There are bands and musicians that, when heard, give off the sense that their physical environment informs, influences, and shapes their music. Battlefields is surely one of those bands whose base of operations plays a part in just what their music sounds like. And coming from Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota, an image of stark and harsh winters and a sprawling landscape translates in their compositions.
The nine tracks that inhabit the third record from Battlefields, Thresholds of Imbalance, are sprawling affairs (check out "Blueprint") that definitely come from a similar school of thought as Neurosis, Isis, and Cult of Luna but add flairs of their own that do show the members' talents with their individual instruments (they are definitely players). While some of these tracks seem to go on a bit long, there is plenty of dynamic use that gives the songs an impressive shift in moods; there is an almost narrative quality to the pieces on Thresholds Of Imbalance. The keyboards and other electronic sounds lend quite a bit of texture to the different songs that adds to the overall mood and feel of the songs while the multiple variations of vocal styles are another plus. Besides "Blueprint" other highlights on the album include "The Thresholds" and "Quake and Flood".
Thresholds of Imbalance is proof of that this group is slowly becoming more aware of themselves as musicians and their capabilities as songwriters and shapers of sound. Although the compositions on the album are solid, my one major complaint is the compressed sound of some of the instruments; where the drums do sound roomy and warm, the guitars and bass just seem so sterile sounding that it detracts from the listening experience. I would love to hear this with a better sounding recording because I would definitely enjoy Thresholds of Imbalance a great deal more since Battlefields is a much more powerful sounding live band than on this record and matching that power in the studio would definitely make a good record.
