Media Review

Thrice

The Alchemy Index Vols. I And II (Fire & Water) (CD)

Vagrant
website | mySpace | pureVolume

Overall Rating:

6.0

Music Quality: 6.0

Production: 7.0

Originality: 7.0

Thrice has never been a band for subtlety. Their previous effort, “Vheissu,” was an unabashed concept record that left nothing to chance, basking and reveling in the sheer excess of the record, which is what made it so great. However, with the first part of “The Alchemy Index” series, “Fire and Water,” their lack of subtly is the thorn in their side. This time around the bluntness makes the music seem forced and contrived, where previously it had sounded fluid.

The album, part one of two (Earth and Air come next spring), begins with the fire side blending everything you’ve come to expect from Thrice: vicious metal guitars matched with almost screaming, almost sweetly melodic vocals. The theme is easy: fire is personified by the chaotic, intense metal side of Thrice. Even further, the band sees fit to throw the words “fire” and “burn” in about every chance they get, making sure the listener isn’t going to forget that this is the FIRE part of the album.

Fire lasts for six songs, then Thrice introduces water, which, as expected, is a lot more laid back, relying more on ethereal sounds and more restrained vocals to evoke a kind of aquatic nature about the music. The song titles change to reflect that, now being things like “The Whaler” instead of “Firebreather.” The change feels abrupt, and depending on your taste, or how you enjoyed the first half of the record, a little dissatisfying. Water is, of course, the polar opposite of fire, and Thrice successfully presents that, but the distance between the two sides of the album is frustrating.

One begins to wonder why not just release these as EPs: there is no attempt at cohesion, not a true attempt to try and meld these different sounds, just an interesting concept followed through a little too heavy handedly. The best song on the album comes near the middle, which acts as an attempt at synthesis. Certainly the title, “Burn the Fleet,” suggest a kind of melding between the two themes, and the music suggests the same. It features soft, ethereal guitar lines, with vocals that feel enraged, but with a kind of softness to them. But this is the only time that Thrice every tries to combine the two, to try and really innovate with the cd.

That’s not to say there aren’t good songs on the album. “Backdraft” and “The Whaler” are two excellent examples of the styles of fire and water by themselves, each being intense and relaxing respectively. But overall, the stark change in styles, and the obvious, almost sloppy way that Thrice assert the themes of the album, hold the disc back as a whole. It will be interesting to see how Thrice finishes out the series, but right now, it feels a little cluttered.

reviewed by Matt McGraw