This is the third full length release from the brilliant minds of Dustin, Teppei, Eddie, and Riley. This album spans an unbelievably diverse amount of musical genres despite that all its voltage is supplied by heavier electric guitars with distortion turned up to the max. One of the few constants throughout is the heavy reliance on Teppei's guitar riffs, which add obscene amounts of depth to Dustin's heavy (drop tuned) power chords and keep each song feeling fresh. The riffs carry the listener through heavy metal songs like Paper Tigers and Silhouette, as well as through the more pop-oriented selection of songs like Stare at the Sun and the Artist in the Ambulance. Not to mention the technically brilliant songs like Hoods on Peregrine and Melting Point of Wax. Oh, and before I continue, I just want to add that this is Thrice's major label debut (Island Records), and that they did an amazing job satisfying long-time and new fans alike with the way they released the album. A set number of copies were released in a limited edition case with a whole bunch of inserts (one for each song, and a couple more) on which each band member wrote a few comments on each song.
Now, for a song-by-song review, to copy most of the others on this site.
1) Cold Cash and Colder Hearts (3/5)
- This song has its charms, and definitely does a wonderful job of setting the darker mood prevalent through the beginning portion of this album, but it certainly isn't top notch in terms of melody, and the guitar parts, while conveying the mood of the song well, lack in anything that stands out. Which is why I gave it a 3/5 rating. It fits in well with the album, and I still enjoy listening to it, but on its own, it's really nothing special. Nothing standout. Nothing I'd recommend to a first-time Thrice listener.
2) Under a Killing Moon (4.5/5)
- This was one of the songs Thrice had available on their website prior to the album's release. This isn't my favorite song, but my god, is it ever well done. It could stand on its own as a metal song up there with Unearth and Killswitch Engage, yet the vocals and the guitar riffs add a whole new element to it. This may be the most perfect metal/melodic cross imaginable, and for that, I love it. Driving, powerful, and moving vocals are really what make this song so great, so kudos to Dustin on that one.
3) All That's Left (5/5)
- The other song released on Thrice's website before the album hit the shelves. This one was also their first single, for which they had a video made and released, played largely on MTV2 (or so I hear - I don't get MTV or MTV2 on my Canadian Cable package). I loved this song. This is most certainly one of the top 5 songs on the album, if not the best, though I have a hard time determining favorites on an album that I liked as much as this. Anyways, this song is brilliant in its simplicity. If you're a guitar player or a guitar.... buff, you'll notice it. It's quite simple, the rhythm remains the same throughout the entire song, and the riffs are some of the most simple Teppei has ever written. Still, this song amazes me. Again, Dustin's vocals are a class act, making the song far better than it would otherwise be. And Teppei's riff, in its simplicity, is still very fitting, contributing to the emotional explosion that this song brings upon anyone who listens to it.
4) Silhouette (4/5)
- Silhouette is both melodic and heavy. Once again, strong vocals from Dustin, but the best part of this song is easily the chorus, in which the guitarists make full use of the drop tuning that they so commonly use. There's so much style in the guitarring of this song that I occasionally forget to breathe for its duration. It's slower paced, but don't let that fool you into thinking that it's some distortion-free emo song with a heavier chorus. No, this song is an assault, the whole way through. It lacks the riffing that dominates most of the album, but the riff leading into the chorus is quite well done, with both Dustin and Teppei doing different parts.
5) Stare at the Sun (5/5)
- Their second single, and the second song that Thrice had a video produced for. This song is utterly and completely amazing. The lyrics, at least in my lame interpretation are about persistence in the face of what seems like complete and utter futility and hopelessness are incredibly well written, and stand out as some of the best on the album. The riff that opens the song is quite well done, and the bass riff through the verses/guitar riff through the chorus is absolutely ... wow, it's hard to describe it without swearing, because I'm inept. But I think you can extract what I'm trying to say from this banter. It's a tough riff to play, but man, is it ever perfect. The vocals are highly melodic, and have the added charge of some of the best lyrics I've heard in music. This song is completely brilliant. If you disagree, you deserve to be castrated. We don't need any miniature versions of you running around polluting the music scene. Stupid.
6) Paper Tigers (4.5/5)
- This song is pretty much pure heavy metal. Another strong showing in the riff department by Teppei and Dustin combined, and all-screaming vocals by Dustin make this song a fantastic addition to the album. The verses are heavy palm muted open power chords with riffs thrown in between. The chorus is a neat bass riff with a plethora (Yeah, you heard me. Plethora. I think it means octopus in Greek. and "many" in english, because octopi have 8 arms, even in Greece) of bizarre effects coming out of Teppei's guitar. Not to mention that it's outro is mindblowingly cool. "We paid.. the price... we paid for their crimes with our BLOOOOOOOOOD! WITH OUR BLOOOOOOOOD!" And I totally agree. I once got a paper cut, and I'm sure that one way or another, the federal government was to blame.
7) Hoods on Peregrine (5/5)
- This is another one of my favorites. It has an amazing melody, but is most certainly not a pop rock song. And these days, almost everything seems to be either dark and heavy, or bubblegum pop rock bull****, so this is a refreshing change. I just can't get enough of that simple dual riffing that these guys pull off so flawlessly. Not to mention the touch of absolutely mind-blowing hardcore that is thrown in. "You think they're selling you truth, truth is they're selling you out". This is most certainly a premiere track on this album. If music is indeed capable of melting faces, this song will be the first to prove it.
8) The Melting Point of Wax (4.5/5)
- As is often the case, stylish riffing in the verses and chorus make this song an excellent candidate for 'best on the album'. The lyrics again, are very well done. In similar fashion to "Stare at the Sun", these lyrics paint another Icarus, and use it to explain the band's stance on criticism they've received, and what they can and cannot do. Between the lyrics, the riffs, and the extraordinarily strong bassline, this song stands out as one of the better songs on the album.
9) Blood Clots and Black Holes (4/5)
- Another very good song. In a rare move from Teppei, the verses are blessed with a very well done riff on a lower string (g, I believe, in drop c tuning, but I could be wrong). This riff, along with the well done octave chords in the chorus compliment what I've come to see as one of the best sung, most powerful bits of lyric in any modern song around. "To be at peace would be a sin, and surely un-a-merican". It's just so perfect in terms of rhythm, melody, and it fits the octave and power chords in the background perfectly.
10) The Artist in the Ambulance (3.5/5)
- I quite like this song, but over time, it just got boring on me. The riff in the intro and chorus is very well done, and the song sounds good overall, it's just not nearly as complex in terms of songwriting as the rest are, and it's much more lighthearted and pop-based than most of the others. Though "Rhetoric can't raise the dead, I'm sick of always talking", and that whole bit was really, really good in my opinion. (I had to make sure that you didn't think that it was really, really good in *your* opinion, which is why I pulled that redundant, inneffectual phrase off the shelf). It's a good song, but it isn't great.
11) The Abolition of Man (4.5/5)
- This song is heavy, but certainly not metal, despite some exceptionally heavy parts. The song is heavy on octave chords throughout, and is really powerful, with Dustin mixing fantastic melodic and aggressive lyrics with screaming. And then, roughly 2:15 into the song, the best part of the album begins. The song slows down a ton and just goes into this unbelievably heavy power chord bit with a riff that sounds almost... middle eastern topping it off, and supercharged screaming vocals by the amazing Mr. Dustin. I find the lyrics appealing as well, having read C.S. Lewis' "The Abolition of Man", which is a series of lectures on science elevating men above nature, and subsequently, becoming subservient to nature again, and causing others to suffer for it. It's a really complex series of lectures, and it's been too long to write any kind of commentary on it, but it's very well done, and Dustin does a good job in these lyrics of touching down on some of Lewis' points while adding his own touch to them.
12) Don't Tell and We Won't Ask (4.5/5)
- Another very good song, quite similar to Hoods on Peregrine, and contains the only swear/curse word I've ever heard in a Thrice song. The song is entirely riff based and melodic, again with Dustin bringing the charged, heavy but not screaming vocals to the table. The highlights of this song are definitely the chorus, and the ending. The riffing is simple again, but incredibly well done.
**************** Just thought I'd add the two B-Sides from the album, even though they weren't released in America until the cd/dvd combo "If Only We Could See Us Now" came out.
13) Eclipse (5/5)
- Very heavy song.. Hardcore, but nothing like I had ever heard before. The verses are very heavy, and the chorus becomes strong and melodic, with a solid guitar riff and some great vocals. As is the high point of most songs on this album, the riff near the end of the song is also very well done. I only wish the song would go on a little longer.
14) Motion isn't Meaning (4/5)
- Great song. Mid-paced powerchord explosion at the beginning of the song, which is carried by the same melody throughout the better part of it. Despite it being relatively simple, I thought the drums were exceptionally well done in this song, and that's unusual, as the drums in TAITA mostly only blend in. Another powerful vocal performance from Dustin in this one as well.
That's pretty much the end of the review. It's my first, and I hope you liked it. Oh, and in case you couldn't figure it out, I *am* certainly biased in Thrice's favor, but at the same time, no matter what you listen to, it's undeniable that Thrice does a fantastic job doing what they do.
To close out the review, I'll recommend 4 songs to download/sample before buying the album.
1) All That's Left (rock)
2) Stare at the Sun (lighter rock)
3) Paper Tigers (metal/riff)
4) Hoods on Peregrine (rock)
These 4 are as close as I can get to summing up every aspect of the album in 4 of its songs. They're certainly 4 of the better songs on here.
