| Major/Minor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 6, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | May 2011 at Red Bull Studios in Los Angeles, California and additional recording at New Grass Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 49:32 | |||
| Label | Vagrant (VR685) | |||
| Producer | Dave Schiffman | |||
| Thrice chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Major/Minor | ||||
| ||||
Major/Minor is the eighth studio album by American rock band Thrice. The album was released on September 6, 2011, through Vagrant Records.
Thrice entered Red Bull Studios in early May 2011 with producer Dave Schiffman. The group had previously worked with Schiffman on 2005's Vheissu as an audio engineer, and on 2009's Beggars as a mixer. [1] Thrice also previously used Red Bull Studios to record their acoustic live EP The MySpace Transmissions in 2007. [2] When Thrice presented Schiffman with the demos they had been working on, his initial reaction was that the group was trying to make a grunge album. According to vocalist Dustin Kensrue, this was not their intention, and the finished product after production sounded "kind of bigger and meaner than the demos." [3] Both musically and production-wise, the group's previous album Beggars was a "stripped-down" record, and Thrice wanted Major/Minor to sound "bigger and in-your-face" without sounding "smashed and oversaturated." [3] Kensrue also noted that Schiffman joined the album process later than a producer normally would to help record an album, and that his input was minimal. He said:
We had him come down to our practice space when all the songs were kind of being played and [he] just kind of listened through and talked about them and made a couple changes based on little things said here or there, but it was really minimal in that regard. He was mostly just bringing his experience as an engineer and mixer, just knowing how to get the sounds nailed down. We're really comfortable with him.
After the recording for Major/Minor had been completed, Thrice returned to their home studio to record "two or three" additional tracks to be used as B-sides. [4] The home studio was also used to record Thrice's 2007/2008 albums The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II and The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV , and Beggars.
Major/Minor was initially released in a double LP vinyl record format on September 6, 2011, through Vagrant Records. [5] The gatefold vinyl edition came with additional liner notes from the band members and the first pressing was limited to 4,000 copies. [6] Two weeks later, on September 20 in the US and September 19 in the UK, [7] Major/Minor was released in CD and digital download formats. [8] Pre-orders for the album received an instant download of an acoustic version of "Anthology". [5] The iTunes version of Major/Minor comes with an acoustic version of "Yellow Belly," and pre-orders through the store placed before the official release date exclusively received an acoustic version of "Promises." [6]
In July 2011, Thrice offered a free download of the opening track "Yellow Belly" through the website ChinaShop. [2] The rush of traffic to the website caused the site to crash, and the song was subsequently uploaded to SoundCloud. [9] "Yellow Belly" was previously debuted live at The Bamboozle festival in April 2011. [2] In August 2011, an acoustic version of "Anthology," [10] and a lyric video for "Promises" were posted online. [11] Beginning on September 7 and lasting until the day of the digital/CD release, Thrice posted one new song from Major/Minor each weekday for online streaming. [12] "Promises" impacted radio on October 4, 2011. [13]
Thrice's first headlining tour in support of Major/Minor ran from September 30 to November 11, 2011, and featured openers La Dispute, Moving Mountains and O'Brother. [8] Kylesa was originally intended to be an opener for this tour, but announced they would not be able to perform due to an illness in the family several months before the tour began. [14]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 82/100 [15] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk | (95%) [16] |
| Alternative Press |  [17] |
| BBC Music | (favorable) [18] |
| Big Cheese |  [19] |
| Blare |  [20] |
| IGN |   [21] |
| PopMatters | (6/10) [22] |
| Punknews | [23] |
| Rock Sound | (9/10) [24] |
| Sputnikmusic | [25] |
Upon its release, Major/Minor was met with critical acclaim, earning an average score of 82 based on 10 reviews from Metacritic. [15] In a positive review, Raziq Rauf of BBC Music praised the production of the album, stating that "there’s a simplicity to the music and songs that allows the listener to enjoy them at a very elemental level." [18] With a four out of five rating, Punknews praised the grunge influence of the album, comparing their sound to "an authentic 1990s Pearl Jam/Soundgarden creation." [23] IGN labeled the album as "one of the strongest rock efforts of the year," with reviewer Chris Grischow praising Kensrue's vocals on "Yellow Belly", "Blinded", "Promises", "Cataract" and "Anthology". [21] Alex Djaferis of AbsolutePunk praised the lyrics of the album, stating it was "sheer poetry and in this day and age, such a brave and welcome change." [16]
All music written by Eddie Breckenridge, Riley Breckenridge, Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi; all lyrics written by Kensrue. [26]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yellow Belly" | 3:58 |
| 2. | "Promises" | 4:09 |
| 3. | "Blinded" | 4:24 |
| 4. | "Cataracts" | 4:03 |
| 5. | "Call It in the Air" | 4:37 |
| 6. | "Treading Paper" | 4:41 |
| 7. | "Blur" | 3:14 |
| 8. | "Words in the Water" | 6:26 |
| 9. | "Listen Through Me" | 4:37 |
| 10. | "Anthology" | 4:35 |
| 11. | "Disarmed" | 4:49 |
Major/Minor album personnel adapted from vinyl liner notes. [26]
Thrice
Production, recording and artwork
Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school.
The Illusion of Safety is the second studio album by American rock band Thrice. It was released on February 5, 2002 through Sub City Records, who the band had previously reissued their debut studio album Identity Crisis (2000) through. They wrote new songs at a rate of two per month, prior to recording in July 2001. Sessions were held at Salad Days Studios with producer Brian McTernan. The Illusion of Safety is a melodic hardcore and post-hardcore album, with a reoccurring topic of death and religious references.
The Artist in the Ambulance is the third studio album by American rock band Thrice. It was released on July 22, 2003, through Island Records, becoming their first release on a major label. The band released their second studio album The Illusion of Safety in March 2002; by July of that year, they were writing material for their next album. Recording sessions were held with producer Brian McTernan at Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, New York; Salad Days Studios in Beltsville, Maryland; and Phase Studios in College Park, Maryland.
Identity Crisis is the debut studio album by American rock band Thrice, released on Greenflag Records on June 6, 2000. Following the release of their debut EP First Impressions and a brief break in touring, frontman Dustin Kensrue became an employee at Greene Records. Owner Andy Greene was interested in funding the band's debut album; sessions were held at For the Record in Orange, California with the band and Paul Miner as producers.
Vheissu is the fourth studio album by American rock band Thrice. Released on October 18, 2005, through Island Records, the album spawned one charting single, "Image of the Invisible", which peaked at No. 24 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. Vheissu received generally favorable reviews and is regarded by many as the band's best record.
Dustin Michael Kensrue is a musician, singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist in the rock band Thrice, as well as a solo artist.
Please Come Home is the first studio album by Dustin Kensrue, released in 2007.
The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II: Fire & Water is the fifth studio album by American rock band Thrice. It consists of the first two volumes of The Alchemy Index, a four-disc concept album about the four elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. The band had issues with Island Records, who tried to change their sound with their fourth studio album Vheissu (2005). By July 2006, they were working on its follow-up, which would become The Alchemy Index project; recording sessions were held between September 2006 and June 2007 at guitarist Teppei Teranishi's house in Orange County, California. The Fire disc revolved around the band's post-hardcore sound that was prevalent on their older releases, while the Water disc focused on the Ambient electronic and trip hop genres.
The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth is the sixth studio album by American rock band Thrice. It consists of the final two volumes of The Alchemy Index, a four-disc concept album that was split between two releases, the first in October 2007 and the second in April 2008. The band originally planned to release four discs at once, each disc with six tracks representing one of the four elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. A blog titled The Alchemy Index chronicled the album's progress for fans. The artwork for the album was designed by Dustin Kensrue.
The Out_Circuit is an indie rock/post-hardcore band/project by former Frodus co-frontman Nathan Burke currently signed to Lujo Records. The Out Circuit was originally based in Washington, DC but now resides in Seattle, Washington.
Shudder is the fourth studio album by American rock band Bayside, released on September 30, 2008. Prior to its release, singer Anthony Raneri described the album as having a more alternative sound than their previous record, The Walking Wounded. The title comes from a lyric in the track "I Can’t Go On".
Live at the House of Blues is a live album from the band Thrice released by Vagrant Records on December 9, 2008. The album spans two CDs and includes a DVD featuring live footage and an exclusive interview in which the band answers fan-submitted questions. The track listing consists of songs from 2002's The Illusion of Safety through 2008's The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV. The live footage was filmed at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California.
Beggars is the seventh studio album by American rock band Thrice. It was released digitally through Vagrant Records in the UK on August 9, 2009, and in the US on August 11, 2009. A physical release containing bonus material was released on September 15, 2009.
The Water & the Blood is the third studio album from Christian indie musician Dustin Kensrue, which was released on September 30, 2013 by BEC Recordings and Mars Hill Music, and the album was produced by Brian Eichelberger. The album has seen commercial and critical success.
To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere is the ninth studio album by American rock band Thrice. The album was released on May 27, 2016, through Vagrant Records. To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere is Thrice's first release after a four-year hiatus that lasted from mid-2012 to mid-2015, and the band's first album of original material in five years since 2011's Major/Minor. During the hiatus, most of the band members continued performing music and pursued other interests, which included moving to other cities or states with their new families.
"Hurricane" is a single by American rock band Thrice, off of their studio album To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere. It peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in August 2017.
"Black Honey" is a song by American rock band Thrice. The song was released on April 27, 2016 as the lead single from their ninth studio album, ToBe Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere. It was the first single the band released following their breakup in 2012 and subsequent reunion in 2015. The political track uses the imagery of a man swatting at a beehive in search of honey as a metaphor for the creation of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as a consequence of United States involvement in the Middle East, using the titular "black honey" as a euphemism for oil. The song was a large comeback hit for the band, charting at No. 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, their highest-charting single to date and their first charting single since "Image of the Invisible" in 2005.
Palms is the tenth studio album by American rock band Thrice. The album was released on September 14, 2018, through Epitaph Records, making it the band's first release through the label.
Horizons/East is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Thrice. The album was released on September 17, 2021.
"Deadbolt" is a song by the American post-hardcore band Thrice, featured as the fifth track on the band's 2002 studio album The Illusion of Safety. One of the band's best-known songs, "Deadbolt" is a merger of post-hardcore and pop-punk.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)