Thrice - The Alchemy Index

A Brief History of Thrice:

Thrice has come a long, long way since the days of "Identity Crisis," their first album. For their first few albums, Thrice was very much a post-hardcore/punk outfit, playing fast and heavy punk-influenced music. The nature of their music made them known as more of a niche band.

However, the thing that has always set Thrice apart from other bands are the outstanding lyrics penned by frontman Dustin Kensrue (whose solo music I also heartily recommend!).

Thrice first began to break their post-hardcore/punk pattern with the release of 2005's Vheissu, which received criticism from many of Thrice's old fans due to the sudden change of style. The album was less punk, more "accesible" in a sense, but still had fantastic lyrics that strengthened the album's equally fantastic songs.

2009 finds Thrice having released four more studio albums (probably better referred to as a single project, really)... And I already say: I recommend them heartily!

Now, Down to Business!: The Alchemy Index, Volumes I-IV

Thrice announced on their MySpace in late 2006 that they were working on a project concerning the four natural elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. They stated that the music would be "themed sonically and thematically to correspond with the four natural elements," and that the final project would have between 20 and 25 songs.


So here we are in 2009, with 24 songs having been written, recorded, and released as four separate albums, six tracks on each album. And I must say that I feel like the finished product is close to a masterpiece.

This project is unlike anything the band had previously done. In a sense it's very experimental, but in the end it's very cohesive and listenable.

Like Thrice implied, Volume I: Fire is as heavy as all heck (but still melodic, mind you); Volume II: Water is what you might think of an underwater world sounding like- slightly hypnotic, synthy, digital, but fluid; Volume III: Air is very echo-y and open, with one song even being about the legend of Icarus; Volume IV: Earth is very "earthy," (what other word is there?) and the songs were recorded to sound very raw and rich.

What I find awesome about this project is that even though each album is its own beast, the four albums are unified excellently. The sixth track on each is a 14 line sonnet, written as if from the perspective of the element itself. This lends a feeling of completeness to the project.

So in conclusion I could go on and on about The Alchemy Index, but really you've read a lot already... I guess all that's left is for you to experience The Alchemy Index for yourself.
As far as buying goes, you have some options... You can purchase all four volumes on CD (I & II are bundled, as are III & IV), or if you're like me and love vinyl, you can purchase all four volumes on 10" colored vinyl in an incredibly awesome box set.

I put a couple songs in the player... See what you think. I think they're excellent.

Final Verdict:
5 out of 5.
Must hear!

Links:
Thrice on MySpace
Thrice lead vocalist Dustin Kensrue's solo project: MySpace