Thrice – Horizons/West

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Thrice have never been strangers to taking a leap of faith in their career. From the early metal days of crowds shouting at them to “Play ‘Deadbolt!'” from The Illusion of Safety, to the risk/reward effort found on Vheissu, all put on a spin cycle throughout their stunning post-hiatus output that includes some of my favorite records of all time, Thrice keep on truckin’ along with veteran ease on Horizons/West. A direct sequel to the sound and direction the band took on Horizons/East, I feel like this second part is a better version of Thrice and finds them reaching deep into their bag of tricks while not losing the magic that made them such a fun band to be a fan of in the first place. “This is the first time we leaned into something that felt like a direct continuation, like a sequel to a previous album,” says frontman Dustin Kensrue. “A lot of this record is about parsing reality,” Kensrue explains. “We’re constantly being influenced by algorithms, by fear, by our own social echo chambers. Horizons/West tries to pull the curtain back on some of that. We’ve always just followed our curiosity, wherever it leads. We want to keep growing, exploring, and making something that feels honest to who we are right now.” By keeping their artistic integrity firmly intact, Thrice quickly showcase why they’re one of the best and consistent bands to ever grace our scene.

The new record was largely produced by the band themselves at their New Grass studio, while there is a few productions and mixing contributions from Scott Evans. Thrice have no trouble getting back to a familiar sound of their predecessor, even it’s been nearly four years since Horizons/East came out. Instead, with the opening statement of “Blackout,” Thrice waste little time getting their sea legs back as they continue to explore the depths of their sound. The refrain of “Black out the moon, black out the stars, black out the sun” turns the brooding song on its head with a key tempo change and a sense or urgency in the LP to make it stand apart from its predecessor. The steady beat behind the kit from Riley Breckenridge on the lead single of “Gnash” provides a nice landscape for Dustin Kensrue to vocalize his discomfort with the world today as he explains, “I’m the teeth that gnash / I’m the trembling ash on your cigarette / I’m the tangled line / That always seems to wind around your neck.” The vivid lyrical imagery is top notch, and Thrice deliver one of their heaviest songs to date.

The bass heavy groove found on “Albatross” by Eddie Breckenridge is complemented perfectly through the vibrant guitar playing from Teppei Teranishi, who truly does some amazing riffing throughout the entire record. Dustin’s smooth vocals in the verses build up to an anthemic chorus, and highlight his growth as a front-man. The brooding, atmospheric elements found on “Undertow” took me right back to The Alchemy Index-era of the band, with vivid, breathily-delivered lyrics like “Cold water / Pulled me under / Then, somehow / I felt your hand,” all build up to a swooning chorus of, “I’m wide awake / But I’m dreaming, even so / We’re miles away / From the dreaded undertow.” It’s exactly what Thrice has done so well in their storied career, and they lean even further into these artistic choices that are perfectly timed in their delivery.

”Holding On” adds in some cool synths and keyboards in the intro before blasting away with a punk-tinged guitar riff to open the first verse of “There’s a fray in the thread / There’s the gray on your head / There’s the noise that never ends / There’s the lie that you buried / Under the lemon tree.” It’s a sound that I thought Thrice had long-abandoned, but they once again surprised me in the best way possible here. The song unfolds beautifully, while the instrumental track of “Dusk” helps set the stage for the back half of the record.

”The Dark Glow” begins with some eerie-sounding carefully plucked guitar chords, while Dustin Kensrue offers up some cleverly crafted lyrics like what’s found in the second verse of, “The clock prowls the hours / These old forgotten flowers / Betray the truth that lies in wait / We cower and crawl / We’re climbing up the walls / We know the wolves are at the gate.” It’s meant to make the listener think and absorb the world that Thrice are also living in and experiencing with their audience. “Crooked Shadows” features a slick opening bass line from Eddie, while the chorus of “It’s gonna set on you / The sun is setting” features some nice back and forth vocals from Teppei and Dustin. “Distant Suns” remains a standout moment behind the kit from Riley, while Teppei and Dustin’s underrated guitar work helps with setting the band apart from the crowded post-hardcore bands that are in the punk rock scene. Thrice’s evolution cannot be understated, and the impact that they have made on this scene of music is undeniably large.

Arguably the most unique song on Horizons/West comes in the form of “Vesper Light” that finds Dustin going into a much higher vocal register than we have grown accustomed to as listeners of Thrice, and it’s a welcomed exploration of his vocal prowess. He drifts from a careful croon to a steady, but powerful, vocal performance in the chorus of, “They speak of sacred light for hours / Then wrap themselves in gloom / They preach the beauty of the flowers / Then curse them as they bloom,” all rounded out with layered guitars and a heavier-tinged performance from the band as a whole. The contrast between the heavenly verses to the dread of hell in the chorus showcase the two perspectives coming to a head, with a glimmer of hope at the end of it all.

”Unitive/West” closes out this latest chapter of Thrice lore with a sprawling song that features some cool opening vocal effects on Dustin’s breathy vocals, while as the song unfolds, more atmospheric sounds are added into the dreamscape-type of track. The closer hums along in the distance long after Dustin shares his vocals, and the band drift away into the darkness. Horizons/West has everything that Thrice fans have come to expect, but it also features a steady amount of great surprises too to keep fans coming back to their concerts for hopes of picking up a clue of where they’ll take their music next. One thing is for sure, it won’t be boring, and it will be worth the journey.

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