One can only imagine how hard it must be recording for the first time with the guy in charge distracted by video games as opposed to the album he was supposed to recording. Yes
Thrice did not have a very good time in the studio while learning the process of recording their demo
First Impressions . Being the smart fellows they are,
Thrice kept their feelings of annoyance inside and took some of them out in their first full release
Identity Crisis . Released in 2001, the band’s undeniable potential and talent is shown throughout the album as they take listeners through 11 tracks of brilliant and raw post-hardcore.
Thrice is…
Dustin Kensrue – Vocals and guitar
Teppei Teranishi – Lead guitar
Eddie Breckenridge – Bass
Riley Breckenridge – Drums
The word raw describing this album mainly refers to the production. Being the debut album of the band, the sound is far from major quality production. However, with the type of music they are playing in this album, this is not a bad thing at all. The blazing fast drum rolls, the beautiful melodic and aggressive riffs, the thumping bass and the in bloom vocals might not have come across the same way if this album had been produced differently. The title track
Identity Crisis opens the record with a distant sounding riff and drum beat; once the rest of the band comes in a great mix is heard. Guitars are at a perfect mix so that leads and harmonization can be heard clearly, the drums sound clean, but not too clean, and the bass is heard dominantly at some parts adding to a very solid rhythm section. Some small harmonization occurs during the verse providing a nice touch to the song. The chorus changes the sound, bringing back the intro riff with heavier vocals. Even in the early days Thrice knew how to perfectly balance the scale of heavy and melodic moments. The in bloom vocals come into play during the outro. Dustin has always had a good voice, just parts of this album show an incomplete development in his voice. The screaming at the end of the song sounds a bit tiresome for a very brief amount of time. This might be because Dustin has improved immensely since than but regardless of this, the album is not brought down as a whole since this rarely happens. The title track proves to be a good opener to the album.
Variety is shown as an acoustic guitar and vocals open
Phoenix Ignition . After a short pause, the pace quickly picks up and leads into a highlight song on the CD. Throughout the track, the sheer speed and precision of Riley is shown, as his drum rolls play a vast part in giving off the song’s energy. Dustin and Teppei have a nicely done harmonized fill leading into the chorus which has some great lyrics.
Everyday tear down the walls
till cornerstones remain
Coming one step closer all the time
And although we'll never reach perfection always persist to try
The chants work great in the chorus and the breakdown is executed fantastically along with the various tempo changes. Thrice sure knows how to use some interesting time signatures and song structures as shown in this case.
In Your Hands opens with a clean riff and while its sound is much more mellow than the previous track, the tempo stays very upbeat. Some very melodic work is executed by Teppei while Riley and Eddie keep the Breckenridge rhythm section solid. A harmonized solo/fill is performed for the perfect length towards the end of the song. Throughout the song Dustin’s vocals are very smooth and fit the music perfectly. Clocking in at a little under the 3 minute mark, this song is short and sweet.
To What End just has so much going for it. The vocals are just delivered perfectly but also sing some fantastic, well thought out lyrics.
No heart to love
No evil to rise up above
No angels and no ghosts
No real victories to toast
If you believe that this is true
Then I must ask
To what end do you proceed?
These were not slapped together at the last minute, as Dustin has always been a very brilliant song writter. Some guitar harmonization is present in the song, and while it is a bit sloppy at some parts, it almost makes it unique; very hard to describe but it turns out cool. There is this little bass solo which proves that Eddie can do a lot more than just keep some strange rhythms. It’s a real treat to have a superb bass break such as that. The drums definitely have their moments, but overall just keep a solid beat for the guitars to play over. The riffs take place throughout almost the entire song as it ends with the last line of the lyrics above. When Dustin’s voice stops and everything rings out, a very powerful ending is created.
Ultra Blue has a feel similar to In Your Hands. Teppei plays one melodic of an opening riff as the rhythm section does some start stop patterns for him to be heard over. The riff changes through the verse which turns out to be one of the softer verses on the record. Picking up some momentum, the chorus is a bit heavier and leads into another great harmonized riff. The bass lines are heard very well in this song and the unique rhythms add an awfully big amount of depth to the piece. There is a layered vocal outro with singing and screaming as the song fades out. While a tad annoying at times, the ending works fairly good. From the first notes of
As the Ruin Falls one knows the pace is changing. Teppei opens with a diverse sounding riff and the rest of the band accompanies him a few measures later. The bass provides some very crucial accents making the rhythm to the main riff very enjoyable. Riley’s rolls come fast and cone often, making this a very hard hitting track. The vocal style is during the heavier portions of the song is more of a yell than a scream, works very well. About 1:11 into the song the tempo changes and a clean riff is played. Some more melodic work over a basic but effective chug takes place. The tempo change as a whole works fantastically, allowing this song to stick out. Once again, Thrice mixes things up and it all works out for the better. Debut albums with this much consistency and diversity are very difficult to come across.
The Next Day is a bit of a break in the album. It serves the purpose of separating the first half of the album from the second. The song is a clean guitar playing over a thunderstorm, fairly interesting for the 58 seconds it goes on for.
A Torch to End All Torches is vocally and musically much heavier than most of the first half of the album. The mid-tempo song sounds a bit tiresome during the first half. Musically it is not bad or dreadful but it sounds as though something is not right. The structure to this song is quite interesting though; about halfway through everything stops except for a clean guitar. A faint sound of rain is heard and some cymbal crashes in the distant prepare the listen for the tempo change. The track does not go from 0-60 in terms of speed as one might anticipate; Dustin sings beautifully over a very nice mid-tempo riff. The ending of this song is absolutely beautiful; there is a bit of a fake ending but Riley comes back in pounding as Teppei plays a magnificent riff over it all. Dustin does some layered vocals which work extremely effectively, providing for an epic outro. Of course the riff gets harmonized at the end and overall, the outro just appears to make time stop. It is just very memorable and breath taking with its magnificence and precision.
Unquestioned Answers provides not only an interesting title, but also a decent song. The intro slowly builds up with a palm muted riff and a start stop rhythm. Another beauty of a main riff is provided by Teppei with bass thumping in the back round. A bit of repetitiveness occurs during the verse, the vocals sound a tad weary mainly in the verse. For some reason this track just seems very standard; not weak but just not a stand out. The enjoyable riffs are almost spoiled by some tired vocal delivery. While the vocals are a tad weak at parts, the lyrics are very enjoyable throughout. During the last minute of the song, Dustin screams and sounds much more inspirational than before. A bit of a slow start vocally prevents this song from being a highlight.
With a title
Under Par a filler track might be anticipated; but this is far from it. Being the longest song on the CD, Under Par goes through quite a maze of time signatures and a variety of sections. The random sounds at the beginning are a bit strange but a fade in guitar and a palm muted riff quickly turns into a burst of energy. A harmonized little break leads into the tempo change. The verse quickly slows things down and sounds very diverse, some very odd rhythms are performed but Thrice keeps things tight. Vocally, the singing and screaming combination is performed exceptionally well through the duration of the song. The lyrics are a treat as well, and can probably be considered personal at times.
Judged for how I look, not for the good that I have done
I try the best I can, but it seems that I'm not the perfect son
Shaped by God, and my volition
And the seeds that you have sown
But I ask you once again
When does my life become my own?
A hard hitting outro closes this song in great fashion, the variety found throughout the album is astonishing.
If you thought Thrice would be tired after 10 tracks and have a lazy closing song on their debut think again.
T & C features some of the greatest moments found on this album. The intro slowly builds the song up with another great riff. Drums and bass come in as the now harmonized riff stays at moderate pace. Dustin lets a monster of a scream go as the pace quickens a bit. Some very nice chord progressions are executed as the riff is brought back during the verse. The vocals flow very smoothly throughout the verse on both ends. Dustin’s sing scream combinations are performed exceptionally well in this track, probably the peak found on the record. Another peak on the record comes thanks to the axes. A very effective harmonized riff leads into one mother of a solo courtesy of Teppei. It is an all out shred fest, yet everything stays very tasteful, melodic, and just unbelievably right. Following the end of the solo, Dustin sings over some ohh’s in the back round providing a very dramatic and epic feel. If this was the intended emotion of the song, Thrice hit the nail on the head. The song and record both come to a close as the guitars slowly fade out.
With their debut
Identity Crisis , Thrice set the bar very high for themselves. Between the passionate guitar playing, the ever so present bass, unique vocal delivery, and wild drumming, Thrice is a prime example of what happens when four talented individuals come together and work as a unit. The end result is a very inspiring, exclusive, and distinctive sound that will serve the test of time. In the end, the only real faults the album suffers from are a bit of a tiresome vocal delivery and for the fact that sometimes parts of songs stick out rather than the song as a whole. Those being the only two complaints for a debut album say a lot about just how excellent of a record this is. Every band has a beginning, Thrice’s should be heard.
Final Rating: 4/5
