Words: David Appelt

I will admit that I was late to the game on Thrice. They’ve had a number of albums through the years that many people have routinely called trendsetters. I would even venture to say that most young indie bands have been inspired by either Thrice or As Cities Burn, and you can tell. And finally – after a long, long, long hiatus – they put out some new music. In many ways, not much has changed, and it was well worth the wait.

Chances are, you already know about Thrice, if not, suffice it to say that Dustin Kensrue and company are a solid (in many ways) standard rock and roll outfit. Sometimes grungy, sometimes more refined. However, never over-produced and always distinct and far from the typical “radio-ready” rock sound where things all blend into one. This is one of those albums where I will happily drop it onto my record player and let both sides play through. The album has a great continuity and consistency in sound, but it never gets boring. You can see the common themes musically and lyrically in their songs, but nothing ever feels “copied” or cheaply constructed. Whether their songs touch on personal struggle, politics, morality, spirituality, or romance, they all have a distinctive “Thrice sound” that makes them unique.

Much of the album is a pretty driven Indie Rock sound. Kensrue’s lyrics and vocals are as good as ever, and the guitar/bass and drums are the standard high-quality you expect from Thrice. Some of it will give you a faint whisper of the glory days of Foo Fighters, with a more distinct classic rock sound, some of it is filled with decidedly more modern and complex rhythm choices that are way more distinct.

In my opinion, this album doesn’t really have any lows. If I turn on one song I immediately want to roll through the rest of them, and I suspect it will be the same for you.

If I had to choose, I think “Blood on the Sand,” “Wake Up,” and “Black Honey” are the best on the album. 2 of those are the lead singles, while “Wake Up” might sneak up on more people. Overall, it’s tough to say it any other way: this album is just quality from start to finish, it will start out strong, and likely even grow on you as you listen to it. I fully expect this to be an album I listen to consistently even ten years from now. It has a surprising accessibility and a surprising depth (musically and lyrically) all at once. Some of this album will get the melody stuck in your head, and some of them you will grow to appreciate their subtlety.

Score: 4.5/5. It’s that good.