Potential Threat – Civilization Under Threat

Band: Potential Threat SF
Album: Civilization Under Threat
Record Label: Old School Metal Records
Release Date: 18th June 2013
Reviewed By: Dan Peeke

Track Listing:

 1. Intro
2. Destroy And Dominate
3. The Threat Of Things To Come
4. Stick To Your Guns
5. In For The Kill
6. Edge Of Insanity
7. Beneath The Surface
8. Behold The End
9. Written In Blood
10. Rise Of The Apocalypse

Potential Threat has some really classic songs in their back catalogue and luckily, unlike some bands (Metallica: Lulu), this new offering doesn’t ruin their reputation.

After a small intro, we go straight into one of the best intros to a song/riffs I have EVER heard. No exaggeration. Every progression into the song flows perfectly, it’s not clunky, and every part works with the other parts. Destroy and Dominate is the perfect song to start the album with. Next up is The Threat Of Things To Come, it’s not as good as track 1, but the blast beats and catchy vocals still make for a great song.

After this, you notice a pattern. Every single riff on this album is an absolute killer. Whoever is writing these, I salute you. Stick To Your Guns is nothing special (other than the riff obviously), In For The Kill on the other hand, is one of the heavier songs that still manages to be a catchy sing a long. It’s at track six (Edge Of Insanity) you start to notice how heavily influenced by other bands they are. The beginning of this song you could genuinely pass off as Lamb of God. It’s a good thing I like Lamb Of God because I’m pretty sure this would be one of the weaker songs on the album if it didn’t have a familiar pleasant tone about it.

When Beneath The Surface starts you start to get bored of the similar riffs and structure and the album takes a low point. HOWEVER the next song, Behold The End is very very different to the songs before it, a slow emotional song in comparison. Exactly what I was waiting for on this album…Until around 4 minutes, and we go back into the catchy heavier style of the other songs. Luckily for them, it’s still the best song on the album even if it becomes alike the rest. Around the 8 minute mark it (yes it’s long) the acoustic guitar comes back in to make the perfect outro the song. It’s catchy, well written, slow in parts and heavy in others, and the first real solo is just majestic. If I was reviewing just this song, it would be an easy 10/10. Stunning.

Aaand we are back to explosive riffs.  This one isn’t as explosive unfortunately, and pales in comparison to the track before. Written In Blood might be the worst song on the album, and parts of it literally sound like they are taken from other songs from the same album. The last song, Rise Of The Apocalypse, is Potential Threats claw up again from the pits of track nine. They manage to get back to level ground with the rest of the album, but not on the mountain they were on for Destroy and Dominate and Behold The End.

Civilization Under Threat is a great album, but has its low points, like any album, but then it also has the soaring moments of genius, which not many albums can say they have. Overall its definitely worth a listen, and if not the whole album, Behold The End is a MUST.

Score: 8 out of 10

Reader Album Score: {extravote 1}