WSOU

Thrice Album Review

Date: September 28, 2021

Thrice Horizons/East Album Review WSOU

Written by Valentino Petrarca 

Rating 9.8/10

As a massive fan of Thrice, I can confidently say this is some of their best work to date. It’s incredible how a band two decades old can continually reinvent their sound and make it flow so seamlessly. They have made many genre bending choices in the past. To go from a Post-Hardcore masterpiece like The Artist in the Ambulance, to an atmospheric rock album like Vheissu takes serious guts. They did it again with their album To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere into their tech-rock album Palms. Yet again, Thrice defines all expectations of what we are expecting and drops a glorious album experience with a wide range of emotions and sounds. This album delivers everything I wanted from a Thrice album.

The album opens with The Color of the Sky and perfectly sets the stage for what’s to come. Dustin’s vocal delivery truly packs a massive punch. His gritty vocals also pair really well with the slow synth building. When the song ends and explodes into Scavengers, the listener can't help but feel overwhelmed. It’s the perfect opening intro and the best way to set the stage for the record. The closing to the album ends with Unitive/East which is a fitting end to the emotional highs and lows of the album. It has a serene piano with auto tone on Dustin’s vocals. The auto tone actually makes the track sound more expansive and mysterious. It is used very well and feels like the ending of a journey.  

In terms of positives, there is no shortage on this album. Summer Set Fire to the Rain is my favorite thrice song since Whistleblower in 2016. Dandelion Wine has a level of charisma and charm to it that makes it deeply intriguing in all aspects. The lyrics are another massive positive from this album. It has a mixture of depth and imagery painted through words. Songs like Robot Soft, Dandelion Wine, Northern Lights, and The Color of The Sky paint clear vivid pictures. It is a truly enthralling experience. 

There are no real glaring negative points I have with this record. This album, of course, has its flaws. But the positives are so high that it overlooks almost any issues I have with the album. The song Still Life has an amazing beginning, and an exploding outro, but the middle takes a while to get there. At times that track takes a little too much time to build. However, the ending is so fitting that it makes it worth the wait. The pacing on Northern Lights also feels a little off, as it’s right between the two most energetic tracks on the album. That makes it feel a little disjointed and not as memorable when doing a full album dive. Besides those minor pacing issues, it is the only time the pacing feels off. Every time I want the energy to come back, it does. Every time I need a break, the album slows down. It knows exactly what it needs to be and gives a perfect amount of room to breath but also be chaotic. I never got bored with this album once.

Overall, Thrice dropped one of the best records in their already stellar career. They produced an emotionally charged masterpiece that takes you through a sonic journey. This album has incredible pacing, flawless performances, crisp mixing, and perfect songwriting. Horizons/East makes me so excited and enthusiastic for what’s next for the band. Thrice has yet again proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with. 

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