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Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vols. I and II: Fire and Water
| Sputnikmusic |
| When reviewing an album, one important criterion to consider is an album's completeness or how well it works as a whole and not just as a collection of songs. I can think of countless albums that work more as song collections than as albums (e.g. anything by Alkaline Trio or Face to Face). Similarly, I can think of many albums that may not have songs that stand out individually but are albums who's overarching concept or large-scale structure impress more than any individual tracks do (e.g. Circle Takes the Square's As the Roots Undo). With that in mind, imagine the difficulty in approaching the notion of "completeness" when looking at Thrice's The Alchemy Index....full text |
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| Billboard |
| Thrice's latest effort is the first two parts of a four-EP opus, an experimental/elemental journey into the themes of fire, water, earth and air. Opener "Firebreather" is true to its name, with Dustin Kensrue's soulful wail layered over blazing guitar crescendos. "The Arsonist" is as intense and exciting as the set gets, with loads of melodrama and radio-ready hooks. The bridge to the "water" side of the disc is as obvious, with the sound washed in droning effects. Later, "Digital Sea" and "Open Water" drift over various dream-like melodies with synths and programmed beats. However, this smart and fascinating album could use some subtlety, rather than bashing the concepts into the earth....full text |
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| Avclub |
| The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II is the pairing of two distinctly conceptual six-song EPs by So-Cal Warped Tour fave Thrice, which has thus far released five proper albums since 2000. Disc one, titled and conceptualized as "Fire," showcases the still-maturing, melodic, sometimes very heavy post-hardcore that Thrice is forging a career out of, minus any of the emo inclinations from the band's earlier records (no whining, some screaming). By contrast, disc two, "Water," focuses on Thrice's reenactment of Radiohead circa Kid A, with 27 minutes of internalizing, electro-glitch pop steered around by up-front, friendly vocals....full text |
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