:17
6. Pressure 5:13
7. Flags And Footprints 4:57
8. Static 5:06
9. The Destruction Of Words 6:10
© 2004 InsideOut Music
THRESHOLD e-mail: info@thresh.net
THRESHOLD website: www.thresh.net
Listening to the 7th studio-album of Threshold gives you the feeling that you're travelling on a heavy racing-car!
The power that bursts out of your speakers is something like an exploding exhaust!
An exhaust, of course, with a melodic shell, because the guys of Threshold know how to surprise you with their sometimes beautiful progressive arrangements. Dry, powerfull guitars (Karl Groom, Nick Midson), together with nice sounding synths (Richard West) and a rhythm-tandem that stands (Steve Anderson (b), Johanne James (d)), completed by the voice of Andrew "Mac" McDermott, will enjoy the progressive/metal rocker!
The 9 songs on "Subsurface" can maybe reckoned as their finest work up to now. They sound very mature and well produced, I can't find any bad things here! The more you listen to, for example, "Ground Control" or "The Destruction Of Words", the more you discover "special things", "details", or whatever you want to call it. That makes this album worthwile listening! You have to listen to it a few times, but then it'll stick in the mind!
Best song, in my opinion, is "The Art Of Reason", which has everything in it for modern progressive rock: sometimes difficult measures, duo-guitar solo's, fast synth-solo's and fine harmonies. I guess you could call it the leader of the album, Threshold in optima forma!
Subsurface? I would say: All above surface!!
Review by: Clemens Steenweg, August 2004