Rock Overdose had the chance to talk with Karl Groom, lead guitarist and founder of the UK progressive metal band Threshold. On a revealing interview Karl is not only making a review on every single song of their new album March of Progress and presenting their big plans for the future, but he is also sharing his thoughts about the passing former vocalist Andrew 'Mac' McDermott and the side projects of the other members of the band. A very honest interview, you sure don't want to miss it.
Rockoverdose.gr: Hello Karl, welcome to Rock Overdose! How do you feel your new album is out after 5 whole years?
Karl Groom: I am very happy to see a new Threshold album out and see the positive reaction to the release. The 5 years between albums has been down to circumstances really. Many things changed for both the band and some members during that time, which have helped shape this album. Also we integrated two new members and had some great times playing live. I guess we toured for 4 years before we heard the questions about a new album from Nuclear Blast, so we were always active. In addition, the Paradox singles box set came out in 2009 and that contained some new recordings at the time. Of course, when we came back to writing for a studio album it had been a long time, so we took a little longer than usual to compose and arrange than before to be sure this was the best we could produce.
Rockoverdose.gr: Would love to hear a review of “March of Progress” from you!
Karl Groom: The reviews have never been this good. In fact, the owner of Nuclear Blast told us that Threshold are their first band ever to score 10/10 from German magazine Rock Hard. The first part of the process is to feel inspired yourself about the songs, but it is important that your music connects with others as well.
The album covers topics for personal strengths and weaknesses along with complacency and how that affects what we have worked so hard to achieve.
"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.
Rockoverdose.gr: Wanna give us a sneak peek of its creation?
Karl Groom: 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. I would also never 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.
In December 2010 I had the fully worked up demo of "Ashes" and thought I was working slowly. Towards May 2011 I completed the 5 songs I had on the album and found out that there was only "Colophon" from Richard. This kind of added up to an album length, so I scheduled Johanne to come and track the drums. Between then and the drum session there were suddenly two more from Richard, one from Damian and two from Pete. As we added up the length it surprised us that there was 75 minutes of music. All the songs deserved being on the album, so that meant a double vinyl in the end, which makes a nice package.
Rockoverdose.gr: Sure does! How was it like producing and recording the album on your own?
Karl Groom: Richard and I produced the band since our debut Wounded Land and originally it was a financial necessity. As we moved to bigger labels we had options, but now I have my own studio and we like to keep control of the whole process. We always try to keep moving forward and find new production ideas for each album to keep the sound of Threshold fresh. I really want to make sure each album is absolutely the best it can be and I don’t want restrictions with another studio to compromise that. 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. There is a really good dynamic within the band and we find it easy to work together.
Rockoverdose.gr: That's cool. Are there any plans for a tour? A second DVD maybe? We haven't seen you in Greece since 2008!
Karl Groom: We had a great time in Larissa in 2008 and would love to return to Greece this time. Now we are booking a Spring tour for March of Progress next year and also summer festivals. In the meantime we will spend the end of the year writing for a new album. Also in the pipeline are possible plans for a live DVD and a new fan club CD!
Rockoverdose.gr: Is it easy when the band members also have other solo or side projects?
Karl Groom: I must admit I preferred the days when everyone in the band was committed to Threshold only and I miss those times. I recognize that people want to try something else at times and this is the cost of bringing in good musicians. However, Threshold will always be my main priority and I will drive the band forward with the same ethos set out by Jon, Nick and myself when we first started the band.
Rockoverdose.gr: August 3 is always gonna be a day to remember, how was this first year without Mac?
Karl Groom: Mac, he will always be fondly remembered for his unique tone of voice and his charm. Damian was the original voice of the band, but many people discovered us during the Mac years. It was dreadful to hear the sad way he passed last year at such a young age. He was an important part of Threshold’s history and I have many happy memories from our time together.
Rockoverdose.gr: So, to lighten things up, we heard about a video fan contest, what's up with that?
Karl Groom: I am not sure of what the situation is at the moment because there is some time to run. This was a Nuclear Blast initiative and I believe they have been doing this for many of the bands. It all seems a bit risky to me, but we’ll see!
Rockoverdose.gr: Talking about fans, do you read the “Beyond” magazine?
Karl Groom: I know the guy that runs Beyond and he was a fan that used to come to our first shows as a cover band. This was in the days when Threshold was formed and we only had a few original compositions that never made an album. We made contact again a few years ago and he asked to start the magazine, so we have some involvement in the content. Justin also helped out on quite a few live dates during the Dead Reckoning tour.
Rockoverdose.gr: Last but not least, do you see anything different in the scene since you started off? Metal seems to have re-emerged lately!
Karl Groom: Nothing has changed in what Threshold started out to achieve in our mix of metal and progressive. There do seem to be a lot of bands in the genre now though. When we released our first album there were only a handful of acts creating this kind of music. My work as a producer has been mainly power metal and progressive and it is certainly more popular in recent years.
Rockoverdose.gr: Thank you very much for the nice talk we had Karl, good luck with your new album! Would you like to add something?
Karl Groom: 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.
For Rockoverdose.gr: Stella Tsolakou
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