Threshold: Let The Music Lead The Way
From lineup changes, to internal conflicts, to the devastating passing of iconic frontman Andrew McDermott, UK-based progressive metal mainstays THRESHOLD have had their fair share of adversity throughout their storied career. They looked to have righted the ship when Damian Wilson entered his third stint on vocal duties but this was also short lived.
“We were already working on a few things with Damian and we asked him to come on tour with us last minute when Mac told us he couldn’t do it,” explains founding guitarist Karl Groom. “It was about four or five days before a festival so it was pretty urgent. It was a bit of a confusing time as Damian didn’t know whether he wanted to be in the band long term and we eventually decided that unless he was certain that we were going to move on and find somebody else in the knowledge that Glynn could potentially re-join.”
Karl was referring to Glynn Morgan, the powerful pipes behind 1994’s Psychedelicatessen album. A trusted member of the THRESHOLD family who had already made hints at returning to the fold. “We’ve kept in contact with Glynn on and off over the years, he’s done a few things with Richard and he would have re-joined the band back in 2007 but he didn’t tell us! We didn’t want a fourth singer so it was definitely good to be able to reunite with him. We know where we stand with him and we knew he had the capability to handle the songs. There was a bit of a falling out between Damian and Pete so they both ended up leaving and we knew Glynn could play guitar pretty well so he was the ideal candidate. We were very impressed by how he’s developed as a vocalist too, his range offered a lot of different styles.”
Glynn made an immediate impact, with Legends Of The Shires becoming a certified hit and stabilising the unrest. Whilst they managed to get some considerable touring underway off the back of this release, more extensive plans fell by the wayside due to the dreaded C word. This gave them the opportunity to knuckle down and focus on the hotly anticipated follow-up.
“In the beginning of the process we were considering doing a follow-up to Legends Of The Shires but it became obvious quickly that we didn’t want to box ourselves in to that mindset,” discusses Groom. “Glynn also wanted to contribute to the songs so we agreed to move on to the next chapter. It gave us a new lease of life. I was so pleased with the songs that Glynn contributed. His ideas fit in really well with the overall album but still provided a lot of breadth. I often write a song and think I’ve written something radically different that has cut new ground but by the time we come together as a band and begin to play it, we’ve been together for so long that we end up putting that THRESHOLD stamp on it but at the same time fits in with the album.”
The new album, what we now know as Dividing Lines, returns to the distinct heaviness which has made appearances throughout their extensive back catalogue. This approach slotted in well with the damning commentary detailed within the lyrical passages, covering various current topics such as the ever frustrating state of the political climate. This was also reflected in the captivating artwork. “We usually listen to the music and develop the theme from there. We’ll then start looking for artwork,” informs Groom.
“We used to get an artist to do it but it always felt like we were bothering them all the time asking for amendments or asking them to listen to our lyrics and build the artwork around that but it just didn’t work for us and most people have portfolios online these days. Sometimes you find exactly what you’re looking for. Richard found one which was perfect and I think it appealed to him because of its relation to our Hypothetical album. This had a city floating in the sky and was visually similar. At times the song takes over you rather than you guiding the song. You get a great idea and don’t really know where it’s going, it’s quite exciting to develop. You may go off on a tangent and have to reel it back in but that’s part of the enjoyment of it all.”
Interestingly, THRESHOLD came to be the force we know today through a series of fortunate events. In the early going there was no plans for it to become a profession. “We never tried to get signed, it actually happened by accident!” Declares Groom. “We were in a cover band writing songs for fun and someone suggested we should do a track for a compilation, which turned out to be Intervention. We then got approached by a label (which no longer exist anymore!) to release an album. It wasn’t something we intended to do and thought we’d better raise our game and start being serious. We wrote Wounded Land and haven’t looked back since.”
Whilst THRESHOLD are a treasured part of the UK metal scene their touring doesn’t tend to venture far away from the capital. With the ever increasing hoops that musicians have to jump through, further compounded by fuel costs causing everyone a headache it doesn’t look like this will change. “It’s very difficult to do and break even unfortunately,” admits Groom.
“Being with Nuclear Blast has definitely helped us get bigger crowds but generally we only tend to play London and maybe another city a bit further north. We run the risk of playing to small audiences if we arrange too many shows. Our main audience is in central Europe. The decision usually boils down to demand and even the associated costs like fuel and all the extra paperwork makes things difficult. I feel bad as it’s our own country and we should play more but I can’t expect the band and all of the crew to do this for free. It’s impossible.”
Dividing Lines is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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