CRITICAL MASS

An excellent album, very well produced, with so many great riffs (and great guitar sound), excellent keyboards, great rythm section (this was bassist Jon Jeary's last album, and even though he is an excellent songwriter, I find I enjoy newcomer Steve Anderson's playing a whole lot more, just look/listen to Critical Energy and Subsurface to be convinced), fantastic songwriting, and what to say about singer Mac... he can sing anything he wishes, from low to high pitch, but that's not what makes this singer so special. It's the power and feeling that he has. The knack he has for vocal harmonies is fantastic, sometimes in the vein of Queen and Def Leppard (whatever you think of Def Leppard, they were the kings in that field).

Musically speaking, I think it is more "hard progressive rock" rather than "progressive metal". Sure, all the metal elements are here (dual guitar riffs and harmonies and double bass-drum beats). Their choruses are catchy as hell, and their instrumental passages are awesome. Imagine what Def Leppard would have sounded like had they decided to have a more progressive approach (imagine a blend of Hysteria and Images and Words by Dream Theater) and you'll have a very good idea of Threshold's sound.

Favorites of mine from this album include : Choices, Fragmentation and Echoes of Life. A very nice introduction to this band for everyone, prog fan or not, as this is both catchy, accessible AND progressive.

Also check out all other albums with Mac as a singer : Hypothetical, Clone, Subsurface.

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