CRITICAL MASS

This is without a doubt the best Threshold album of the MAC era (or of all of the band's career), threshold's sound have always been strangely simple but different from the other run of the mill prog metal bands (99% of them also know as Dream Theater clones), there's nothing too technical or cryptic here, the approach to the songwriting is quite different, it is based on simple but efective guitars riffs and vocal melodies and harmonies, with some discreet keyboard layers most of the time leaning more on the atmopheric and ambient side than on the in-your-face shredding type.

What makes this one stand over the rest of the band's catalogue is the songwriting, every song is good or close to perfect and memorable, you can remember a lot of the chorus lines, riffs, and melodies. Some of the song are real hyms to perfection, Falling Away, Echos of Life and Critical Mass really will get your emotions flowing and singing along, MAC really has a passionate voice that grabs you instantly, and Karl Groom has the perfect approach to soloing, keeping it simple but expressive, just like a XXI century david gilmour with more gain and a metal vibe. The only thing i hear that is not at top level it's the acoustic piano lines, from the sound of it they seem to be played out of some crappy rompler keyboard and really sound somewhat out of date now in 2008, but appart from that everything is tight and clear sounding.

If you want to get to know this band, this is definetly the best place to start.