Thrice – The Alchemy Index, Vols 1 & 2: Fire & Water

Vagrant

If Thrice’s influential previous album ‘Vheissu’ pushed the boundaries of hardcore, then ‘Fire’ and ‘Water’, the first half of an ambitious four-EP examination of the classical elements (‘Earth’ and ‘Air’ will follow in early 2008), blows them to smithereens. ‘Fire’ is appropriately explosive, containing the angriest material of their career to date. Stunning opener ‘Firebreather’ combines mountainous guitars with complex drumming and eerie atmospherics, ‘Burn The Fleet’ echoes the epic melodies of the last Funeral For A Friend album while ‘The Messenger’ is pure ultra-violence, switching from brutal programmed beats to snarling metal riffs and larynx-shredding vocals. As an exploration of the different aspects of modern heavy music, ‘Fire’ is breathtaking, and yet the subtle electronica of ‘Water’ proves to be even better. ‘Digital Sea’ sets the tone, with layers of melodic ambience washing over a haunting, understated vocal and subdued percussion. Dustin Kensrue’s voice slowly drowns in static, giving way to the lovely aquatic burbling of ‘Open Water’ and the slow-building storm of ‘Lost Continent’. Again, the sheer range and depth of the songs is incredible; Thrice have raised the bar, and once more shown themselves to be one of the most important bands active in hardcore today. Lee Gorman

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DOWNLOAD: ‘Firebreather’, ‘Digital Sea’, ‘Open Water’.
FOR FANS OF: Thursday, Coheed And Cambria, The Postal Service.

Issue #52 - Very Bro-some

Featuring Panama Kings, ASIWYFA, an investigation into DIY touring, details of what over 25 of the finest NI bands are up to in 2009 and much more.