2008 Albums You Should Hear: Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth

2008 marked the 10th anniversary of Thrice, likely one of the most remarkable bands you'll ever hear. Formed by Dustin Kensrue (guitar/vocals) and Teppei Teranishi (guitar) while they were still in high school, Thrice was one of many acts to pioneer the melodic post-hardcore sound that defined much of punk music for the early 2000s. Building a strong local following due in part to their incendiary live shows and support of local charities, Thrice's first two albums showcased them as an incredibly talented band, leading to a major label deal with Island and a fair amount of commercial success for their third offering, The Artist In The Ambulance. It wasn't until Artist's follow up, though, 2005's Vheissu, that it became clear just how ambitious and talented Thrice was. Utilyzing a wider range of instrumentation and some incredible lyrics to expand well beyond their initial hardcore roots, that album still stands as a major accomplishment, but it's possible that The Alchemy Index is Thrice's first true masterpiece.

The Alchemy Index isn't exactly an album, though. It's basically four distinct volumes, each six tracks long, packaged as two double albums for CD purposes, with each volume corresponding to one of the natural elements (Vols. I and II, Fire and Water respectively, were released in 2007). If this sounds like pretentious concept album territory, don't be fooled; The Alchemy Index is one of the purest expressions of artistic deluge to ever be committed to the medium of music. Thrice (which is rounded out by brothers Eddie Breckenridge on bass and Riley Breckenridge on drums) has clearly never demonstrated a lack of talent, but the music on the The Alchemy Index is so transcendent and elemental as to defy description. Of no small part in this are Kensrue's lyrics, often biblical in topic and illuminatingly evocative, delivered in a voice that's expressive and weathered well beyond his 28 years. Slip on some headphones, turn out the lights and spend some quality time with Air and Earth.



Thrice - A Song For Milly Michaelson (zShare) (from Vol. III: Air)
Thrice - Come All You Weary (zShare) (from Vol. IV: Earth)

Thrice official site / The Alchemy Index official site
Buy The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth: CD / iTunes