Thrice

Another mainstream band, another punk influenced past, and another drastic departure from older material. Thrice is a band that can be depicted as many things: a great alterna-rock band, that band with a song in Tony Hawk and Burnout, or in the case of some people I know - a band that can't put on a live show. Whether or not that be the case, they do have a great thing going right now and with songs like "Image of the Invisible" I can understand why.



Once again thanks to Vagrant Records, several tracks from the albums under that label are available as free mp3s. Unlike Alkaline Trio's tracks, these are the newest albums to be released and can be different from people's past experience with the band. The 4 disc EP entitled "The Alchemy Index" is a radical departure from Thrice's normal sound especially in the last 2 discs. I bought the second half (Disc 3 and 4) as an impulse purchase and have come to thoroughly enjoy it as one of my favorite albums of the past couple years. The music is more toned back, almost an acoustic sound for much of it, and has a specific evocative theme for each disc. Disc 3 focuses on the element of Air and an ethereal and disconnected sound while Disc 4 focuses on the element of Earth with a much harsher western sound and darker tones. A fierce departure from their normal sound and style but a beautiful experiment nonetheless. PLEASE check the video for "Come All Ye Weary" from Disc 4 of "The Alchemy Index" below!



And for those looking for a slightly more traditional Thrice sound, Daytrotter has a free four track live recording from the beginning of the year. Daytrotter is a great site featuring exclusive live recordings with indie or lesser known artists as free downloads but will require a simple registration and a small exterior program to download the music. Enjoy!!!