Drive Thru Society: “Thresholds” Album Review
Did you ever think you could hear heavy metal guitar riffs, screams and cleans and the incorporation of the violin? Coming from the Lonestar State is five-piece metal band Drive Thru Society. The band consists of leading lady, Meg Hudson, lead shredder Greg Hudson, violinist Kathy Crabtree-Moore, her husband and guitarist Michael Moore, and drummer Miles Ramsey. The new album, Thresholds comes from a place of raw vulnerability, honest conversations and biblically-based lyrics.
Thresholds Album Review:
Tracks: 12
Length: 42:23
Release Date: June 30, 2026
Label: White Shadow Records
The intro starts us off with some intricate beautiful violin work, setting the stage for the musical journey that the listener is about to embark on. The smooth transition into “Enemy” is a great overlap between the two tracks, blending them together. The chugging bass in the background adds to the overall sound. The guitars are heavy and the violin works so well in the mix. I am greatly impressed with the clean production level. Meg’s voice sounds really good, her screams are deep and brutal. The song was initially written during COVID and came as a reflection on what was going on in our country at the time.
“Cause if you can’t think for yourself. Then you’re really not a threat. No such thing as unique in the new world they create.”
They confront the tribunal mindsets and divisions that were created during the pandemic, as well as addressing the need for unity and overcoming fear.
From addressing worldwide uncertainty to dealing with personal insecurity, “Dark in Me” is our next track. The guitar work is so intricate and technical as Greg and Michael show off their technical abilities in this song. The chorus is infectious and gets you singing along. The part that stuck out to me was how well the violin transitioned into an absolutely insane breakdown, featuring Meg’s guttural screams and a shredding guitar solo. I don’t know if I had that on my metal bingo card for this year!
The next song comes with a trigger warning. “Know You” comes from a place of personal pain in Meg’s life and can hit really close to home as the lyrics address the topic of infertility and miscarriage. If this topic is sensitive for you, you might want to scroll down past this section. As for the song, the combo of the bass line with the lead guitar establishes a deep, passionate sound. The violin pairs so well with the scream and leaves you wanting more. As mentioned this is a song that is filled with vulnerability, pain and anger.
“Now I’m waiting in the doctors’ room. Hoping for answers that will come soon. But they tell me nothing’s wrong and I’m released to go home and I can try again next month. But you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for you.”
Such a heart-stopping song. The way that she screams “breathe” is done in such a way that every person who has been in that situation could scream along with their own story of hurt and pain. Though it hits close to home in my life, this song is one of my favorite songs on the album.
We come back to “Bring Me Down.” The bass intro is deep and hypnotic. This song showcases Meg’s vocal ability and I would put her down as one of the best screamers out there (male or female). It is amazing how she transitions from these deep, guttural screams to a clean, agile voice. This is another song that comes from a clear place of vulnerability as this song wrestles with the topic of domestic abuse.
“Screams as I fall to the floor. Like so many timeless before. This is the last time you’ll lay your hands on me. Never again.”
As it addresses the horror of domestic abuse, it also highlights the strength it takes to stand up and say no more. While confronting these heavy topics, they approach them with the hope and joy in triumph through God’s grace. After dealing with some intense topics, they don’t let up with the next song “Come Back for Me.” In this song, they address self-harm, depression and the feeling of unworthiness. Musically, it slows down in tempo and atmosphere. The song contains a beautiful melody of acoustic, violin and the vocals. The husband-wife duo of Meg and Greg share an incredible duet in the chorus.
“For so many years I found comfort in a blade hoping that it would take my pain away. As I entertained thoughts of death. I never believed that there was anything left for me.”
In the lyrics, Drive Thru Society continues to write from a place of hurt and self-doubt. But they also compose from a place of love and admiration that can come only from one source, God.
“How can this love be so great. When I’ve seen so much hate. How can You see my soul as clean after everything I’ve seen. How can You see the darkest parts of me? And still want anything to do with me?”
After dealing with such difficult topics, the band provides an interlude to give the listener a chance to recoup. This track features a spoken word portion that matches the intensity of the double bass, thunderous guitar chords and vibrant violin. Once again, we have another smooth transition from the interlude to “The Fight,” which is the work of a producer who knows what he’s doing. For this song, the producer, Cory Brunnemann, whose resume includes Zahna and Upon A Burning Body, stepped out from behind the board and into the vocal booth. His screams on this song match the brutality that comes from Meg. The two matched each other with intensity and passion. The guitar slides throughout the song add a slasher sound that gets you playing along on your air guitar.
“I’ll fight for us. I won’t let this be the end. I’ll fight until we win. I won’t give up. I won’t let this be the end. I’ll fight until we win.”
They pull out lyrical inspiration from personal stories and experiences. This song seems to be focused on fighting for relationships, particularly marriage. I love the emphasis on fighting to win, not see who’s right or see who’s in charge, but to fight for their marriage. Sadly, too many people just want to give up when the going gets tough rather than fight to save their marriage.
We transition to the slower portion of the album with “Memories.” The song has a slow, intricate start, featuring meticulous string work between the guitars and violin. The guitar work is so incredible and it sounds like the fingers are going all over the fret boards. The song sets a serious tone through its intense string work and vocals. “Winter’s Head” is the next song and throughout the album, we’ve heard a powerhouse voice, but here we have the opportunity to hear Meg’s gentle, melodic side. The piano brings a rich sound to the song. Everything is toned down to the point where you picture a dark, brooding background reflected through the music and lyrics.
“I will take hold and bear through winter’s grip. And suffer through the pain of this season I am in.”
They bring full intensity both in the music and the lyrics. In “Winter’s Head,” they challenge the listener to keep looking for hope despite whatever season you’re going through, whether it’s good or bad.
“Terrified” opens with some seriously gritty guitar chords, paired with a deep guttural scream to kick off the song. This is another song that highlights the blending and overlap between the violin and guitar. Meg’s voice in this song draws comparisons to Dawn Michele (Fireflight) for the cleans and Maggie (Magdalene Rose) for the screams. Meanwhile, Greg’s work on the guitar should be complimented for this song as his work is enough to shred your face off.
“I feel this darkness start to take its shape. And suffocate me with its lies. Loneliness, pride and greed are things I’m told I need. But do I have the strength to fight.”
Do those lyrics sound familiar? Perhaps you hear and you tell yourself that you need certain things in order to be happy. Then, if you don’t have those things, you feel lost, isolated, depressed. But, you don’t need to feed these lies. You can overcome fear with faith. Faith of knowing that God is going to come through for you in His timing.
We wrap up the album with “New Fire.” The bassline gives depth to the song straight from the beginning. The song has a lot of depth and provides a rich, full sound provided by the combination of the bass and drum beats. The breakdown accompanied by Meg’s deep guttural screams seem to give this song the cinematic ending that the album calls for from beginning to end.
“A new fire You bring as the old me dies. Burn inside as a new life rises.”
Why not end the album on a positive note? The band has tackled infertility, domestic violence, self-harm, self-worth and national division. These are all heavy topics and often bring a deep, dark, heavy feeling, but they end the album with this note that we are given new life as inspired from 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Drive Thru Society is a relatively new band to me, but this was their third release (1st full-length) since the band’s inception in 2016. After listening through this album, you ask yourself repeatedly “Why isn’t the violin incorporated more into metal?” This was a great album from beginning to end. The music is phenomenal, the production is top notch and the lyrics are challenging and real. This comes straight from the band why asked how to describe Thresholds:
“Every song tackles a different situation or trauma that can take place in our home which is supposed to be our safest space. Home is a place where you can be yourself and be vulnerable and this album represents different scenarios that can steal our peace and attack us when we're most vulnerable. And above it, it is about how trusting and abiding in Him will help protect us against those attacks and bring us closer together not only as believers, but also as a community and a society.”
This album is going to be near the top of my ”Best of 2026” list at the end of the year. Between the hard-hitting lyrics, slashing guitar riffs, thundering bassline, drum blasts, melodic violin, and Meg’s powerhouse voice, Thresholds is an album that you will not regret putting on repeat.
