Island
2005
Vheissu
About This Album
There was a telling moment on Thrice's 2005 B-sides and rarities set, If We Could Only See Us Now. The quartet's live, acoustic performance of "Artist in the Ambulance" was notable for how much it suggested the Cure when unplugged. But there were also those kids in the background, solemnly singing along with vocalist Dustin Kensrue. These are the adoring submissives, the fans who filled Thrice-related message boards with dramatic tributes and pledges of allegiance in the run-up to Vheissu's October release. They represent the leap Thrice has evidently made, to go beyond the usual hardcore and metal dynamics and conventional emo devotion to become a guiding light. Thrice fuels that devotion -- Vheissu's deluxe edition includes wordy, earnest testimonials from each bandmember on his inspirations, his songwriting, and the recording process. However, the real earnestness is in Vheissu's music. Insular and meticulously layered, it switches restlessly between gauzy piano figures and righteous, full-bore post-hardcore, often suggesting a more thoughtful At the Drive-In. "Like Moths to Flame," "Image of the Invisible," and "For Miles" do this effectively, and the atmospheric stretches of "Stand and Feel Your Worth" opt for the cool, liquid tones of a Rhodes.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,7,8 and 11)

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