Richard West is best known as the keyboardist, composer, and background vocalist for the British prog-metal band Threshold. But he’s about to be known for a side project, something that’s taken on a life of its own. The band is Oblivion Protocol. Its album is The Fall of the Shires, will be released on August 18 through Atomic Fire Records.
Written as a sequel to Threshold‘s 2017 concept album Legends Of The Shires, The Fall Of The Shires delivers a dense, climactic sound somewhere between Rush, Steven Wilson, The Dark Side Of The Moon-era Pink Floyd, and hard rock masters Ghost, all the while providing the listener with clever little nods, bows, and references to the first installment.
Mastermind West elaborates, “At the end of Legends Of The Shires, the protagonist considers a number of possible futures – ‘maybe a painter, a guide, a clerk, a maker, or maybe a writer, a king, a star, a fighter.’ So the sequel tells the story of him becoming the king and the consequences of that choice where he decides that the only way to control the population is to suppress and control them, so the shires become a much darker place.”
“The Fall Of The Shires” will be available in CD-digipak, LP (Green), and digital formats. Pre-order it, in the physical format of your choice, pre-save it on your preferred DSP or pre-order it digitally to receive “Forests In The Fallout” instantly at THIS LOCATION.
“The Fall Of The Shires” Album Artwork
Oblivion Protocol‘s lineup is completed with three renowned musicians: guitarist Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation), bassist Simon Andersson (Darkwater), and drummer Darby Todd (Devin Townsend). Additionally, Threshold‘s Karl Groom has contributed some truly enthralling guitar solos to the record.
Sonic Perspectives‘ Mark Boardman sat down to speak with Richard about that project, and about how it fits into the overall scheme of Threshold. Watch or listen to their chat below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
