| 0.0 | 204409 EMERITUS | October 12th 07 |
In general, the first half of The Alchemy Index points to success. There are questionable aspects to both discs, but in general the cons are vastly outweighed by the pros. The Fire disc is a great exploration of the heavier moments on Vheissu. The album is explosive and intense, with Dustin ripping his vocal cords to pieces while the rest of the band unleashes their heaviest material yet. Songs like "The Flame Deluge" act as the most brutal work Thrice has ever created. Songs like "The Messenger" and "Backdrift" are surprisingly the weirdest, blending together electronic influences into heavy, harmonic minor chord progressions. The Water disc, excepting its opening track, is nearly flawless. Interestingly, it also continues a strand that was started on Vheissu's slower, more pensive tracks like "Atlantic." It's a collection of beautiful and wistful songs that all have lush and stunning arrangements. The Water disc feels exactly like it was recorded underwater. As a collection of songs, this album is amazing for nine out of the twelve tracks. As a concept album, it's halfway to becoming an amazing cycle. There are a few flaws and the second half of the collection to worry about, but so far Thrice has produced another stunner.
5 Bumps | Bump |
| 0.0 | clairvoyant | October 17th 07 |
Thrice manages to craft another strong album, this time delving even further into the progressive trail that the band had begun to show on Vheissu. The Fire disc shares the sounds most familiar to Thrice fans, a heavy, spastic side that never lets up. It stays closer to the image that Thrice has created for themselves, yet still manages to push some boundaries with songs like The Flame Deluge, The Messenger, and Backdraft. The strong fire atmosphere that these tracks create make it seem as if the songs could show up in a movie, particularly The Flame Deluge. Burn The Fleet is the one that doesn't quite fit in here, being that it is not bone-crushingly heavy, instead going for a more melodious approach. But it is one of the stronger tracks, with Dustin's vocals matching up well with the tasteful guitar riffs. It is the Water disc that shows how Thrice is not afraid to try new sounds, opting for a strong electronica approach, the band perfectly succeeds in a ocean-like approach. The change from the watery song off of Vheissu, Atlantic, to tracks like Lost Continent and The Whaler show just how much this band can progress. Dustin's softer singing and the well-executed keyboards surround every song with a feeling that this is all taking place out at sea. Kings Upon The Main does it job even more by creating an underwater feel. Overall, The Alchemy Index is not disappointing, and Volumes III and IV will hope to keep up the pace.
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| 0.0 | blacklistadapted | October 16th 07 |
I won't hesitate to say that this is Thrice's best work yet. In producing this album on their own, Thrice stated that they had set out to "pull this album apart" rather than try to mesh it all together as in typical in production. Not only do they succeed in doing so between the fire and water discs, but a variety of colors and elements exist from song-to-song, creating a buffet of dimensions rather than one rectangular swell of music. They succeed in breaking several musical "rules" as they pit each song against each other in a dissonant chaos of pure serenity, leaving you with an empty feeling that could never be more filling. I hate throwing perfect "5's" around, but until my search for something negative to say succeeds, the number will stand.
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| 0.0 | iri5hpunk21 | October 16th 07 |
This album had a profound effect on me. Thrice brings home some familiar tones with the fire volume, although the energy and premise is quite new. The Alchemy Index Vol. I & II really shines with the Water volume. Though there have been sounds issued from other pioneers similar to this, none seem so cohesive or involving as the Alchemy Index. The only reason this album doesn't get a perfect 5, is because it took a couple of listens to sink in.
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