No one can accuse Threshold of not listening to their fans.The 2 constant demands made of the band by the fanbase over the last couple of years have been:
1. release a live DVD - Critical Energy is due out January 26, 2004
2. release a set of 'unplugged' tracks- The disc currently under review.
Spanning their entire discography Threshold have recorded a superlative acoustic record. The first thing that jumps out at the long-time fan ( of which I am one) is the track selection. Whereas there are some tracks like "Innocent" or "Sheltering Sky" which fit perfectly in the acoustic format, there are real surprises here. Extremely heavy pieces like " Consume To Live" from the Wounded Land disc, and "Part Of The Chaos" from Extinct Instinct get completely revamped, and in a very convincing manner.
The band has also decided to include 2 previously unreleased tracks. " Seventh Angel" and " Conceal The Face" are both solid numbers.Though both may have been merely filler on discs such as Critical Mass or Hypothetical, they fit right in with the flow of Wireless .
The strength of a good song lies in the ability for a band to strip it down to it's barest elements without the track coming apart at the seams. Whereas many heavy bands rely solely on the power of the instrumentation or the screaming pipes of the vocalist, Threshold - Wireless proves that this band can write good, solid numbers which can be re-arranged into acoustic gems without becoming incoherent messes. Threshold have proven for over a decade what a superb songwriting machine they are. Despite a revolving door of musicians and vocalists, Karl Groom and Co. have churned out some of the finest progressive metal numbers in the business. This band is like money in the bank.
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