I saw Thrice a couple of months ago at the Fireside Bowl opening up for some hardcore bands. I hadn't heard Thrice until earlier that day but the mp3 I found on their web site was good, so I went to check them out. They played a very tight and cool blend of aggressive, melodic punk and old metal with a good mix of singing and screaming. I bought their CD, "Identity Crisis" that night and although I liked it, it didn't stay in my CD player too long. I was more impressed by the intelligent and poetic lyrics, most of which were about faith and relationships with God (3/4 of this band are Christians).
Fast-forward a few months and now I have the new CD in my hands. From the minute I turned this on, I was amazed. This is easily the best album I have heard in over a year. Most notably their guitar playing and writing abilities have skyrocketed, playing intense single, double, and alternating leads all over the place, in that perfect way that drives you mad because it's so good and still doesn't get in the way of the vocal melody of the songs. Track after track, the combination of powerful screaming and melodic singing over this fantastic metal/punk hybrid, which now sounds more like newer technical metal rather than old Metallica, pounds away at your head and still leaves you singing along.
The lyrics have only gotten better as well, dealing with all the struggles of life, including faith and a lack thereof. Each song is a poem, perfectly phrased. In fact the songs are so good as works unto themselves that quoting any lines would diminish the effect of the whole piece, so you'll just have to check out this album for yourself. The production is also perfect, all instruments and vocals are clear and loud without drowning out any other part, making for a truly enjoyable listening experience. Any true music fan should be able to find much value in this, though fans of bands like Good Riddance, Rise Against, Strike Anywhere, and other such melodic hardcore bands will find it most accessible.
To sum up: buy this record, and if you don't like it I'll take your copy because mine will be worn out in no time.
A
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis March 2002Reviewed by Tom BastianThrice is a four-piece band from Irvine, California that began playing together about three-years ago. Shortly after forming they put out a self released E.P., "First Impressions," and began playing throughout Southern California. A year later, they recorded their first full-length album, which was originally released on Green Flag Records. The album, titled "Identity Crisis," was re-released in…Similar sounding releases
2005The Hurt ProcessA Heartbeat Behind
2005Stretch Arm StrongFree At Last
1995FocusedThe Hope That Lies Within
2004Evergreen TerraceWriters Block
2002The Curse / Go! For the Throat / Knives Out / Paint It BlackThe Philadelphia Sound
2001WaterdownNever Kill the Boy on the First Date
