Search - Thrice :: Vheissu

Above And Beyond Expectations

Andrew Estes | Maine | 05/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When the band describes their past albums as two-dimensional, you kind of have to laugh. Anyone with ears can tell that Thrice have always been different. Thrice have always been above the competition, making music infinitely more challenging and satisfying than many of their peers. While bridging the gap between the Warped Tour and Ozzfest audiences, Thrice have put out three mature and lyrically profound albums, all while getting virtually no recognition from the mainstream. With "Vheissu," all that is likely to change. Something this good is improssible to ignore.



It's taken me quite a while to absorb this album. To sit down and actually write a review. Albums like this one are tricky to describe, especially in this case, where the music can't be categorized. I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this album in October, but what I heard that night on the ride home was not what I was expecting. Thrice have thrown us through a loop. "Vheissu" is more focused on lyrics and dense, mesmerizing musical landscapes. Nearly gone are the punch-to-the-gut riffs of Teppei Teranishi, while frontman Dustin Kensrue is put front and center, as best evidenced by "The Earth Will Shake" and the massive closing number, "Red Sky." Granted, "Hold Fast Hope" will feel like home, as will "Image Of The Invisible" and "Between The End And Where We Lie," but most of this album will take the average Thrice listener by surprise. The liner notes do an excellent job of showing where the band is coming from. In the beginning, the band cites Radiohead's "Kid A" and Deftones' "White Pony" as major inspirations, and perhaps that can give you an idea of what to expect. Thrice are simply a band tired of playing the same old kinds of songs, so on "Vheissu" they have created a new style for themselves.



You might not like it at first, but give it time. I promise no disappointment. If you discount this album, you'll be sorry later. It's quite simply a masterpiece. But then again, what did you expect from Thrice? They always deliver a hundred percent, above what is is expected. They blew away my expectations, and now I absolutely cannot wait to hear what these guys have in store for us next."

Let's set the stage a little bit...

The Iron Summit E-Zine | Arizona | 10/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let's set the stage a little bit and put this album into perspective. At the peak of the popularity of nu-metal, the-genre leading Deftones released an album virtually 100% opposite of what anyone had expected in "The White Pony." Fast-forward to 2005 and enter Thrice's fourth studio album "Vheissu." "Vheissu" is to post-hardcore as "The White Pony" was to nu-metal, very possibly the album to destroy a lot of the garbage on television and radio right now. Thrice saw a sinking ship in a sound they helped pioneer and have written a completely new, heavy, and all around excellent album at the same time-a true testament to their own artistic abilities.



Is "Vheissu" my personal favorite album of theirs? No. But this is the most mature record they've ever written. The punk influence Thrice once had is virtually gone (except for a maybe a moment or two on "Between The End And Where We Lie"). And while at first this may come as a difficult adjustment to those use to early Thrice, upon repeated listens, listeners should be able to recognize the fact that there are parts on this album that are heavier than anything heard from Thrice before (The Earth Will Shake, Hold Fast Hope), parts that are more melodic than anything they've ever written (Atlantic, Music Box), and at other times are just downright haunting due to Dustin's phenomenel vocals and the bands ability to texture these songs far more than ever before (Stand And Feel Your Worth, Red Sky).



There's a lot of really groundbreaking ideas be used here such as the chaingang chants on "The Earth Will Shake,"(which contains an undeniable blues feel to it as does "Stand And Feel Your Worth), the music box sound which is interlaced through the track "Music Box"(go figure), and the tremendously organic feel of the entire album. Thrice experiments a lot more with piano here on tracks such as "Atlantic," "For Miles," and "Stand And Feel Your Worth." "Atlantic" is by far the mellowest song Thrice has ever written whereas "Hold Fast Hope" serves as the most consistently heavy track on the album. "For Miles" is a song that starts of melodic and slow and continues to build with each verse until exploding into one of the most aggressive parts on the entire album and is one of my personal favorites. Older listeners of Thrice will take note that the track lengths are considerably longer. No song clocks under 3:55, and everything else is above four minutes.



Will you understand this album the whole way through the first time? Most likely not, I didn't. But anyone who can't recognize that "Vheissu" is pretty much entirely against the grain of anything thats remotely popular right now probably shouldn't be listening to Thrice in the first place. Is there anything to complain about? Well, a few of the ladder tracks slow down to a pace that make them run into each other a bit, but once you familiarize yourself with all of the tracks this instantly turns into a fantastic album and one of the best of the year. Highly recommended. Highlight tracks include "The Earth Will Shake," "For Miles," "Red Sky," and "Music Box.""

Thrice are now an experimental metal band with hardcore tend

Strobe Lights And Blown Speakers | Louisville | 10/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So, basically, this album is amazing and certainly the best thing Thrice has done so far. It's so EPIC and well-crafted and their songwriting is even better and it's more experimental and eclectic and more condensed and concise and everything is there for a reason and the whole album is so WONDERFUL. The first track, "Image Of The Invisible" is catchy as all hell and so well-written. The second track is certainly a grower, with its electronic touches and more subdued atmosphere. To be honest, it's my least favorite song on the album, but I have grown to enjoy it a lot more on multiple listens. And I don't think it really fits with everything else on the album. But, after that, every song just gets BETTER and BETTER. The drumming is immense and the guitarwork is immense and the basswork is immense and the vocals are so f'ing good - Dustin has improved his vocal ability two-fold.



It's amazing how far this band has come - from a punk band with metal influences to a metal band with punk influences to a hardcore band with well-structured songs and experimental tendencies, and now to an experimental metal band with hardcore tendencies.



If you've ever enjoyed Thrice, this is THE album to check out. I think this is the album of the year, even moreso than the new Ulver and Dredg releases (which I can't stop listening to, either)



SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!"