FOR THE JOURNEY

Perhaps because March Of Progress was such a strong album and a great return to form for a band that while never less than good, had been treading water for the few previous releases, I was initially a little disappointed with For The Journey. A few plays failed to ignite any great enthusiasm and it sat on my shelf unplayed again for a few months until now. Revisiting it has left me pleasantly surprised; perhaps as I'm returning to it with no expectations it's actually much better than I originally thought.

For The Journey is the second album since vocalist Damian Wilson's return and once again he turns in a fine performance with a strong ear for a good vocal melody. Musically it's their typically melodic prog metal with a number of up-tempo songs, an unexceptional ballad and The Box is the obligatory epic. Whilst there's nothing wrong with The Box, there are no great surprises and there are many better ones, Critical Mass for example, scattered throughout their previous nine studio albums. Much better are the opening two tracks - Watchtower On The Moon with a great driving riff and a strong melodic half tempo chorus. Unforgiven is darker and more dynamic with a strong hook - classic Threshold at their best. The other killer is Siren Sky for its slow brooding riff.

Anyone who's familiar with Threshold will know what to expect. The musicianship is as always spot on and the production typical Karl Groom and Richard West, powerful, clear if a little clinical. Overall a very good album with a few unexceptional tracks robbing it of great status. For The Journey sits in the middle of the league table of Threshold albums. 3 ½ stars.

2014 saw Threshold return with their tenth studio album, their second since Damian Wilson had returned on vocals for the third time. The previous album, 2012's 'March of Progress' had been one of the finest in their canon, so perhaps it isn't surprising that this one isn't quite in the same league. The songs are powerful, the vocals spot on, but there isn't quite the same spark and vitality as there had been previously. It is still a great album, and one that is head and shoulders above most of those dwelling the progressive metal arena, but I did find myself wondering if all was well within the camp.

I don't believe that Threshold could ever release a bad album, or even an average one, as they are just too good for that both collectively and individually, but I realised that although I was enjoying it immensely while it was playing, I wasn't overly keen about pressing repeat when it finished, which says a great deal for me. Were the band just marking time waiting for the next stage? Only time would tell.

Threshold's final studio album with Damian Wilson to date is another competent slice of melodic prog metal of the sort we're well-used to getting from the band. Indeed, that's kind of the issue - the band really feel like they are going through the motions a bit here, perhaps entering the studio a bit too soon after March of Progress before they had cooked up a solid slate of material (recent studio albums have tended to have longer gaps between them, after all). Wilson's vocals seem to take on a bit of influence from Peter Nicholls from IQ, but otherwise this is much the same as we've had from them. It's good, don't get me wrong, but little of it actually stands out beyond the powerful opening track Watchtower On the Moon.