Disclaimer: If you head over to the post-hardcore section you will notice that Thrice's sophomore album The Illusion of Safety is number one all time. Usually this is not necessary to put in a review, but notice the albums that it is in front of. Darn near masterpieces including Thursday's Full Collapse, Trophy Scars' Hospital Music, and Glassjaw's Worship and Tribute. I am by no means saying this album completely owns those records, but let me tell you this; it is no coincidence that The Illusion of Safety is occupying its spot at the top.
It was 2002; upcoming band
Thrice sure had done a lot of growing up since their days of First Impressions. After the release of Identity Crisis and some tours in a mechanics nightmare of a fan, the four piece band from Orange County was prepared to release its second full length album
The Illusion of Safety. As the album went on sale, hundreds flocked to a specific location for the CD as well as a wristband for the record release show. The day of the release meant plenty of trips for managers to refill the shelves, as the album was selling overwhelming well. Being on a fairly small Indie label at the time, this was all unexpected for the band. The real surprise came some weeks later when
Thrice's manager Nick called them on tour saying that they were getting major label offers. This was the album; the one many spend a lifetime trying to write, to create. Sheer brilliance, creativity, diversity, and a true sense of identity are all revealed throughout the album's 42 minute duration.
Comparing this album to the band's previous work, everything sounds so much more polished and professional. Things feel a great deal more put together in terms of production quality and overall tone. Teppei's guitar leads sound absolutely perfect in both his tone and his finger work, as his work is more fluent than ever. His improvement is quite noticeable as his playing defines perfection throughout the entire record. Now a good lead is impressive, but it takes a solid rhythm section to hold it all together. The famous Breckenridge rhythm section hits in full force throughout the record. Odd time signatures and rhythms are no problem at all as things sound completely tight. Eddie's bass is heard at a nice level throughout as he is often found picking out lines on his own as opposed to constantly following the guitarists. Riley pounds through the album and certainly sets an aggressive pace the majority of the time. His drum rolls and fills are often and hard, yet never become over done or try to take the spotlight. Rather he is constantly showing his creative nature, as his beats never sound flat. Mastermind Dustin does it once again with his beautiful singing and lyrics. Things are so well thought out as filler is not found on this record. His screams are more mature and under control compared to the earlier work. He once again manages to use the perfect blend of smooth singing and brutal screams. As a whole, the band's improvement is shown. Of course there are individual standouts, but the most noticeable difference is just how together and organized everything sounds.
Calling this record unique and brilliant only begins to sum it up. Say I'm biased but
Thrice themselves are both of those words and so much more. Where this album really shines through is in the fact that their overall songs can now be called this. No longer is the listener thinking, "Well that part was cool but than things start to fall apart here," as memorable songs are being created. Of course there are stand out sections, but as a whole the songs themselves are appealing. Throughout the record there is such a strong sense of identity which was somewhat of a crisis in the first album (the mandatory joke). The band seems to know exactly what they want to happen, and are all more than capable of making it happen. Now
Thrice is much more than a one trick pony, and they show that here with eclectic mix of sounds and songs. A good portion of the record is what the band is famous for, their heavy, guitar riff driven music with a strong sense of melody involved. There certainly is no shortage of riffs on this album, and there are even some solos tossed into the mix. But in fact saying that is a lie, solos are not tossed in; rather they are placed in with a purpose. This record has such a strong feeling of meaning, as every scream heard, every drum roll pulled off, every guitar note played, every bass slap felt, and every word sung all has a cause, not only to the album itself, but in each individual song. The tracks themselves have variety as mentioned. There are a few of slower tracks perfectly placed into the order of the record which only add to the massive amount of variety
Thrice puts into their music. The band is not afraid to take a walk down an untouched path as they pull some new tricks out of the bag. When their more moderate songs come into play, things work out fantastically. Of course a different sound is created, but it is done so exercising all of the band's signature elements. Lyrics and vocals are still as equally powerful, and the riffs do not disappear either. While there is a huge assortment and diversity of sounds present, the strong sense of identity is still maintained.
Something that does not change much throughout the record is the quality of the songs. Each brings a little something different to the table, whether it is some new rhythms, a different structure, or even a completely different mood. This is no easy task alone, but they manage to do it while keeping a fluent flow to the record. When the tempo takes a bit of a more moderate turn, it is welcome and not a disappointment. When things pick up once again, the harder hitting tracks are greeted with a warm smile from all within their wavelengths. The overall flow of the record is phenomenal, as things never become boring or predictable. By far the best part of this record is it is purely
Thrice. Well no kidding, after all we all can read that's who the artist is, but seriously no matter what the band is doing it is obvious it is purely them. They don't toss a catchy chorus into the mix for the sake of a TRL number 1 slot, they don't add a shredding solo randomly into a song to impress the metal fans, they don't add a break down for the sake of pleasing all with a black and slam dancing obsession, and they don't add a slower song so that we can all pull out lighters, they make the music they want to and as sad as it may seem this can be hard to come across now a days. They never appear to be trying to hard, as
Thrice just comes across as four talented humans working together wonderfully creating honest and inspiring songs which are darn near incomparable to anything else out there.
Just about anyone into music should at least be able to respect this record. It will appeal to many as a result of the diverse mix of elements and genres present. There is also so much to like about the record, regarding individual talent and the sheer brilliance present in the songs as a whole. While thought of as geniuses by many, at the end of the day,
Thrice members are all only human. "Although we'll never reach perfection always persist to try" to quote Phoenix Ignition; this album is at its highest rating possible, and darn sure deserves it. However, it is not perfect. It is hard hitting, melodic, beautiful, surprising, epic, extremely well thought out, wonderfully crafted and written, and an absolutely perfect example of what the Orange County quartet is capable of. Once more, this album is not perfect, but rather the definition of a long lasting classic album that will not be forgotten in years to come.
Final Rating: 5/5
