In 1993 Threshold’s debut album contained great psychedelic metal songs with some progressive influences. Now in 2007 the band releases its eighth studio album, and their musical direction has turned into progressive heavy metal songs with psychedelic elements.

Early 2007 Threshold left the Inside Out label and signed a record deal with Nuclear Blast. Their first album with Nuclear Blast is overwhelming. Dead Reckoning is written and produced by Karl Groom and Richard West, both members of the very first beginning of Threshold. They are also known as excellent producers and songwriters and are known to make good songs and superb productions. One of the Threshold sound‘s main elements are the vocals of Mac. His voice quite differs from your standard progressive metal voices: no high screams or a huge range from high to low. Still he has a powerful voice that goes very well with the band’s sound. This is also the power of Threshold: Mac’s voice combined with the background vocals, the progressive and power metal parts as well as the psychedelic elements; they all fit together.

Furhtermore, the instrumental parts of the songs are performed superbly - as they are on all Threshold albums.

As mentioned above, Dead Reckoning is mainly a progressive metal album. Some songs are more heavy metal oriented, like ‘Slipstream’ (with some grunts and heavy riffs) and the up tempo songs ‘This is your Life’ and ‘Elusive’. These songs still have some quite psychedelic and progressive influences, especially in the (really superb) instrumental parts. Although those songs are very good, the most impressive songs are the progressive metal ones: ‘Hollow’, ‘Pilot in the Sky of Dreams’ and ‘One Degree Below’. Each of the songs has a complex structure with many changes in atmosphere and great psychedelic elements. And to top it off, with ‘Safe to Fly’ Threshold has an actual ‘goose bumps’ power ballad.

In short, if you are a progressive metal fan, buy the album. For Threshold fans Dead Reckoning is an absolutely must, shame on you if you still haven’t bought it.