Thrice. The band that released First Impressions in 1998, Identity Crisis in 2000, Illusion of Safety in 2002, and The Artist in the Ambulance in 2003.
Thrice. The band that released Vheissu in 2005.
You may have caught on to the illustration by now. For Thrice, the blazing quartet from Irvine, California, Vheissu is a full departure from anything they had accomplished in the past. With a growing fanbase supporting their previous releases, all of which evolve from their predecessors, the band knew that they had not yet found their niche with The Artist in the Ambulance, and have adjusted their style thoroughly for each and every track on the new album. Is it a GOOD change, you ask? That’s what I’m here to tell you.
As I stated in the introduction, Thrice through their history has had a tendency to put out albums that are completely different from prior releases. The extent to which they diverged for Vheissu lacks appropriate material for comparison, and you can hear the changes loud and clear in the opening track, entitled Image of the Invisible. What better way to set the tone of an album than to come out blazing with an anthem for the soulful? The song is heavy, and the focus is in the repetition of the claim that “we are the image of the invisible”. A storm of octave chords leads into a nice chorus riff, which are nice, but the focus of this song is most certainly its inherent aggression and brash, but appropriate lyrics.
Track number two is where things begin to get very interesting. Between the End and Where We Lie opens up with a nice little bit of double drum tracks and soft touches on the keyboard, and eventually blasts into the chorus, “where daylight breaks anew shines into the gray that sleeps beneath your skull”. This is where the songwriting gets interesting. The contrast between quiet radiation and explosive melody makes this song one of the better on the album, and its ending sets the listener up for the musical T-Rex that is The Earth Will Shake. I saw them play this one live at the Warped Tour, and that’s going to stick with me for the rest of my life. The lyrics paint an excellent picture of human convicts trying to escape in the most underhanded manners from the prison we’re all locked into, and finishes with a screamed outro featuring some of the most up-front, intense lyrics ever written. “Look to the day, the earth will shake, these weathered walls will fall away”. Also particularly enjoyable (and utterly amazing in terms of songwriting) are both the bluesy keyboarding thrown in by Teppei, and the breakdown which features a well-produced vocal imitation of a soulful chain gang. Atlantic continues the trend of norm-defiance, as the fourth track sweeps the listener into its own world with a haunting keyboard melody in the verse and a beautifully sung chorus. This leads into For Miles, which begins with a haunting, off-time piano melody and leads into a well-sung chorus. The guitar riff in the chorus takes centre stage and eventually leads into the ending, which rivals “The Abolition of Man” in intensity, but on a completely different level.
Hold Fast Hope is number six, and this is the portion of the album you’ll be spending time in if you’re a fan of heavy, post-hardcore Thrice. This song blends melody and aggression and delivers a product that can be classified within a genre, but is brand new and unique all the same. Music Box starts off with a Japanese melody from a cheap music box which Thrice guitarist Teppei Teranishi picked up while touring in Japan. The intro and the breakdown both have an exceptionally heavy sound to them, but the verses and choruses focus on vocal melody, which is perfected by frontman Dustin Kensrue. Like Moths to Flame is a vivid depiction of Peter’s betrayal of Christ after the Last Supper. It’s deep, dark, and beautiful at the same time. And then, after that, it’s pure aggression to close out the song. Of Dust and Nations begins with a nice, relaxing guitar riff. Something a guy could fall asleep to, only to be immediately smacked awake with the entrance into the first verse. The focus of this one is most definitely melody and rhythm, and it would make an excellent single. The cross of pop-appeal and technical brilliance make this song something special. Stand and Feel Your Worth is up next. This one is thick and full, with quiet verses, and another anthem in the chorus to keep you riveted from start to finish.
To close out the album, you have the amazingly sung Red Sky for track number eleven. Another contributor to the oceanic theme of the album, this song features imagery of the defeated righteous rising up from the sea to take back the world in the name of good. The song has a slow pace, and leads out of the album on a very uplifting note, quite literally. They couldn’t have ended this brilliant album better.
Everything I was hoping for has been fulfilled with this album. Thrice changed, but did not descend into the overly artistic side of music. They changed, but did not turn into metal. Changed, but did not fall into the weaker side of pop punk. This album deserves the title Vheissu, for nothing like it has ever been achieved, and nothing like it will again be achieved. This is the pinnacle of Thrice’s existence, and quite possibly the pinnacle of music within its wide genre.
What Impressed Me:
- Listen to Dustin on First Impressions. Listen to Dustin on Vheissu. Wow. He’s become an amazing singer.
- The drums are thoroughly unique, but fully appropriate. Very well done. Unlike most other drummers, the technique on this album does not involve exaggerated and overdone fills all over the place.
- The lyrics. Very thickly Christian, but never rubbed in the listener’s face. Applicable not exclusively to Christians in most cases.
- The album has a recurring oceanic theme in the music. In For Miles, Hold Fast Hope, Atlantic, and Red Sky to name a few, there are not only ocean-based lyrics, but also melodies that sound like something you’d hear in a movie about Atlantis or an underwater section of a video game. (weak description, I know).
What Frustrated Me:
- Image of the Invisible is relatively bland, despite it’s energy.
- They’ve kept some metallic influence, but completely ditched anything that could fall into the “heavy metal” genre. (metal would not fit on this album, and I’m glad they didn’t include any of it, but all the same, a Paper Tigers or Under a Killing Moon would be nice).
- Guitar riffs are not nearly as prevalent.
Track by Track Rating:
Image of the Invisible: 3.5/5
Between the End and Where We Lie: 4/5
The Earth Will Shake: 4.5/5
Atlantic: 4/5
For Miles: 4.5/5
Hold Fast Hope: 4/5
Music Box: 4/5
Like Moths to Flame: 4/5
Of Dust and Nations: 4.5/5
Stand and Feel Your Worth: 4/5
Red Sky: 4.5/5
