Thrice brings natural elements to their latest discs
Before modern science, the elements that make up the world were largely left unknown. Of course, this is not the case today, where we can identify oxygen, sulphur and sodium in the blink of an eye, but to cultures throughout history, the world around them was defined by what they saw — often divided into ‘classical elements', like fire, water, earth and air.
And while science takes a more objective view of the world, music has also attempted to define nature, through melody, harmony and rhythm. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons is a great example of such an idea. But fast forwarding to modern rock music, one of the next groups to take on such a tall order is Thrice.
Thrice is also an unlikely choice for a ‘concept album.' They got their start playing hardcore-emo music in Irvine, California, where Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi formed the band with brothers Eddie and Riley Breckenridge. After several albums of playing the same kind of style, the group have opened up the floodgates, revealing influences that were previously invisible. Kensrue, most people don't know, is a huge fan of Radiohead, Tom Waits and indie acts like Sufjan Stevens.
After their major-label debut, Vheissu, in 2005, Thrice parted ways with Island Records, and have since released one album in a set of two, created to represent the four aforementioned Greek elements. The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II: Fire & Water was made public in October of 2007, and the second instalment, Air & Earth, is set to be released on April 15 of this year.
But why was it not released together? Well, despite the fact that both albums were recorded during the same sessions, Dustin Kensrue, the band's rhythm guitarist/lead singer, said it was all about quantity.
“Twenty-four songs, that's a giant heap of music,” Kensrue explained. “We wanted fans to not get lost in it... kind of like how Radiohead split up Kid A and Amnesiac.”
Though this may seem slightly atypical in itself, Thrice took many risks on The Alchemy Index including writing many of the songs in the studio.
“[The album] was being written and recorded at the same time,” said Kensrue. “We wanted some fluidity, and.., it was much more of a building process. The structure would come, and we'd build on that. We started with a lot of just, rough sketches. So each part definitely has it's own process, but we were always writing new stuff as we were recording.”
Each part fulfils its role on the album, too. The Fire section is aggressive. Water is thickly layered with electronic elements, and Earth and Water use drums and synthesizers sparingly. They are also designed as metaphors, illustrating nature's “relationship to God.”
But one of the biggest triumphs for The Alchemy Index, is that, unlike Thrice's previous work, it was entirely self-produced. Such a challenge is not easily overcome, though.
“We really learned how to trust each other,” mentioned Kensrue. “Everyone has different skills, and different functions and roles in the band. So you would have concerns, but you learn to pick your battles. It was really cool for us.”
And while Thrice may not be back in London for a while to come, check out The Alchemy Index Vols. III and IV: Air & Earth, in stores on April 15.
And while science takes a more objective view of the world, music has also attempted to define nature, through melody, harmony and rhythm. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons is a great example of such an idea. But fast forwarding to modern rock music, one of the next groups to take on such a tall order is Thrice.
Thrice is also an unlikely choice for a ‘concept album.' They got their start playing hardcore-emo music in Irvine, California, where Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi formed the band with brothers Eddie and Riley Breckenridge. After several albums of playing the same kind of style, the group have opened up the floodgates, revealing influences that were previously invisible. Kensrue, most people don't know, is a huge fan of Radiohead, Tom Waits and indie acts like Sufjan Stevens.
After their major-label debut, Vheissu, in 2005, Thrice parted ways with Island Records, and have since released one album in a set of two, created to represent the four aforementioned Greek elements. The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II: Fire & Water was made public in October of 2007, and the second instalment, Air & Earth, is set to be released on April 15 of this year.
But why was it not released together? Well, despite the fact that both albums were recorded during the same sessions, Dustin Kensrue, the band's rhythm guitarist/lead singer, said it was all about quantity.
“Twenty-four songs, that's a giant heap of music,” Kensrue explained. “We wanted fans to not get lost in it... kind of like how Radiohead split up Kid A and Amnesiac.”
Though this may seem slightly atypical in itself, Thrice took many risks on The Alchemy Index including writing many of the songs in the studio.
“[The album] was being written and recorded at the same time,” said Kensrue. “We wanted some fluidity, and.., it was much more of a building process. The structure would come, and we'd build on that. We started with a lot of just, rough sketches. So each part definitely has it's own process, but we were always writing new stuff as we were recording.”
Each part fulfils its role on the album, too. The Fire section is aggressive. Water is thickly layered with electronic elements, and Earth and Water use drums and synthesizers sparingly. They are also designed as metaphors, illustrating nature's “relationship to God.”
But one of the biggest triumphs for The Alchemy Index, is that, unlike Thrice's previous work, it was entirely self-produced. Such a challenge is not easily overcome, though.
“We really learned how to trust each other,” mentioned Kensrue. “Everyone has different skills, and different functions and roles in the band. So you would have concerns, but you learn to pick your battles. It was really cool for us.”
And while Thrice may not be back in London for a while to come, check out The Alchemy Index Vols. III and IV: Air & Earth, in stores on April 15.
