Threshold is, undoubtedly, one of my beloved melodic prog metal bands. The consistency of releasing quality music works is one of a kind so once you get to listen to them… you cannot overlook them. Their latest release, “March of Progress” is absolutely a winner… one of the Best Albums of 2012 and a work of art in the main. The mastermind/songwriter/producer, Karl Groom, talked to Grande Rock and made several things clear about the band, the music progress & the different eras…
Hi Karl… I’m glad we talk again after so much time. Congrats on “March of Progress”… as you are already aware, we’ve chosen it as the Best Album of the Month on Grande Rock.
K: Thanks for your compliments. Much though writing music is quite a personal event, it is nothing without knowing that others will listen. Composition is all about communicating with people and I always hope that it leaves an impression.
I think that 5 years was a big gap between your previous work and the new one. In 2010, you stated on your website that you had started writing music for the new album that was due for a release sometime in 2011. Why was that change of plans afterwards?
K: After “Dead Reckoning” came out in 2007 we were forced into a lineup change when previous singer Mac left just before the first live shows. Damian Wilson rejoined the band and we fulfilled the dates already booked to promote the album. The new look Threshold was such an enjoyable live experience that we just kept on touring for the next 4 years. At that point we realized it had been a long time since the last studio album, so we started to write.
I guess it had been a long time since we had been in the process of creating new material for Threshold and it took quite a while to get going. I completed “Ashes” as a full demo in December 2010 and it was mid-2011 by the time we had most of the tracks for the album. There was also a period of time in the winter where we kept trying to start recording vocals, but Damian had a chest infection that never fully cleared up and it was spring before all the good takes came. In fact, after so much time trying, it only took about a week to get all the best takes when he was better.
There’s also that unfortunate and bad incident, Mac’s loss. I believe that affected you in a way, right?
K: We never heard from Mac as to why he left and whether he would return. This was disappointing because we had been friends for 10 years. The last time I saw him was during the filming of our video clip in Leipzig in February 2007. We knew that he had some health issues in the past, but nothing prepared me for the sadness that he is no longer alive. There are many happy memories from our time together and he was a large part of Threshold’s history.
Please, make one thing clear. Were you going to release the new album with Damian no matter what… or it was Mac’s passing that made you look for a new singer?
K: Mac made it clear he would not be attending shows in Slovenia and Germany just a few days before our performance. The fact he would never answer further calls and this unreliability became the deciding factors for how we would move forward. Initially Damian was drafted in to avoid being fined for not playing those festivals, but when that worked we went on with the Dead Reckoning tour and have never looked back. It is good to have the original Threshold singer back.
And the new singer, Damian Wilson, wasn’t so new after all, right? Was he the first person you contacted for the singer’s position and the first you had in mind or you did try out other singers as well?
K: As I said, there was so little time and Damian was also in the area. We have always been in contact through the years and as a bonus he even recalled the lyrics to “Sanity’s End” from our first album together. In truth Damian has brought a new professionalism to the band because when we saw his performance level, the rest of the band was inspired to up their game.
The re-union with Damian was in good faith, I can assume… huh? Sometimes, we all need a break before we return to our base… is that true? Was Damian positive from the very first moment?
K: He is always positive and there was not a problem before in the traditional sense when band members depart. When he moved on before it was for an opportunity to make a good living for his family. He ended up in a traveling version of the West End show Les Miserable.
Did the writing and the recording sessions start in 2010 as you had written on your website? Where did you want to go with this album? Did you achieve what you had in mind after all?
K: The writing did start towards the end of 2010 and completed summer 2011. Johanne came in to track drums with me in September 2011. I never set out to write with any pre-conceived idea of what we want to do because composition is a very natural process and should be allowed to flow. There is never room to use old material because, if a song didn’t make it for the last album, that means it is certainly not good enough for this one. I think the objective with me is to capture the period of time just before recording and the feeling I have in the mood of that music.
Thus, “March of Progress”… what’s its deeper meaning? No progress, no evolution so no life?
K: The album covers topics for personal strengths and weaknesses along with complacency and how that affects what we have worked so hard to achieve. I always prefer the listener to draw some of their own conclusions from the lyrics.
What does the butterfly symbolize along with the bound hands on the cover artwork?
K: The artwork is from an Italian artist called Davide Nadalin, who also worked on the cover for our last album “Dead Reckoning”. We allowed him total freedom to interpret the theme of the album and we love what he’s done.
Please give us a hint about the songs…
K: “Ashes” was originally called “March of Progress”, it wonders how well are we doing and how long will it last.
“Return of the Thought Police” is about the concern of watching our freedom slip away.
“Staring at the Sun” is about standing up for what you believe in.
K: Thanks for your compliments. Much though writing music is quite a personal event, it is nothing without knowing that others will listen. Composition is all about communicating with people and I always hope that it leaves an impression.
I think that 5 years was a big gap between your previous work and the new one. In 2010, you stated on your website that you had started writing music for the new album that was due for a release sometime in 2011. Why was that change of plans afterwards?
K: After “Dead Reckoning” came out in 2007 we were forced into a lineup change when previous singer Mac left just before the first live shows. Damian Wilson rejoined the band and we fulfilled the dates already booked to promote the album. The new look Threshold was such an enjoyable live experience that we just kept on touring for the next 4 years. At that point we realized it had been a long time since the last studio album, so we started to write.
I guess it had been a long time since we had been in the process of creating new material for Threshold and it took quite a while to get going. I completed “Ashes” as a full demo in December 2010 and it was mid-2011 by the time we had most of the tracks for the album. There was also a period of time in the winter where we kept trying to start recording vocals, but Damian had a chest infection that never fully cleared up and it was spring before all the good takes came. In fact, after so much time trying, it only took about a week to get all the best takes when he was better.
There’s also that unfortunate and bad incident, Mac’s loss. I believe that affected you in a way, right?
K: We never heard from Mac as to why he left and whether he would return. This was disappointing because we had been friends for 10 years. The last time I saw him was during the filming of our video clip in Leipzig in February 2007. We knew that he had some health issues in the past, but nothing prepared me for the sadness that he is no longer alive. There are many happy memories from our time together and he was a large part of Threshold’s history.
Please, make one thing clear. Were you going to release the new album with Damian no matter what… or it was Mac’s passing that made you look for a new singer?
K: Mac made it clear he would not be attending shows in Slovenia and Germany just a few days before our performance. The fact he would never answer further calls and this unreliability became the deciding factors for how we would move forward. Initially Damian was drafted in to avoid being fined for not playing those festivals, but when that worked we went on with the Dead Reckoning tour and have never looked back. It is good to have the original Threshold singer back.
And the new singer, Damian Wilson, wasn’t so new after all, right? Was he the first person you contacted for the singer’s position and the first you had in mind or you did try out other singers as well?
K: As I said, there was so little time and Damian was also in the area. We have always been in contact through the years and as a bonus he even recalled the lyrics to “Sanity’s End” from our first album together. In truth Damian has brought a new professionalism to the band because when we saw his performance level, the rest of the band was inspired to up their game.
The re-union with Damian was in good faith, I can assume… huh? Sometimes, we all need a break before we return to our base… is that true? Was Damian positive from the very first moment?
K: He is always positive and there was not a problem before in the traditional sense when band members depart. When he moved on before it was for an opportunity to make a good living for his family. He ended up in a traveling version of the West End show Les Miserable.
Did the writing and the recording sessions start in 2010 as you had written on your website? Where did you want to go with this album? Did you achieve what you had in mind after all?
K: The writing did start towards the end of 2010 and completed summer 2011. Johanne came in to track drums with me in September 2011. I never set out to write with any pre-conceived idea of what we want to do because composition is a very natural process and should be allowed to flow. There is never room to use old material because, if a song didn’t make it for the last album, that means it is certainly not good enough for this one. I think the objective with me is to capture the period of time just before recording and the feeling I have in the mood of that music.
Thus, “March of Progress”… what’s its deeper meaning? No progress, no evolution so no life?
K: The album covers topics for personal strengths and weaknesses along with complacency and how that affects what we have worked so hard to achieve. I always prefer the listener to draw some of their own conclusions from the lyrics.
What does the butterfly symbolize along with the bound hands on the cover artwork?
K: The artwork is from an Italian artist called Davide Nadalin, who also worked on the cover for our last album “Dead Reckoning”. We allowed him total freedom to interpret the theme of the album and we love what he’s done.
Please give us a hint about the songs…
K: “Ashes” was originally called “March of Progress”, it wonders how well are we doing and how long will it last.
“Return of the Thought Police” is about the concern of watching our freedom slip away.
“Staring at the Sun” is about standing up for what you believe in.
“Liberty Complacency Dependency” I guess this is a parable for modern times, it follows the theme of the songs that have come before it.
“Colophon” is about being caught in someone else’s war and trying to find your way home.
“The Hours” is about persistence.
“That’s Why We Came” was written by Damian and is about putting a price on our progress.
“Don’t Look Down” is about rising up and fulfilling your potential.
“Coda” was written by Pete Morten, it discusses personal strengths and weaknesses.
“The Rubicon”… in some ways this is a song about Threshold, looking back over what we’ve done. It also quotes some of our other albums for those who can spot the references.
“Divinity” is a song written by Pete about joining Threshold.
I believe that “Divinity” should have been included in the normal tracklist and not as a bonus… however, it’s a good reason for someone to get the digi-CD… do ya think?
K: I think “Divinity” is an excellent track, but did not quite match the balance of the CD as a whole. The dynamic musically on an album is so important to us as a band and I am always looking at how all the tracks work together when listened to as a whole piece.
Once again you and Richard West took care of the production of the album… delivering an excellent outcome. Is it a privilege to know the kind of sound you wanna achieve from the beginning? I bet you wouldn’t trust any other guy to be responsible for Threshold’s sound anymore, huh?
K: I have a clear idea of what I expect from the production from the beginning these days. However, it is always good to be open to new ideas at any stage of the recording. Controlling our own production gives us the ability to know the job is done exactly as we want and I enjoy that side of making an album. The production work is clearly defined between Rich and I, although we try to check what the other is doing at each stage too. Rich records bass and vocals, while I record drums, guitar and mix the album.
The press and the fans’ reactions for the new album have been incredible so far. Is that something that is causing you any kind of pressure for the band’s next music steps?
K: The press reaction has been better than we ever experienced before. The owner of Nuclear Blast said that Threshold are their only artist ever to score a perfect 10 in German Rock Hard magazine. Each time there is further pressure to improve from the last album, but it is not something I think about when in the process of writing. You can only try and impress yourself at that stage.
Are you gonna shoot a video for any of the songs in the near future?
K: That is not something that appeals to me any longer. Putting so much time and resources with high quality in to something streamed in a small square from youtube is pretty pointless. We decided to push the label to make a live DVD of the tour instead. (i.n.: That’s a totally different perspective, I must admit. I’d love to see/hear the DVD though.)
Are there any touring plans for 2012/2013?
K: Currently we are booking a tour for Spring next year and summer festivals are also taking shape. In the meantime we will spend the end of the year writing for a new album. That might sound odd because this record only just came out, but we don’t want to leave it another 5 years to the next one!
I’ve written: “…the more you get into the album the more you will be taken away by each one of the songs. Do give it time and listens and you will be captured by its alluring supremacy…” in my review. Do you agree with that?
K: My ultimate ambition is to create songs that are catchy and immediately draw you in, but also a song with many levels that are discovered later and rewarding for the repeat listener. “Don’t Look Down” is the obvious example of this with the chorus being the immediate hook. The progressive elements and freedom of structure enable us to bring compositions to an album that have many facets that give the music long term appeal. If compared to artwork I would say that standard pop music is like a cartoon with bold colours, but complex progressive music can be like fine art with much detail that you can get lost in.
I think that we can easily characterize 2012 as a prog year. What do you think? Too many great releases from old and new bands… what’s going on here? Are people coming closer to prog rock/metal music nowadays?
K: That cannot be said in the UK where it has always been a tough market, but I have to admit that I am not that knowledgeable about other prog metal acts. Threshold was forged on a love of metal music crossed with the progressive bands we liked such as Genesis and Rush. The metal was not melodic enough and lacked quality in lyrics and we just wanted more dynamics and excitement from progressive side, so we decided to start writing our own music.
Are you planning to give some songs or probably the whole album to the fans for free in the near future as some bands did… or you are not so much into this downloading notion?
K: Fortunately those difficult decisions are down to our label Nuclear Blast. One thing I fully support is the curtailing of reviewers being able to upload the album before release day. More than anything else, the abuse of review copies and ruining the special nature of the release date, upset me in the past. Everyone should join in the event together and get excited about a new album instead of the reaction coming in dribs and drabs where the release date matters not at all. (i.n.: It’s actually bad that the release date doesn’t matter nowadays…)
What must an artist do in order to avoid losing time and money…while dealing with that downloading generation that only sees an album as a file on their pc? Will these magic old days ever come back?
K: As I described above, the majority of people heard our album at the same time and that definitely brings back the magic somewhat. Downloading is a thorny topic and nobody wins. I know of people with huge drives of music that thy will never hear. I guess they may even lose out because they don’t find the special albums I did growing up after reading about what was good and bad. You just mentally attach more value to something you have bought and I like to support artists that I listen to. (i.n.: so true and clear statement…)
It’s time for our weird Questions now!!! Which will be the best soundtrack to play in the day we will be forced to evacuate planet earth?
K: The sound of silence is the only thing for that many people to agree on.
If you could put together the best prog rock band in the world who would participate and why?
K: I don’t really know, but it would surely have the creative force of Jon Jeary in it.
Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
K: Mike Oldfield - “The Songs of Distant Earth”. It has special meaning for me, but also the most beautiful atmosphere I can remember on an album.
Is fiction part of reality… or reality is fiction’s flaw?
K: What we create in our minds becomes reality. The ability to imagine and come up with something new and original is the most underused and important ability of humans. It is too easy to get sidetracked by the daily details and pursuit of material things.
If you had the chance to travel in time… where would you choose to go? To the past or the future and why?
K: I am most happy in the present, although to be around at the beginning of the sixties would have been interesting to see the space race. Any further back than that would be uncomfortable living.
Supposing you could experience an adventure in an unreal-horror world of a fantasy writer (Poe, Lovecraft etc.)…which one would that be and why?
K: I don’t like horror or science fiction and I guess that should be a mainstay of anyone involved with progressive music, but what can I say. I just cannot buy into that kind of literature or film because it never rings true.
Which are those Stars that you’d like to travel to and why?
K: Pleiades look quite cute from here, but a planet would be of more interest. Maybe Europa, as it has the most chance of supporting life, but I think that is a moon! (i.n.: Yeap it’s one of the Jupiter’s moons…)
Beautiful or ugly woman? For girlfriend or for wife?
K: I have neither girlfriend or wife, because I have a fiancé. I am happy to say she is very beautiful to me, but we are based on a lot more that physical attraction.
Thx for the music Karl. Wish you the best for the future. The last words of this interview belong to you… Take care!
K: I want to thank fans of Threshold for all their support over the years and that has enabled us to keep releasing albums. I look forward to being on tour again.