Threshold - Critical Energy


Year of Release: 2004
Label: Inside Out
Catalog Number: IOMCD 150
Format: CD
Total Time: 117:15:00

Gustav Holst's "Jupiter" starts off the first real live album by Threshold, if we think that Livedelica was only a mini-EP, lasting about thirty minutes. [Well, there was also Concert In Paris - ed.] This intro from The Planets opens the two hour long double CD, which is an example of great prog metal, performed in June at Zoetermeer, Holland.

The album can be divided into two sides: the first disc is where you can find the shorter and catchier songs; the second one contains, instead, the more complicated ones, those that have become the classics in Threshold's history.

The band played pieces from every release, but they give much more importance to the newer albums, as is obvious. A couple of acoustic songs ("Clear" and "Lifeflow") are included to give exposure to the fan club work, Wireless, though the tracks here aren't on the Wireless CD. However these tracks are well played and introduce us to the best piece of the album - the hybrid version of "Narcissus" that starts unplugged and then continues in an electric manner, where Karl Groom fights with Richard West in a duet battle.

Mac sings well during the album, even in the songs originally performed by Glynn Morgan and Damian Wilson, but the result isn't the same because of his voice tone. Interesting, but different.

Steve Anderson makes a good job on the bass, replacing Jon Jeary, after his split from the band.

The only thing to regret is that they miss including "Ravages Of Time," which instead appears on the DVD extra material.


Tracklisting:
Disc One: Phenomenon / Oceanbound / Choices / Angels / Falling Away / Virtual Isolation / Innocent / Long Way Home / Fragmentation

Disc Two: Clear / Life Flow / Narcissus / Sunseeker / The Latent Gene / Light And Space / Sunrise On Mars / Paradox / Sanity's End

Musicians:
Karl Groom - guitars, backing vocals
Nick Midson - guitar
Steve Anderson - bass
Richard West - keyboards, backing vocals
Johanne James - drums
Andrew McDermott ? vocals

Discography:
Wounded Land (1993)
Psychedelicatessen (1994)
Livedelica (1995)
Extinct Instinct (1997)
Clone (1998)
Decadent (1999)
Hypothetical (2001)
Wounded Land: Special Edition (2001/2002)
Psychedelicatessen/Livedelica: Special Edition (2001/2002)
Concert In Paris (2002)
Critical Mass (2002)
Wireless - Acoustic Sessions (2003)
Critical Energy (2004)
Extinct Instinct: Special Edition (2004)
Subsurface (2004)
Replica (2004)
Surface to Stage (2006)
Dead Reckoning (2007)
The Ravages Of Time (2007)
Paradox - The Singles Collection (2009)
March Of Progress (2012)
For The Journey (2014)
European Journey (2015)
Legends Of The Shires (2017)
Two-Zero-One-Seven (2018)

Critical Energy (2004) (DVD)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin UK

Added: February 23rd 2004
Reviewer: Davide Guidone
Score:
Artist website: www.thresh.net
Hits: 2544
Language: english

  

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