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."

Turn On Tune In
Threshold Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I speak to you it's in the language of the 20th century people
The ones who are the stars of stage and screen
Everything I say has been taught to me by my favourite tv programme
The one that I watch each and every week

Turn on tune in drop out
Turn on tune in drop out
Turn on tune in drop out

Turn on tune in drop out

If I concentrate I can break through the wash but only for a moment
My lucid thoughts are lost and out of reach
I would rather fall back into my familiar comfortable persona
The one that my tv was bought to teach

Turn on tune in drop out
Turn on tune in drop out
Turn on tune in drop out
Turn on tune in drop out

I can be the hero who can fly around the sun
I can scare you shitless I saw how on channel one
I think that I'm impressing you with funny anecdotes
I got them from my kid's tv and he's too young to vote

We're living in a fantasy but that's ok with me
You believe the whole thing too we're all on mtv
Buy into the merchandise and then it becomes real
Palpable and plastic packaged neatly on the reel

Don't even go outside you will be destroyed
Best to stay inside take the networked ride

When I sing to you it's through the haze of mild and modern schizophrenia
The one where I am not the man I am
If I glimpse the real then I am scared into the rampant paranoia
The one where I am still a TV fan

Turn on tune in drop out
Turn on tune in drop out

Turn on tune in strung out
Turn on tune in strung out

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Threshold's song Turn On Tune In are a satirical commentary on the impact of television on society. The singer adopts the language and persona of a stereotypical 20th-century TV viewer, emphasizing how the medium has influenced his worldview and manner of speech. The chorus, "Turn on tune in drop out", invokes the famous countercultural slogan popularized by Timothy Leary and emphasizes the addictive quality of television and the way that it allows viewers to escape reality.

The second verse adds a sense of ambivalence to the singer's relationship with television. While he acknowledges that he can briefly break through the "wash" of television and access lucid thoughts, he ultimately chooses to fall back into his "familiar comfortable persona", which has been shaped by his favorite TV programs. In the bridge, the singer imagines himself as a hero who can "fly around the sun" or "scare you shitless" - both actions he has learned from watching television.

The final verse of the song further emphasizes the theme of escapism, as the singer admits that he is "living in a fantasy" and encourages others to "take the networked ride". The line "we're all on MTV" ties into this theme of mass cultural consumption, suggesting that television has become a shared experience that unites society.

Overall, Turn On Tune In is a commentary on the way that television shapes our perceptions, values, and language. The chorus urges us to "turn off" the television and engage with the real world, but the singer ultimately succumbs to the allure of fictional narratives and pop culture.

Line by Line Meaning

When I speak to you it's in the language of the 20th century people
I communicate with you using outdated language from the past century

The ones who are the stars of stage and screen
Referencing actors/actresses from the past who were popular and famous.

Everything I say has been taught to me by my favourite tv programme
All my knowledge has been acquired from my favorite television show

Turn on tune in drop out
Immersing oneself in a psychedelic state of mind to disconnect from reality

If I concentrate I can break through the wash but only for a moment
Occasionally, I can escape reality briefly through deep concentration

My lucid thoughts are lost and out of reach
Clear thinking is difficult to achieve because of my distorted perception of reality

I would rather fall back into my familiar comfortable persona
I prefer the safety and familiarity of my usual self and habits

I can be the hero who can fly around the sun
I project myself as a fictional superhero who has incredible abilities

I can scare you shitless I saw how on channel one
I can terrify you with my knowledge based on what I saw on television

I think that I'm impressing you with funny anecdotes
I believe I'm charming you with amusing stories

I got them from my kid's tv and he's too young to vote
I learned these stories from my child's age-appropriate television shows

We're living in a fantasy but that's ok with me
Our lives are illusions, but I'm content with that

You believe the whole thing too we're all on mtv
You also indulge in the MTV-created fantasy world

Buy into the merchandise and then it becomes real
You buy into the commercialism/merchandise surrounding this fantasy world, and subsequently, it becomes real to you

Palpable and plastic packaged neatly on the reel
The fantasy world is superficially presented and packaged for consumption on television

Don't even go outside you will be destroyed
It's better for you to avoid the outside world, as it could lead to your destruction

Best to stay inside take the networked ride
It's ideal for you to stay home, watch TV, and take in the illusionary world TV offers

When I sing to you it's through the haze of mild and modern schizophrenia
My communication with you is restrained by my distorted perception of reality

The one where I am not the man I am
I have created an image for myself that isn't my true self

If I glimpse the real then I am scared into the rampant paranoia
If I confront the real world, I become overcome with paranoia

Turn on tune in strung out
Immersing oneself in a psychedelic state of mind to connect with a reality that doesn't exist

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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