Warthur Honestly, at this point I feel that HammerFall are just going through the motions. Threshold is another run-through of the usual HammerFall formula, as seen on - well, pick anything from their discography, it all sounds pretty the same - but somewhere the infections enthusiasm they're usually able to bring to the table seems to have gone missing.

Maybe it's in the songwriting, which seems a little devoid of ideas, maybe the production is a bit off, or maybe it's in the musicianship - which is competent, yes, but lacks flair or passion, but the whole package seems to present a band just going through the motions. Just listen to the plodding, repetitive ending of "Rebel Inside" if you want an idea of what I mean - it's like they ran out of ideas whilst writing the song and couldn't work out an interesting way to finish it. The traditional slow ballad, "Dark Wings, Dark Words" likewise just drags; there's a decent enough solo in there, but guitar solos are ten a penny in the HammerFall back catalogue and they've done many better ones. Though "Howlin' with the 'Pac" begins to pick up the pace a little, it's not quite enough to drag the album out of the slump it's in, especially when it's followed up by directionless, meandering tracks like "Shadow Empire".

Two stars all the way on this one; this is the very definition of "collectors/fans only". If you're a HammerFall completist you'll no doubt want it, but for everyone else then pretty much any of HammerFall's previous albums is a better bet - I'd rather relisten to any of them than this faltering effort.