Review Summary: Not quite Thrice's magnum opus, but it's nearly there.
The Alchemy Index. Some are calling it Thrice’s magnum opus, while others call it pretentious and overbearing. I would say it is a mixture of both. While I am a huge Thrice fan who enjoys all of their work, (not just their early phase) I felt as if the first disc was, while being technically brilliant, significantly cold and emotionless. I had higher hopes for this second disc, and they met them with aplomb.
Air
Many said that this element would be the hardest to interpret onto disc but I have to say, Thrice have done an exceptional job. They have maintained all of their technical prowess while manifesting their own view of what Air means. On songs such as “Silver Wings”, the band make us believe that we are flying but yet with the song “As The Crow Flies”, we feel utterly grounded. This is mainly due to the instrumentation, which is top notch; on a par with any band out there. Other elements such as Dustin’s lyrics and vocals elevate this album to an extremely high standard, but what I believe makes the disc truly transcend is the band’s new knack for writing epic songs, one of which is “Daedalus”.
I had to devote a whole paragraph to this song simply because in my opinion, it is the best Thrice song ever. While they have made other brilliant songs, (The Earth Will Shake, For Miles..etc) nothing can compare to the sheer genius of this song) The way the song rises and falls, the chiming and beautiful chords, the searching bassline and chiefly, the vocals make this a stone-cold classic. When the song reaches it’s climax, chills run up and down my spine. The way every emotion just crescendos to a point of ultimate release is stunning, and it is a crowning musical achievement for the band.
As a whole E.P, I would have to say Thrice have almost achieved perfection with the Air disc. By not trying too hard to replicate the exact element (with the exception of the effects in “The Sky Is Falling” and “A Song For Milly Michaelson”) they have represented it beautifully.
Earth
Initially, I thought that this disc may be another heavy disc, like Fire, but I was definitely mistaken. It is more a hybrid of blues, folk and country, much akin to Dustin’s solo project. While this disc does not bring anything new to the table, it is a highly enjoyable listen. Songs like “Moving Mountains” and “Come All You Weary” bring to the forefront Dustin’s Christian ideals, while not sounding preachy and annoying. The cover of Frodus’ “The Earth Isn’t Humming” is a brilliant cover. By using a banjo and an acoustic guitar, it gives a different spin on the song without bastardising it’s essence. However, no one song on this disc stands out as being truly great, so this disc seems to be in Air’s shadow for a lot of the time. However, it is a suitable ending to a great album.
One has to hand it to Thrice. Making an album with this standard of production by themselves is an amazing feat, and an inspiration to any upcoming band who doesn’t want to be messed around by record label producers. Production is nothing without the songs to back it up and Thrice have those in abundance. While this album is not Thrice’s “magnum opus”, it sets the band apart from the rest of the post-hardcore pack, and brings them into the realm of accomplished musicians who are adept at any style they choose.
I have a feeling that what comes next will blow this out of the water, but for now, this will do.
