By John Vidiadakis

Richard, I think it would be nice if you told us how the band got formed for the first time. Also, what are your thoughts on your debut album, "Wounded land"? 

The band originally formed in 1988 with Karl Groom, Jon Jeary and Nick Midson who are still in the band today. I joined in 1992 while they were recording Wounded Land, because they decided they needed some keyboards to complete the sound. I think it’s a great album, with songs like “Sanity’s End” and “Mother Earth” standing out as classics. I was very proud to be involved, although listening back I think I could’ve used a few new keyboards! 

"Psychedelicatessen" is considered by many people as the strongest album of Threshold. How would you describe this album, and what do you think now on that one? 

Some people say it’s the best album, but in a poll last year it was voted the worst, so I guess you either love it or hate it! I think it has some great ideas and great songs, although it doesn’t feel quite as “together” as Wounded Land. We were disappointed by the first pressing because the sound was ruined by the mastering studio, but I think the remastered version with two hidden tracks sounds excellent. Karl & Jon’s “Into The Light” and Glynn’s “Innocent” stand out to me as classics, and I was also pleased with my first Threshold song “Under The Sun”. 

Could you please describe us the way Threshold got into their latest releases since  "Psychedelicatessen"? What has affected you in all these years and which things do you think have now changed? After all, how would you describe the next Threshold steps ("Livedelica", "Extinct instinct")? 

After Psychedelicatessen we spent a lot of time touring, so it was great to be able to record some of those performances on Livedelica. In retrospect that album should’ve been longer, but because we were only playing live songs from the studio albums we didn’t feel that the album was strong enough to be full length. Then came Extinct Instinct with our original singer Damian, which was probably our most “produced” album. We put thousands of ideas into that album and it has a very unique sound as a result, so when we came to record Clone last year we decided to change direction and play like a band again. As a result the albums sound very different, but we’re very pleased with all of them. This year we also released a limited edition album of rarities and remixes called Decadent which has also proved to be popular with the fans.

It's known that there was a lot of trouble with the former singer of the  band. Could you please be more exact? Why did Glynn Morgan, the second singer, leave the band, and how did you get in contact with Andrew McDermott? 

No, there was never a lot of trouble! Damian left because he received a great offer from a band with a lot of money behind them, and then returned when that band failed. Glynn spent three good years with us in between, but was always more into metal than prog-metal, so it was sensible for him to form his own band Mindfeed. Unfortunately Damian’s return didn’t work out so we had to move onto singer number three. Our German contacts knew that Andrew was available after Sarangt Fury split up, so we heard  a CD and decided to give him a call. That worked out really well and we’re very pleased to have him in the band. 

How would you describe "Clone", too, and what were the comments it received  by the   fans and the press? What are the future plans? 

For me, Clone is our best album so far. The music and lyrics all flow really well, the songs all sound great and even the artwork is good! We are all very proud of this album, and most of the fans and critics say it’s our best album so far. Some prefer the more intricate sound of Psychedelicatessen or Extinct Instinct, but there are many sides to Threshold and for Clone the metal side has dominated the progressive side. We plan to do a few more gigs this year before we start recording our new album after Christmas. We’ve already started writing some songs, but it’s too early to say how the album will sound! 

You just ended a tour with two impressive prog metal bands, Pain Of Salvation and Eldritch. What's now the taste left of this tour? Do you enjoy playing live or maybe you prefer the studio work? 

This tour was the most enjoyable tour we’ve ever done. The support bands were great, the fans were great, performing was really fun and even our tour bas was nice! We love playing live and we love being in the studio. It’s just great to be doing music! 

"Metallica meets Dream Theater", the most common comment on your sound. Although,  not much exact. Which are the main influences on the sound of Threshold now and then, and what do you think is the characteristic that makes the group unique? Which specific influences does every member bring? 

 All of us have so many influences that it’s hard to characterise our sound - I think we just sound like Threshold. We approach our music with total freedom, we don’t try to create a certain sound or a certain feel, we just do what we want, so maybe that’s what gives us a unique sound. I think that’s how Dream Theater work too, so I guess we get a lot of comparison with them. Obviously we are most influenced by heavy metal and progressive rock, but we are all into all types of music. 

England has the biggest tradition in prog rock, but it has offered really few things into the prog metal movement? Why? 

The English music scene has really suffered over the last ten years. The record companies have been focusing on the youth market and spend all their time promoting teen bands, so prog metal is one of those new styles that got totally ignored. As a result no-one’s really heard of prog metal over here, and bands like Threshold look to the rest of Europe, America and Japan for their fans. Things are changing slowly, but I remember saying that in an interview about five years ago, so I guess it’s a very slow process! 

Do you keep an eye on today's prog metal scene worldwide? Which directions do you think it will take? 

I try to keep an eye on what’s going on, but I’m more into writing music than researching it. I don’t have any idea where prog metal will go in the future, I just want to keep writing music I love and see what happens. 

Who were the groups and artists that made you wanting to play music? 

When I was three years old I used to put my hands on the loudspeakers and get totally absorbed by my Dad’s classical music collection, so I guess I started very early! The first bands that I fell in love with were Queen, Genesis and Status Quo so maybe that’s why I play prog metal today. 

Could you name the five albums you bought more recently and a small comment on them? 

Soundgarden “Superunknown” – I’ve been meaning to buy this for years, and I’m glad I did  - Great songs, great sound, great voice. 

Shadow Gallery “Tyranny” – I heard a lot of good reviews about this album so I bought it, and it’s got some really good songs although it’s not what I normally listen to. 

Nik Kershaw “15 Minutes” – Not prog, not metal, just really mature pop music. This guy was big in the UK in the 80’s but this is his best album. It took a few listens to get into it, but it was worth the effort. 

Janet “The Velvet Rope” – Another great pop album, Jam/Lewis are two of the most accomplished writers and producers of all time, and this work is fabulous. It also took a few listens, but it was also worth it! 

Queensryche “Hear in the now frontier” – I never really got into Queensryche but I saw this in a second-hand shop so I bought it – what a great band! 

Could you add a short comment, too, on the following names: Genesis, Rush, Marillion, Dream Theater, Queensryche? 

Genesis – An inspirational band that had a huge effect on me, although they lost it in the 80’s. My favourite albums were “Trick Of The Tail” and “And Then There Were Three”, I was never so much into the Gabriel stuff though. 

Rush – I never really got into Rush, but our bassist Jon is a huge fan. 

Marillion – I used to like them when they started, they brought something fresh and exciting to the music scene, but I lost interest after Fish left. 

Dream Theater – One of the best bands of the 90’s -great musicians, great songwriters and great on stage. 

Queensryche – I only know “Hear In The Now Frontier” and I love it, so maybe I should get some more… 

Richard, thanx a lot for the interview, and for your constant devotion to what  music  really means... 

Cheers John, and thanks for supporting our music…