Review: Thrice to Release Horizons / East Album

Thrice to release Horizons / East album on Sept 17, 2021

It’s rare for a band to maintain its original lineup over a course of two decades. However, Thrice is one of the exceptions. Band members Dustin Kensrue (vocals), Teppei Teranishi (guitar), Eddie Breckenridge (bass), and Riley Breckenridge (drums) have been together since the band’s 1998 formation in Irvine, California. Over the years, the band has released 10 studio albums with their latest Horizons / East due for release on September 17, 2021.

One never knows what to expect from a Thrice album as the band is constantly challenging themselves, taking the music in different directions. In early albums like Illusions of Safety and The Artist in the Ambulance the music was more aggressive with its post-hardcore and melodic hardcore sound. Vheissu saw the band beginning to experiment more with different sounds. The Alchemy Index Vol III & IV: Air & Earth introduced many fans to Americana and roots rock, whereas To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere turned to more of a heavier grunge sound.

The band’s 11^th album, Horizons / East displays a cross-section of their musical styles from the middle to latter part of their career. Gone is the post-hardcore and screamo from their early albums, now replaced by a more mature sound. The music is not overpowering but rather lays the foundation and sets the mood for the subject of each of the album’s songs. Kensrue’s vocals are gentle at times and more aggressive and forceful at other times invoking a range of emotions. Dynamics change from song to song and sometimes within a song. “Northern Lights”, “Still Life” and “Dandelion Wine” create a jazz ambiance with piano, clean guitars and prominent bass and drums. “Summer Set Fire to the Rain” and “The Dreamer” are harder with heavy guitar riffs on display. “Unitive / East” is a slow piano-based song with soft airy vocals by Kensrue.

Horizons / East was recorded during the pandemic and self-produced by the band at their own New Grass Studio. The pandemic has been a time of introspection and assessment for many. Society is seemingly spiraling downward out of control ready for a crash. The album examines the world around us and the songs have a sense of interconnectedness. Kensrue relates “[Interrelation is] very important to the way I approach the world and the way I think about things. I really think that not attuning or attending to that interrelatedness is one of the bigger problems in the world. When you don’t see it, you miss the way that the good you do blossoms out and balloons out…the way that the evil you do does as well in the most banal ways.”

Some musical artists lyrically leave little to the imagination. However, Thrice tends to be more cerebral in their approach and Horizon/East is no exception. This is an album tailored for a more intellectual audience. Its thought-provoking songs are riddled with metaphor filled lyrics which push the audience to listen, reflect, rewind and listen again. The cross-genre album delivers a mix of rock, alternative, and jazz which shows the maturity of a band that has been making music together for twenty years.

Horizons/East is available for preorder here. All physical copies of Horizons/East will be available on October 8th. Thrice is also embarking on a cross-country fall tour featuring special guests Touché Amoré, Jim Ward, and Self Defense Family. Tickets can be purchased here.

Thrice + Special GuestsTouché Amoré, Jim Ward*,and Self Defense Family

September 24 – Houston, TX–Warehouse*
September 25 – Dallas, TX–Gas Monkey*
September 26 – Austin, TX–Emos*
September 28 – Atlanta, GA–Masquerade-Heaven
September 29 – Nashville, TN–Cannery
October1 – Orlando, FL–Hard Rock Live
October2 – St Petersburg, FL–Jannus Live!
October4 – Charlotte, NC–The Fillmore
October 5 – Norfolk, VA–The NorVa
October7 – New York, NY–Terminal 5
October8 – Baltimore ,MD–Soundstage
October9 – Philadelphia, PA–The Fillmore
October 10 – Boston, MA–House of Blues
October 12 – Buffalo ,NY–Town Ballroom
October 13 – Columbus, OH–Newport Music Hall
October 15 – Detroit, MI–Saint Andrews Hall
October 16 – Cincinnati, OH–Bogarts
October 17 – Chicago, IL–Concord
October 18 – Sauget, IL–Pops
October 20 – Denver, CO–Ogden
October 21 – Salt Lake City ,UT–Union
October 23 – Portland, OR–Roseland
October 24 –Seattle, WA– Showbox SoDo
October 26 – Berkley, CA–UC Theater
October 27 – San Diego, CA–Observatory North Park
October 28 – Phoenix, AZ–Marquee
October 29 – Los Angeles, CA–Hollywood Palladium
October 30 – Anaheim, CA–House of Blues

Horizons/East Tracklist:

1.    The Color Of The Sky
2.    Scavengers
3.    Buried In The Sun
4.    Northern Lights
5.    Summer Set Fire To The Rain
6.    Still Life
7.    The Dreamer
8.    Robot Soft Exorcism
9.    Dandelion Wine
10. Unitive/East

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Post by Scott Raymer (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

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