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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