Threshold is an English progressive metal band formed in Surrey in the late… Read Full Bio ↴Threshold is an English progressive metal band formed in Surrey in the late 1980s. They began their career in 1988, initially playing covers of metal groups like Ratt and Testament. As they continued playing together, they began to write their own songs, and eventually stopped playing covers altogether. Early recordings were released locally on cassette under the band name "If Not, Why?". They played their first gig at The Compasses in Egham, Surrey, with Jon Jeary on vocals and Ian Bennett on bass. In 1992, they signed their first record deal, and after adding vocalist Damian Wilson to the group alongside guitarists Karl Groom and Nick Midson, bassist Jon Jeary and drummer Tony Grinham, produced their first commercial recording, "Intervention," which was released on a Dutch progressive rock compilation album. Shortly afterwards, keyboardist Richard West joined the band, and he remains with them to this day.

1993–1999
The band's debut album, Wounded Land, was released in 1993, taking its name and some thematic elements from Stephen R. Donaldson's novel of the same name. Wilson was unavailable to join the band for the follow-up tour, and so Glynn Morgan was recruited to replace him. He sang on the band's 1994 second recording, Psychedelicatessen, which spawned a music video for the song "Innocent," the band's first. The following year, Morgan and the band toured Europe and recorded some of their performances for the short live album, Livedelica.

Threshold took a break before their next effort, during which time Morgan and then-drummer Jay Micciche left to form Mindfeed. Rather than finding an unknown singer to replace him, the band turned again to Damian Wilson, and together they recorded 1997's Extinct Instinct. They followed this with another tour of Europe, this time supported by Enchant. Additionally, Johanne James, the band's current drummer, played with them for the first time during this tour. Wilson was unavailable for their next album, so former Sargant Fury vocalist Andrew "Mac" McDermott, joined to record Clone and would remain with them until 2007.

2000–2005
In 2001, Threshold released Hypothetical, which saw Johanne James firmly cemented as the band's permanent drummer. Another lineup change occurred in 2003, when bassist Jon Jeary left and was replaced by Steve Anderson. Around this time the band also re-released their first three studio albums in Special Editions, with bonus tracks, a remastered sound, expanded liner notes and, in the case of Wounded Land and Psychedelicatessen, special CD-ROM content. Their newer albums, starting with Hypothetical, were released in Limited Editions, with similar bonus content. The albums Critical Mass (2002) and Subsurface (2004) followed, interspersed by the double live album and DVD Critical Energy.

2006–2011
Threshold left their longtime label, InsideOut Music, in 2006 to join Nuclear Blast Records. Guitarist Nick Midson left the band in early 2007 for unknown reasons. The band released Dead Reckoning which spawned a music video for an edit of the song "Pilot in the Sky of Dreams". The song also appeared on the 2008 movie soundtrack In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. This marks the first occasion of a song by the band appearing in a motion picture. In July 2007 vocalist Mac left the band and original singer Damian Wilson returned as Threshold's frontman for the first time in nearly a decade for the band's tour dates which extended into 2009. Pete Morten replaced Midson as guitarist for the tour and later albums. InsideOut Music released the first official Threshold compilation in November 2007. The album The Ravages of Time is a two-disc set covering all of the band's official albums from Wounded Land to Dead Reckoning. In 2009 the band released a limited edition eight-disc singles box set, including previously unreleased b-sides and brand new re-recordings of old demo songs released in other forms before, including Smile at the Moon, (which was debuted live on the 2009 Essence of Progression Tour), Shifting Sands, Half Way Home and Fist of Tongues. On 3 August 2011, former vocalist Andrew McDermott died of kidney failure.

2012–2017
On 24 August 2012, Nuclear Blast announced the release of March of Progress. It was the first album to feature Damian Wilson on vocals since 1997. The album was followed on 19 September 2014 by the band's tenth studio album For the Journey. The following year the band released the double live album "European Journey" recorded during their November 2014 tour. In February 2017, Pete Morten left Threshold to focus on his own projects, and the following month Threshold announced that they had parted ways with Damian Wilson.

2017–present
Glynn Morgan, the band's former vocalist from 1994 to 1996 replaced Damian Wilson for the album Legends of the Shires released in September 2017. The album entered the top 20 of the national album charts in Germany and Switzerland and spawned a music video for the song "Small Dark Lines". The following year the band released the live album "Two-Zero-One-Seven" recorded during their 2017 European tour. In July 2021 Threshold announced that they were back in the studio recording their twelfth studio album, teasing that "if Legends of the Shires had a slightly darker, moodier older brother then this would be it". In July 2022, the band announced their 12th album would be titled Dividing Lines, and it was released on 18 November 2022.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threshold_(band)

Studio albums
Wounded Land (1993)
Psychedelicatessen (1994)
Extinct Instinct (1997)
Clone (1998)
Hypothetical (2001)
Critical Mass (2002)
Subsurface (2004)
Dead Reckoning (2007)
March of Progress (2012)
For the Journey (2014)
Legends of the Shires (2017)
Dividing Lines (2022)

In the past there have been other bands who used the name Threshold:

1. An R&B band. Fronted by singer Angela Carole Brown, and led by composer/guitarist Linda Taylor, Threshold includes drummer Laval Belle (Earth, Wind & Fire), bassist Del Atkins (Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige), organist Mikal Majeed (Rick Zunigar), keyboardist Ed Roth (Coolio, The Brothers Johnson), and singers Catte Adams (Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole) and Janelle Sadler (Natalie Cole, Ozzy Osbourne).

2. Finnish progressive rock band/project Threshold released their lone album "Paradise Now" in 1981. The band was a brainchild of (Pelle Miljoona's bassist) Ari Taskinen who wrote all the songs and plays keyboards and 12-string guitar here. Others participating were Vando Suvanto, Esa Kotilainen, Yari, Rubberduck Jones, Stefan Jones, Pia Noponen and Jone Takamäki.

3. A Progressive Thrash Metal band from France. The band formed in 1988 and released an album in 1991 entitled: "Within the Expanse". Band members include: Stein Guitton - Guitar, Tristan Leroy - Guitar, François Morgues - Bass, and Regis Lebrun - Drums.

4. An Atlanta-based religious punk band from the 80s. Threshold is an obscure band who appears on "The View: An Atlanta Compilation 1984-1990."

Sheltering Sky
Threshold Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here in the dark I can see clearly
All that I am burns on my eyes
Nobody knows the road that's before me
Nobody sees the darkening skies

Here in the light I'll be your angel
Under your spotlight I'm learning to fly
But one man's perception is another's deception

And dying to feeling I'm living a lie

And in my understanding I find no reason

You can tell me I'm strong like a gathering storm
But I'm lost in my thoughts and dead to the world
You gave me sheltering sky but I reached for the stars
I said I don't believe in who you are
But it's only words

Deep in the dark I feel like I'm falling
Voices and visions are pulling me down
I need you to help me escape from this ocean
I need you to stop me from learning to drown

You seem so understanding I find no reason

You can tell me I'm strong like a gathering storm
But I'm lost in my thoughts and dead to the world
You gave me sheltering sky but I reached for the stars
I said I don't believe in who you are

I never thought I'd let it go this far
But it's only words

Overall Meaning

In "Sheltering Sky," Threshold paints a vivid picture of a personal struggle with identity and purpose, conveyed through poetic language and powerful emotions. The singer is introspective, reflecting on his own inner turmoil and the pressures he faces from those around him. The opening lines set the scene, with the singer in a state of darkness and isolation, struggling to find his way forward. While he may be burning with passion and energy, it seems nobody understands his journey or the challenges he must overcome. The light represents hope and possibility, but also the scrutiny that the singer is under from others, forcing him to constantly perform and prove himself.

Despite the encouragement of others, the singer finds himself doubting whether he is truly strong or capable. He feels lost in his own thoughts, disconnected from the world around him. The metaphor of the "sheltering sky" represents the comfort that others offer, but also the limits they impose on his potential. While he appreciates the protection and guidance, he yearns for something greater - the unreachable stars. The final lines reveal a moment of vulnerability, as the singer admits that his resistance to external influence may have gone too far. The power of words is emphasized, suggesting that communication and self-expression are crucial to finding a sense of belonging and purpose.

Line by Line Meaning

Here in the dark I can see clearly
Despite being in the dark, I am able to understand things better.

All that I am burns on my eyes
Everything I have done or experienced has left a lasting impact on me.

Nobody knows the road that's before me
I am uncertain about the future, and no one can predict it for me.

Nobody sees the darkening skies
I am aware of potential problems and obstacles, even though others may not be aware of them.

Here in the light I'll be your angel
When things are going well, I will be supportive and helpful to the people around me.

Under your spotlight I'm learning to fly
When I am given attention and encouragement, I become empowered and more confident.

But one man's perception is another's deception
The way one person views a situation may not align with how another person views the same situation. This can lead to misunderstandings or deceit.

And dying to feeling I'm living a lie
Suppressing one's emotions or desires can lead to a sense of unease or dishonesty.

And in my understanding I find no reason
Even when I think I have a complete understanding of a situation, I may still be unable to find a concrete reason for what is happening.

You can tell me I'm strong like a gathering storm
Others may offer encouragement and tell me that I am capable of powerful things.

But I'm lost in my thoughts and dead to the world
Despite the encouragement, I may still be feeling disconnected from reality and consumed by my own thoughts.

You gave me sheltering sky but I reached for the stars
Others may have offered me safety, but I desire more than just safety - I want to achieve greatness.

I said I don't believe in who you are
I don't agree with or trust the person who is offering me shelter or support.

Deep in the dark I feel like I'm falling
In moments of uncertainty, I may feel overwhelmed and as though I am losing control.

Voices and visions are pulling me down
Negative thoughts or feelings may be consuming me and bringing me down.

I need you to help me escape from this ocean
I need someone to help me break free from these negative feelings and thoughts.

I need you to stop me from learning to drown
I don't want to be consumed by my negative thoughts or feelings.

You seem so understanding I find no reason
Even when someone appears to understand what I am going through, I may still feel lost or confused.

I never thought I'd let it go this far
I didn't expect to feel so consumed by my negative thoughts and emotions.

But it's only words
The words that people say to me, whether positive or negative, may not accurately reflect how I am feeling or what is truly happening in my life.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JON JEARY, KARL GROOM, NICK MIDSON, RICHARD LANSDOWNE WEST

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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