Review Summary: It hurts so good...
I'll be the first person to say I loved Illusion of Safety. I thought Thrice was going to lead Post Hardcore to new things and new grounds. Bring it into the spotlight and maybe give it a name. But I was wrong. And I listened to this album the day it came out, and didn't again for 6 months. Then, after a good, LONG, wait, I threw it back in when I was in a much more relaxed state, and I actually fell slowly in love with this CD. It isn't what I wanted to hear from Thrice, that's for damned sure, but when I finally gave it a chance, I was greatly surprised at what I found.
The chanting Image of the Invisible is a sort of failing intro. It's a good song, but as an intro track, I find it falls a little short. I like it, and it's almost reminiscent of The Artist in the Ambulance, but it's more of a live song than a CD song. (3.5/5) Between the End and Where We Lie shows the first signs of a new Thrice that is to come. This focuses on Dustin's vocals, which had grown a lot since days of Identity Crisis. Though it is a fairly simple song, it delivers a sort of ambiance for the album. It fits, and molds itself into a story you can follow musically. (3/5) The beginning of the CD is kind of a downer and made me turned off to the album before I could really give it a chance, but The Earth Will Shake is a personal favorite of mine. Incorporating a sort of slave chant, it covers ground Thrice dared not go before. This is a stripped down, yet somehow very ballsy, complex arrangement of anger, frustration, and hurt. I like that Dustin chose to tell a story rather than just talk about personal experience. Shows depth. (5/5)
The bulk of the cd starts to crescendo into an amazing journey, where Thrice head the ship. Atlantic(3.5/5) slows it down, but doesn't fail to please. If you are searching for nothing but their old riffing, this just won't cut it for you, and don't bother. But if you are looking for growth, then here it is. They shut themselves off from music for a year or two, Teppei said in interviews, and I can tell. Use of a xylophone, tambourines, banjos, and other instruments is a real step up in diversity. Teppei is quite multi talented. For Miles(4/5) is my favorite vocal performance of the song. Though the proximity effect was a bit heavy in this recording, I could get over it for a strong melody over a great piano line. The guitars accompany you towards a peaceful catharsis. This all stops abruptly with the Hold Fast Hope (2/5). This songs vocals used the same mic for screams and sings and it sounded like it was tailored toward a scream. And it's attempt at older Thrice riffing just kind of falls short. A real kind of down point. It almost seems like they CAN'T do heavy anymore. Not like they used to. So stick to what you're good at...
And they wrote Music Box (5/5). This song blows up this album with a strong music box to tearing guitars dropping you hard into a groovy sing along. This song is one of the best on the album, and it starts the end block of songs in this amazing ending of an album. The powerful chorus that just makes you feel it in the back of your throat when you holler along. It's a moving piece of music. Like Moths to Flames(4/5) is a good follow up to Music Box. The acoustic being a nice blend in with the mid-heaviness it has, and Dustin's vocals are a very strong point over the chorus. Teppei's leads are as per his usual, interesting, appropriate, and awesome. Though Of Dust and Nations(5/5) might take the cake for song of the album award. This eerie intro, coupled with the expertly layered guitars, perfectly laid bass, and well timed drums make this groovy, energetic, smooth ride a flight into Thrice's world. I The chorus is the stuff of legends. Following such a giant is Stand and Feel Your Worth (2.5/5), which doesn't quite do it justice, but comes close. It just isn't up to the creative burst the end of this album has been on. It's just okay at best. Little slow for the lawgeness of the songs that are adjacent it, and it's a bump in the road. However Red Sky (4/5) is just what Thrice needed at the kaboose of Vheissu. This building, churning, building monster just blows the unexpecting away with the ending that was perfect cap to the album that changed the world of Thrice.
This album really shows what a band can do when they want to go completely in a new direction and still just do as well as they had previously. Now they are undefinable. They have no genre hold. They have limitless options. It seemed only fitting their next album show you how many sides they have. This album gave you a mere glimpse. I think great things are to come for Thrice.
