I am virtually completely unfamiliar with Thrice. They are a band that I have heard of but the only exposure I have had with them was the 2006 edition of Taste of Chaos when they were the pre-headlining act just before Deftones.
I saw them, witnessed their 40 minute set and cannot say that I was terribly impressed, but that was at the end of a long day of music which exposed me to a a number of bands that I did not care for and on a day that was stolen by As I Lay Dying.
Anyway, I was intrigued by the idea for this sequence of concept EPs that Thrice is releasing. For those who may not be familiar with what they are doing, Thrice is/has recorded a series of EPs based around the four primary alchemy elements: fire, water, earth, and air. The first two were released bundled together in this release (Fire & Water), and the remaining two are slated for release in Spring of 2008.
Perhaps this is not the best place to start listening to Thrice, but let me say that I am very impressed with what they have created on these two albums and I am interested in getting some more of their work.
The Alchemy Index Vols. I, II are an ambitious excursion into musical experimentation. These two separate albums have distinctly different sounds. They are so different that they sound as if two different bands could have made them.
However as different as they sound and the ease of belief that two bands were involved, there is something about them that connects them together, and in doing so links them inextricably with their creator, Thrice.
Now, despite that connection, I feel it would be a mistake to tackle them as a single entity. Yes, the two discs came packaged in the same case, but they are vastly different beasts that are connected by an overriding concept, yet are strong enough to be deservedly judged separately.
The first album of the set is Fire. This six- song collection runs just north of 22 minutes and is comprised of fiery music. There are hardcore, metal, and screamo elements blended together that create a sound that is surprisingly fresh. I have to admit to not knowing what to expect when I pressed play, considering my lack of Thrice exposure.
Fire is an expansive journey through some sort of fiery post-hardcore world where music goes beyond what it is meant to be and searches for something a little more epic in scope. Heavy music with a variety of sampled and electronic elements blended with strong production values helping to propel the sound from the surface and into the epic realms normally found in other genres.
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