Despite the gloomier vibe throughout, as soon as the first riff of album opener Haunted kicks in the classic Threshold sound is very much evident. There can be no confusion as to who is responsible for the album, with the differences being aesthetic rather than fundamental. No-one really sounds like Threshold, though, so this familiarity is a good thing - and there are hooks throughout every song here. Haunted, then, is a typical modern Threshold album-opener. Following a synth-heavy intro, Groom's mid-paced guitar riff sets the tone for what is to come throughout the rest of the song. The track generally sticks to this mid-paced groove throughout, although the riffing changes tack somewhat throughout. Parts of the verses have more of a melodic guitar backing, which Morgan doubles with his vocal melodies, whilst other sections have that classic Threshold crunch. Following the slower manner in which Legends of the Shires opened, Dividing Lines goes for the throat right away - and Haunted is likely to be become a real fan favourite due to its soaring chorus, which is drenched in West's keyboards, and overall attitude. As with many of the band's songs, though, there is a dynamic arrangement here - and a slower-paced bridge section goes for more of an atmospheric approach, complete with acoustic guitars and some lyrical bass playing from Steve Anderson. This leads nicely into Groom's first solo, which is a slow-burning - opening with some David Gilmour-esque tones before speeding up over time to something more typical. It is a great way to open the album, and the song's overall vibe continues on throughout Hall of Echoes - another strong mid-paced rocker. The opening riff is another classic of Groom's style, but the song is more dynamic overall than Haunted. The verses build on the atmospheric bridge section of the previous number, and West's keyboards are generally more prominent here. His soundscapes allow the verses to creep along, whilst the percussive drum backing of Johanne James creates a rhythm which is somewhat atypical. These two sounds fuse perfectly to create the song's murky verses, before Groom's big riff kicks back in for the huge chorus - which is one of the album's biggest ear worms in my opinion. It is a slightly longer chorus than is typical, but its second part really elevates it with a subtle twist in the melodic approach and a great keyboard flourish - taking it to the next level. Speaking of keyboard flourishes, there are a couple of explosive solos from West in the song, too - bookending some aching Groom leads. The song hits the spot for all the right reasons, and it feels like the sort of track that will become a live staple over the years.
Let It Burn is the first of Morgan's compositions, and the song opens slowly with some melancholic guitar playing before a knotty riff kicks in - which then forms the basis for some strident wordless vocal melodies. Morgan is an accomplished guitar player as well as a great singer, but the fact that the riff on this song is probably the most 'prog metal-sounding' moment on the album is a bit of a surprise - and in fact the song is likely the heaviest overall cut here. It is certainly the fastest song of the opening three, with James often laying into his double bass drums - whilst Groom mixes high-octane shredded solos with gentler, more reflective moments. The song also marks the return of the brief experiment with harsh vocals that the band toyed with on Dead Reckoning. They are not used in a big way here, but the choruses have the occasional harsh vocal accent - which I assume are delivered by Morgan. These moments add to the overall heaviness of the piece, but are not significant enough to turn anyone off who does not like harsh vocals. The song's lengthy atmospheric ending then acts as something of a counter to the heaviness of much of the rest of the piece - with some slow-burning Groom guitar melodies meshing well with West's soundscapes to bring the song to a close. Silenced returns to the band's core sound, and is likely the simplest piece here - so was unsurprisingly released as the album's first single. Groom's riffing throughout is hypnotic, perfectly teaming up with Anderson's bass and James' drumming, whilst West's keyboards tend to provide the hooks. There are sparkling synth flourishes here, creating leads to latch into, whilst more organic organ sounds are also used to inject a classic rock edge into the piece - which is backed up by Morgan's strident vocal performance. The chorus soars as only a Threshold chorus can, but it does not feel quite as big as the three that preceded it. There are still plenty of hooks to keep me invested, though, and a great instrumental section sees West and Groom trading leads in classic prog metal fashion. Pushing the album's prog metal credentials further, and as has often been typical for Threshold, Dividing Lines includes a couple of longer-form pieces. The Domino Effect is the first of two songs here that are over 10 minutes long - and the track is a classic Threshold epic in the fact that it does not really change the band's core sound, but rather just expands it and delivers more of it. There is more room here for instrumental prowess to shine, but the focus on tight hooks remains - with the whole thing built around a strong chorus that is as satisfying as ever. Much of the song is pretty riffy, with West's organ returning again to add that organic edge, but things do take a turn around half way through - with the heaviness dropping out to let some atmospheric clean guitars to take over, and the song slowly then builds from this towards what is possibly Groom's best solo here. His solos are always tasteful, but this one is packed full of emotion, and there are again the occasional echoes of Gilmour and even Steve Rothery in his note choices here - and the Marillion comparisons continue as the song moves along thanks to a very Mark Kelly-esque keyboard melody from West which heralds the song transitioning back into heavier territory.
Complex reins in the expansiveness of the previous song to deliver another classic-sounding Threshold anthem. Groom's opening riff here is likely the album's most headbang-worthy moment, and the old-school keyboard melody that soon joins the fray provides that great mix of light and shade that Threshold's sound has been built on over the years. For those who loved the band's singles of recent years like Small Dark Lines, Watchtower on the Moon, and Ashes; Complex is very much a song in that vein - with driving riffing and a soaring chorus providing hooks throughout. There is a little lyrical call-back to fan favourite Mission Profile, too, which is fun, but unlike that older song Complex is very much a snappy rocker that will also likely become a live staple. The chorus is one of the album's catchiest moments, and following his lengthy, more emotional, solo in the previous song Groom allows himself to shred here - whilst West's keyboards add sparkle and rumbling organ growls. Despite West's keyboards always being prominent in Threshold's sound, traditional piano melodies are a relatively rare part of his arsenal - but King of Nothing opens with some chiming piano notes, before another big riff kicks in. The second of Morgan's contributions, King of Nothing is another pretty heavy track akin to Let It Burn, with a riff that mixes modern groove metal pinch harmonics with knotty melodies similar to the referenced earlier song. I am really pleased that Morgan has had such a big hand in the writing of this album, as his contributions have helped to add a freshness to the band's sound - not that one was really needed, but it is welcome none-the-less. Of the band's three singers, he is the only one to have really contributed in a big way as a writer (although Damian Wilson has a couple of writing credits, too) during his two spells in the band - and King of Nothing is a great addition to his list of contributions thanks to its cinematic chorus and the aforementioned different approach to riffing. The chorus takes a slightly different melodic approach, too, which helps to set it apart - but the hooks are still sizeable, contributing to the band's usual approach nicely. Lost Along the Way then slows the pace down somewhat, and goes for something of a more atmospheric approach. The album does not contain a true ballad, but Lost Along the Way somewhat fills that void. It is the least-heavy track here, with occasional piano melodies and a percussive drumming approach - whilst Morgan takes a more laid back approach vocally. Of all of the songs here, it is the one that has had the least impact on me so far. The hooks are not as big as would be expected from the band, although the chorus is a bit weightier than the rest of the song, and overall it feels a bit meandering. Perhaps a more traditional ballad would have worked better, but for me Lost Along the Way is the only thing here that could really be called a misstep.
Morgan's final writing contribution, Run, completes a trilogy of strong efforts from him - with the cinematic sound of King of Nothing transposed into a more murky song that eases up on the heaviness somewhat. West's keyboards are all over the song, despite the occasional techy guitar riff, whilst Morgan's vocals dominate. The chorus is perfectly cinematic, with Morgan delivering something of an AOR-esque smoothness, whilst generally the song continues the slower nature of the previous track whilst also giving the deliberate pace a bit more of a purpose. There are heavier moments, such as a bridge section that sees Groom laying into his guitar a bit more, but generally the song is an atmospheric moment that focuses on strong vocal melodies and the strength of West's ability to create an all-enveloping soundscape. It is probably the song that has grown on me the most over the past month or so, too. At first I was not so keen on it, but now the chorus really sticks with me - and the slightly different approach showcases Morgan at his best. The album then comes to a close with Defence Condition, the second longer piece here. It is a hard-hitting prog metal track that contains all of the classic Threshold hallmarks throughout - with the interplay between Groom and West shining as always. Much like with The Domino Effect, Defence Condition does not do anything significantly different due to its length, but, as is typical for the band, all of the ideas are allowed to be fleshed out a little more - and there is a bit more of a focus on instrumental moments. That being said, though, the song is still packed with hooks. The chorus is classic Threshold, and it resurfaces throughout to inject further melody into the piece, whilst Morgan still shines despite the song's length. His vocal stamp is all over the track, with a slower-burning mid-section backed by a twinkling keyboard melody perhaps standing out the most - which then morphs into a lengthy Groom solo, which starts slowly and builds up to join forces with West to create a true prog metal wig out. The song's ending section is very memorable, too, as it starts by generally being built around the chorus - with parts of it used to create a repetitive hook which some more great guitar playing is slotted in around. This then transitions into a slow-burning, almost doomy, section with crunchy riffing and eerie keyboards that features Morgan seemingly duetting with his harsh vocal self - which is something quite different for the band. He is certainly no death metal singer, but the half-growls work in the context of the song's heavy outro - which then fades to a close following this hard-hitting back-and-forth. It is a great way to bring the darker album to an end, too, and it is clear to me that Threshold have delivered again with Dividing Lines. The band never really disappoint, and this is a great addition to their impressive canon - and it feels like the second Morgan era is very much underway properly now. Legends of the Shires was written for Wilson, but Dividing Lines has Morgan's stamp all over it - but all of the classic Threshold elements are present, and the album is likely to be worming its way into my Albums of the Year list despite it dropping late in the year.
The album was released on 18th November 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Silenced.
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