Of Dust and Nations (Vheissu - Thrice)

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	Vheissu - Thrice
Date:	24/03/08 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An excellent release from Thrice showcasing a great maturity when compared to earlier albums.

Disadvantages: It's all over far too quickly.

Thrice hadn't been around for a while when they released this album in 2005, however when they came back they proclaimed to have a new, 'more mature' sound. When bands say this I often worry as more often than not it means that the band are now taking themselves too seriously and as a result their quality is compromised in favour of an 'experimental' album of utter rubbish. Thankfully this is not the case here, with Thrice once again bringing out a brilliant album.

Opening track 'Image of the Invisible' will right away unveil the bands new sound, and this song is definitely one of my favourites on the album. Here the band show that not only have they matured musically, but their song writing skills have also improved tenfold and they are lyrically now better than they ever have been before. The band head into unknown territory on this album, with the opening track alone containing far more lyrical depth than everything the band have ever written before put together. I genuinely think that the band spent a lot of time writing and planning for this release as they are musically sound here and lyrically sublime.

Tracks such as 'Hold Fast Hope,' 'Music Box,' and 'Of Dust and Nations' will remind hardcore Thrice fans of the music of old and will probably put a smile on their face for nostalgic value. Sure, these songs don't have as much bite as their counterparts in the bands earlier albums 'The Illusion of Safety' or 'The Artist in the Ambulance,' however they still contain a lot of bite and I feel that they are much better written tracks than anything that appeared on either of these albums.

I remember way back when receiving a 'The Illusion of Safety' album sampler and being mightily impressed with what I heard. Back in 2002, Thrice were a driving force in what was then perceived to be the 'Emo' scene of the time along with bands such as Thursday and Taking Back Sunday, with home grown talent in the form of Funeral For a Friend storming out later that year with the almighty Mighty Atom EP 'Between Order and Model.' Sure, back then Funeral For a Friend were nothing more than an underground phenomenon, however since then have shown signs of 'maturing' themselves and shown how that can not always be a good thing. Whereas Funeral For a Friend have seemingly got progressively less exciting with every album, with the release of 'Vheissu' in 2005 Thrice really showed that they are still a band that desperately deserve your full undivided attention.

Thrice may well have lost a few fans with this release as it definitely shows a more melodic, less Hardcore sound for them - however I still think that they are one of the best bands at what they do and hopefully we will hear a lot more from Thrice in the future. They have been around for a long time now, and with 'Vheissu' prove that not only are they still capable of writing great music, but also that they are showing great signs of maturity unrivalled by any other bands in the scene. Since 'Vheissu' the band have gone on to record 'The Alchemy Index Vols. I-IV', the first two volumes were released as a double-disc feature in October 2007 and the last two are set to be unveiled later this year in April. It is a concept album with the four discs representing the elements of earth, water, fire, and air; although I'm yet to hear it I'm greatly excited to find where Thrice went next after releasing this fantastic album that is 'Vheissu'. This is an album that I would wholeheartedly recommend to all.


Label: Universal
Release Date: October 17th 2005

Originally posted by me on my website Alt-UK.com
Source: http://www.alt-uk.com/modules.php?name=Reviews

Summary: 'Vheissu' is an excellent album featuring brilliant vocal work and masterful musicianship.