HYPOTHETICAL

Hypothetical is my first encounter with Threshold so I don't know if it is really representative of their music but every proghead has to be warned : all you will find here is extremely mainstream commercial hard rock. It is not a derogatory comment but it is a fact that had to be told. If you don't mind -or, even more shameful, if, as I do, you enjoy- listening to that type of music, you should have some fun with this album . well, at least with part of it.

"Light and Space" is a great opener. This one has it all : you get nailed right away by a wall of thundering guitars and the powerful voice of Mac combined with a catchy melody finishes the work. At this point, you ardently beg for more. Unfortunately, the best is already behind you. "Turn on Tune in" keeps the same pattern (as all the following songs more or less do) but it lacks the brilliant melody of its predecessor. Things get even worse with "The Ravages of Time" that clocks to an unnecessary never-ending 10'17". "Sheltering Sly" substantially lifts up the level in an highly commercial way that makes me furiously think of . Y&T ! Back to disappointment with "Oceanbound", a very average heavy metal song that happily leaves the place to the other great song of the album : "Long Way Home", a very catchy mid-tempo rocker with a -once again- very commercial keyboards intro, followed by some heavy riffs, an effective chorus and a short but cute solo. Then comes "Keep my Head", maybe the most disturbing song here because it is a ballad that is not bad per se but could appear on any boys' band catalogue, a feeling emphasized by the very poor lyrics. Last song is the epic -at least in the sense that it is the longest track of the album- "Narcissus", that can be divided in two parts : an heavy and rather uninteresting first half followed by a mellower and more ambitious second one where you will maybe detect the only progressive moments of the whole CD, in the vein of IQ.

Finally, I have very mixed feelings about Hypothetical. I don't really dislike any song but I find half of them to be highly dispensable. Globally, the music lacks some variety and the lyrics seem too simplistic and uninspired, not honoring Mac's impressive voice. It could have been a great EP with "Light and Space", "Sheltering Sky", "Long way Home" and "Narcissus" but as an album it falls short. Same players try again .