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Review Summary: Threshold's latest record offers enough variety and creativity to keep you listening for hours. Threshold is a progressive metal band hailing from the UK. Formed in 1988, the band are veterans of the genre, with this being the band’s ninth studio album. With a career spanning nearly twenty five years, it would almost seem plausible that the band’s music can not possibly be very progressive at this point, but with March of Progress, Threshold still have much to offer those willing to seek them out.
March of Progress is not strictly a metal album. While it certainly does contain many standard metal elements, there are all sorts of influences here, from traditional progressive rock, to power metal, this album offers a wide variety of styles and tastes making for an already varied listen. The album has some upbeat and energetic moments that mirror power metal such as the opener “Ashes”, with soaring choruses and catchy hooks, and it also has its darker and more progressive moments (“Staring at the Sun”) tinged with creative guitar work and an inventive use of keyboards and musical arrangements. The music is very moody, with upbeat and dreary moments respectively. The music shifts broodingly behind the vocals, often times taking the listener on a roller-coaster of emotions. The music is very much a work of art, as it has a theatrical air about it that demands your attention.
While some metal purists would shy away from the clean (and really nicely done) vocals, upbeat tempos, and energetic performances, this is still very much a metal record, only of a different variety. The album has a lot of the things you love about metal, such as good production, creative guitar work and expertly executed solos, inventive drumming, very audible bass lines, and a vocal performance that demands your attention and respect. This album is basically a breath of fresh air, as it doesn't offer all of the aspects of metal that grow old with time, such as repetitive riffing and stereotypical vocals. In fact, this band even throws in keyboards that actually manage to work in sync with the rest of the instruments, a feat rarely witnessed in modern metal.
Unfortunately, March of Progress is not consistent enough. While much of the material is inventive and compelling, certain parts of the second half of the record fail to grab my attention. Songs like “That’s Why We Came” and “Don’t Look Down” are so upbeat and happy sounding that the material comes off as slightly corny and immature. Also, the ten minute closer, “The Rubicon” has some good moments, but drags on endlessly. Any ten minute song will be hard for new listeners to swallow, and “The Rubicon” is no exception. Still, most of the record is exceptional, and these slight grievances pale in comparison to some of the great tracks found here.
Despite a lack of consistency, this album offers enough musical variety, creativity, and catchiness to please most hard rock and heavy metal fans looking for something new and inventive. In a world so overcrowded with stale and repetitive metal bands ripping each other off, bands like Threshold will always come out on top in the end, regardless of what you may think of them.
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Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Here are a couple of the tracks I thought were highlights on the album:
Ashes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfkyRlL06hM&feature=relmfu
Staring At The Sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USFuam0LsWs
As a side note, this album is bit of a grower, as i didn't really start digging this until after a
week or so of listening to it on and off.
| | | This was pretty impressive. Good review as always, man. POS'd.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
One of my favourite prog rock/metal releases of 2012.
Damian Wilson's performance is quite impressive.
Well I agree the first half is better but I still believe the album's pretty consistent.
Favourite songs here: Ashes, Staring at the Sun and Colophon.
Good work man, have a pos.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Thanks for the responses, i'm glad you liked my review.
Definitely one of the best progressive albums this year thus far.
Notrap, It would seem that every new album I find, you have already rated. lol
| | | Amazing album. It's probably their most well-put-together album to date. POS'd and major props for reviewing this. This should be featured.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Would love to finally get a feature, but I probably won't.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Love this album.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
"Notrap, It would seem that every new album I find, you have already rated"
Haha sometimes it's the other way around man. I try to keep myself updated, 2012 has been a great year, at least for me.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Yeah I would definitely tend to agree, there has been a lot of good releases this year. Can't wait to post my 2012 Best-Of list.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Same here, difficult task...specially my top 20.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
This album is quite spiffing, old chap.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
I agree on almost every single point. For me, there are only a couple really standout tracks (namely Don;t Look Down and Divinity) with the rest being good, but nothing phenomenal. It's a good album for me overall, though not quite as good as Wounded Land, Extinct Instinct, Hypothetical, Critical Mass...fuck it's not as good as pretty much anything else they've released. Nonetheless, it wouldn't be fair to call this album a disappointment. THe band has simply set very high standards for themselves.
Your review was fantastic; one of the best I've read on this site in months. 100% worthy of a feature.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
"fuck it's not as good as pretty much anything else they've released."
Well at least it's better than Dead Reckoning.
| | | I only know Hypothetical, but if it's not as good as that, I won't bother
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Thanks for the kind words DoctorVelvet, makes me want to keep reviewing.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
good stuff
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Excellent album, my favorites are Ashes, Return of the Thought Police, The Hours, Don't Look Down and
Coda. Pos'd
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Thanks for reading. I'm glad to see this band getting a little notoriety around here. This album is
too good to go unnoticed.
| | | this is great
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Good review, but it kind of had the opposite effect with me. It lost some of its immediate appeal.
Also, I disagree about "The Rubicon" - one of my favorites on the album, for sure.
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