The word that most closely comes to mind when talking about Thrice is consistency. The second word that I most closely associate with this legendary band on their 11th studio album, Horizons/East, is variety. They simply do not make the same record twice; a true marking of an artist that is uncomfortable with the comfort that comes with creating similar sounding material. On Horizons/East, Thrice are able to embrace the change that comes with pushing themselves to their artistic limits, and much like that famous Lindsay Lohan meme; the limit does not exist.

This picturesque record opens with the sprawling “The Color of the Sky,” as Dustin Kensrue sets the stage with, “My first and foremost memory / Is staring up in wonder at the wall / It circumscribed the city / They said beyond it nothing dwelt at all / But I came to wonder if the stories all were true / So one night I made my mind up / I resolved that I would find a passage through” before drummer Riley Breckenridge explodes into one of my favorite drum fills in recent memory. Kensrue’s closing lyrics of “I don’t know the way, but I know that I belong out here / On this journey that I never thought I’d make / Setting out across a new frontier / A new horizon with each eager step I take,” seems to encapsulate everything that I love about his top-notch storytelling on my favorite opening tracks in their discography since Vheissu’s “Image of the Invisible.”

“Are you ready for my soul?/What if I’m broken from the start?/And what if I never heal?” lead vocalist Dustin Kensrue, of Thrice, sings on the sixth song on Palms. This outpouring of emotion is what we have come to expect from Thrice over the years, but the honesty and earnestness of Kensrue’s delivery feels different with this great album. Thrice have a back catalog of albums that most artists would be envious of, and on their ninth studio album, they could have gone in any number of directions. The most important course for Thrice has always been forward, as they have improved upon their unique brand of rock as they continue to evolve as artists.

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You have to pick one: an album you enjoy or an album that the artist is happy with.

I’m not here to say either answer is correct or to call those who don’t enjoy Thrice’s long-awaited comeback, and ninth studio album, To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, selfish or wrong. But let’s be honest and say that rarely does artistic growth and vision mesh completely with fan expectation. Essentially, I’m arguing that there are going to be some fans who are disappointed with Thrice’s new album. As unfortunate as that is, the band should take solace in knowing they’ve crafted their best work in years.

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As children, we are all prone to believing just about anything we see, particularly when a figure we idolize bears superhuman strength or the uncanny ability to shoot a basketball from space, hit it off the Statue of Liberty, off the St. Louis Arch, around the rim of the Grand Canyon and still get nothin’ but net. You see, when those we place on pedestals falter, it stings us on a personal level and recovery is crucial in order to restore our lost faith. So, if the case is your hero gets his dunk blocked or say, gives baseball a go when it’s obviously not his forte, their ability to continually prove why you put them on said pedestal will inevitably bowl you right over.

The double disc album can be a pitfall for many bands. The girth of a release sometimes outweighs the overall vision and flow of the effort. Such is not the case with this 4-disc opus (ok, it’s technically a two release 24 song opus that could fit on two discs, but who’s counting?). I never thought I’d say it, but with the release of the second half of The Alchemy Index, Thrice has succeeded in creating a relevant multi-disc album that not only stands as a testament to the success of the format but also maintains a fairly even level of quality throughout. Though it is not without its slip-ups, the release stands as an excellent departure and display of tremendous growth from a band once pigeon holed as “screamo”.

Fire and water are two elements necessary for life; one provides sustenance to support all living creatures while the other provides the energy responsible for the very reactions that make life possible. Yet, despite their shared importance, both substances remain polar opposites and mortal enemies. When combined, water quenches fire and fire causes water to evaporate if given the right circumstances. The fact that these two substances remain completely different yet both extremely important in their own right make them a perfect descriptive inspiration for the first half Thrice’s highly ambitious, four EP undertaking The Alchemy Index. 

Have you ever finished watching a particularly moving film or completed a strikingly emotional book, only to sit in your plush-leather seat — dumbfounded? There is that split second of realization that nothing you ever accomplish in your life will come close to the intellectual and emotional genius you just experienced. I have had such a feeling on only a few rare occasions; however, after each listen of Thrice’s Vheissu, this numbness pummels the skin around my chest.

It is perfect.

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