Many fans were not too pleased when the band decided to stray from their pop-punk roots to expand their sound and explore new instruments, and sonic barriers in Vheissu. Gone were the poppy, youthful anthems from The Artist in the Ambulance and Identity Crisis.
So with a fan base already split between "New Thrice" and "Old Thrice", what is the natural response for a band? In the case of Thrice, it was to leave their label, become independent, and self produce a 4 album conceptual project. Entitled The Alchemy Index, these 4 e.p.'s each focus on an element (Fire, Water, Air, Earth). I will be reviewing Volume 1: Fire and Water.
The Fire album begins with the aptly titled "FireBreather", which has a very ambient, delayed, distorted intro which has the musical quality of a siren. It gives warning to the powerful, menacing chords that follow. This song gets the ball rolling on Fire with an epic intensity, a better album opener could not have been chosen.
When one thinks of fire, you conjure mental images and thoughts such as: harshness, intensity and destruction. This is precisely the sound you will receive from this e.p. In many ways it is reminiscent of earlier Thrice. Musically, and lyrically the e.p. has a very angry, destructive tone. You will hear a lot of distortion, vicious guitar attacks, and vocalist Dustin Kensrue belting out lines such as, "I love this city, I've set and numbered its days. I love this city, enough that I'll set it ablaze."
Does water have a sound? What are some adjectives used to describe water? Lush, wet, ambient? Ask Thrice. Because they have somehow captured its essence on the Water e.p. Fire and Water are the classic contrast in terms of elements. So it was an obvious choice to package the Fire and Water discs together. But I am pleased they did, solely because the 2 e.p.'s have absolutely NOTHING in common with each other musically, or lyrically. It truly allows the listener to appreciate their artistic range.
After the punishing ferocity of Fire, the Water disc begins with the subdued, almost underwater nature of "Digital Sea". The lyrical refrain, "Im drowning in a digital sea, here my voice grow to ones and zeros" gives the listener a sense of anxiety, which is quickly quelled by the lush, relaxing atmosphere of the instrumentation. Water's most aggressive moment comes in the 6 minute instrumental song "Night Diving". A beautiful, lush instrumental which seeks to tell the story of a night diver's ups and downs through musical progressions.
"Open Water" is a MUST HERE song. Lyrically, this is Dustin Kensrue at his prime. He has an innate ability to write in simile, and he puts on a clinic in this song. The somber refrain, "I'm starting to believe the ocean is much like you, because it gives and it takes away." is one of the most powerful moments on either e.p.
If pressed, I would have to say that Water is the stronger e.p. and probably the more accessible for the average listener. Not only for its lush instrumentation and beautiful vocals, but also for the fact that Thrice somehow made an e.p. that sounds like water...which is ridiculous.
Before ending this review, there is one more aspect to this project that needs to be mentioned. Each e.p. concludes with a musical sonnet. The same structure of 14 lines, and 10 syllables per line is followed in these sonnets. Each sonnet is meant to be an expression of that element. Vocalist and lyricist Dustin Kensrue explains,
"Each sonnet is written from the point of view of the personified element, speaking to mankind, and lamenting our various failings. The Fire sonnet deals with fire being resentful and ashamed of the way it's been used in destruction and war, while the Water sonnet deals with man's pride, and the futility and idiocy of that pride, come face to face with the power of the sea."
recommended if you like: alternative rock, ambient music, concept albums, poetry, the elements?
www.myspace.com/thrice
