The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 15, 2008 | |||
Recorded | September 2006 – June 2007 | |||
Studio | Teppei Teranishi's home, Orange County, California | |||
Genre | Air: Atmospheric rock Earth: Americana, folk, roots rock | |||
Length | Air: 24:14 Earth: 20:54 Total: 45:08 | |||
Label | Vagrant | |||
Producer | Thrice, Teppei Teranishi | |||
Thrice chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV | ||||
|
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.
Both discs utilized acoustic guitars, synthesizers, piano and vocal harmonies. [1] Many of the songs across both discs are anchored by Kensrue's voice, as little additions are heard from drummer Riley Breckenridge or bassist Eddie Breckenridge; percussion is heard on five of the 12 tracks. Briefs instances of distorted guitar parts are featured, however, they are predominantly replaced by clean guitar sounds. [2]
Vol. III: Air is a guitar-focused [3] atmospheric rock [4] release, alongside acoustic and up-tempo rock tracks. [2] The disc's overall atmosphere recalled the Appleseed Cast and The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)-era Brand New, [5] utilizing reverb and delay frequently. [6] Kensrue said the disc was a summary of the other three discs; [7] it featured some stripped-down material, electronic tracks, and full-band songs. [8] Eddie Breckenridge cited artists he was listening to at the time as inspiration for the disc, namely Sufjan Stevens, Sigur Rós, and the Mercury Program. [9] "Broken Lungs" is a mid-tempo track with delayed guitar parts, [10] alongside bell chimes and a glockenspiel. Riley Breckenridge uses different drum tones and electronic drums. [11] The bridge section sees Kensrue switching from screaming to a falsetto within a few seconds. [12]
"The Sky Is Falling" is a pop rock song, which talks about the fallout of the September 11 attacks. [3] It employs a number of effects, such as feedback, hammer-ons and echo-filled guitar work. [11] "A Song for Milly Michaelson" is a minimalistic track with a repetitive guitar part and gentle vocals from Kensrue, [11] which recalled Pedro the Lion frontman David Bazan. [3] Gusts of wind are heard and build, alongside a reverb-hampered piano line. [11] "Daedalus" discusses the Greek figure of the same name and his son Icarus, which the band previously talked about with "The Melting Point of Wax" from their third studio album The Artist in the Ambulance (2003). [5] [13] It has several bending guitar parts, [5] and showcases Kensrue's aggressive vocal ability. [10] It is a post-hardcore track, and was reminiscent of A Types (2004) and Magnetic North (2007)-era Hopesfall. [11] "As the Crow Flies" sees Kensrue whispering throughout it, repeating the line "Fly over me"; [14] it is followed by "Silver Wings", which incorporates the use of a breakbeat alongside organic drums. [11]
Vol. IV: Earth is an Americana, [11] [15] folk [5] [11] [15] [16] [17] and roots rock [10] release, inspired by soul music. [10] It featured stripped-down, acoustic instrumentation, [2] such as banjos, tambourines, piano, acoustic guitars, horns and upright bass. [7] It channelled a mix of Bob Dylan, the National, Led Zeppelin and Murder by Death. [11] The disc drew comparisons to Kensrue's debut solo album Please Come Home (2007); [5] [12] [13] one track he planned to include on his solo album made its way onto the earth disc. [18] "Moving Mountains" sees Kensrue rehash 1 Corinthians 13, which talks negatively of any act that lacks love. [3] The blues-indebted guitar work utilizes hammer-ons and pull-offs, backed by arpeggios. [11] The song almost ended up on Please Come Home; it was based on a guitar riff that Eddie Breckenridge came up with, which the band re-wrote and expanded on. [19] "Digging My Own Grave" sees the earth as being the figure of death for a man living a chaotic life. It encapsulates the man's fear of his lifestyle being his own demise. [2] Donia Lee contributes additional vocals to the track, [20] which also features woodwind instrumentation and finger snapping. Kensrue's vocals sit atop a jazz-esque piano progression. [11]
Thrice covered the Frodus song "The Earth Isn't Humming", which they turned into a slow-tempo country-esque track, complete with banjos. [5] All of the members were big fans of Frodus and had wanted to cover one of their songs for sometime. Teranishi decided to create a demo of the track in the style of the earth disc, which the rest of the band liked. [21] "The Lion and the Wolf" consists of solely a piano and Kensrue's vocals. [22] "Come All You Weary" uses the earth as a metaphor to unite the human race, and sets up unanimity among one another. [2] It features an organ, against a repetitive acoustic guitar chord progression. [11] For "Child of Dust", the group put a microphone in a coffin and buried it in full-funeral style. The track becomes muffled over time, eventually closes with the sound of shovels clinking into dirt and rocks. [5] It features backing vocals from Aushua, Nick Bogardus, Brent Kredel and Brett Williams, [20] alongside trumpets and a repetitive piano line. [11]
The first half, The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II: Fire & Water, was released on October 16, 2007. On January 23, 2008, The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth was announced for release in three months' time. [23] On February 5, 2008, the album's track listing was posted online. [24] Throughout the month, the group went on a headlining Canadian tour with support from Say Anything and Attack in Black. [25] "Come All You Weary" was made available for streaming through the group's Myspace profile on February 29, [26] before being released as a single on March 4. It featured an acoustic version of "The Whaler", a remix of "Digital Sea", and the music video for said track. [27] Later that month, "Broken Lung" was posted on their Myspace on March 28, 2008. [28]
The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth was made available for streaming on April 11, before being released four days later. [29] To promote its release, the group went on a US tour with Circa Survive and Pelican. [30] In May 2008, the band performed at The Bamboozle festival; [31] shortly afterwards, they appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien . A music video was released for "Come All You Weary" on May 27, 2008, which was followed by a UK and European tour in August. [32] [33] The band then appeared at the Edgefest festival in Canada. [34] In October and November, the band supported Rise Against on their headlining tour of the US. [35] A live album, recorded in May, titled Live at the House of Blues was released in December. [36] A Legion of Doom remix of "Broken Lung" appeared on the Underworld: Rise of the Lycans soundtrack in January 2009. [37]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 76/100 [38] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [16] |
Alternative Press | 3.5/5 [39] |
Melodic | [10] |
Metal.de | 7/10 [1] |
Ox-Fanzine | 8/10 [22] |
PopMatters | 7/10 [3] |
Punknews.org | [5] |
Rock Hard | 10/10 [40] |
Sputnikmusic | 4/5 [11] |
Ultimate Guitar | 9.7/10 [2] |
The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on five reviews. [38]
AllMusic reviewer Anthony Tognazzini wore that the "tight, technically complex instrumental prowess of the band is still on display, but the mood is much more atmospheric" than the Fire and Water discs. [16] Lauri Wessel of Ox-Fanzine said the album showed the band "moving further and further away from the former sound" of their past work. [22] PopMatters contributor Dan MacIntosh felt that "no matter the style, all of these songs hold together well". He added that even though Thrice has been tagged as an "emo band, this widely varying recorded work proves the band easily transcends such limiting categorization". [3] Rock Hard's Volkmar Weber, meanwhile, wore that album "can take on his mighty twin brother at any time. They fight on different fronts, but for the same cause". [40] The staff at Ultimate Guitar said "once again the band have absolutely nailed the sonic theme for each element", though added that these discs paled in comparison to Fire and Water, something that Tim Karan of Alternative Press agreed with. [2] [39]
Billboard writer Christa L. Titus felt that the band "almost completely tosses the striking, guitar-heavy sound for which it's known" as the songs are "lofty to represent" the Air disc, "but surprisingly sparse" for the Earth disc. [41] Punknews.org staff member Brian Shultz thought the Air and Earth discs "aren't quite as effective or accomplished" as the Fire and Water discs. [5] Sputnikmusic staff writer Nick Greer said that Air was the "most problematic of the collection, and the disc suffers from the discontinuity of the sound throughout", while Earth was more of a "cool-down lap after the more developmental and progressive preceding discs". [11] Melodic staff writer Tom Spinelli said Air displays the band's skill at composing "these emotive, passionate, heartfelt songs, breaking them away from their post hardcore past". Earth "starts us off with a more laid back feel whilst maintaining that melodic energy of The Alchemy Index [project] as a whole". [10]
The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200, selling 21,400 copies in its first week. [42] It charted on three other component charts: number 1 on Independent Albums, [43] number 4 on Alternative Albums [44] and Top Rock Albums. [45] Outside of the US, it reached number 13 in Canada, [46] and number 140 in the UK. [47] Rock Sound ranked it at number 62 on their list of the year's best albums. [48]
All music by Thrice, all lyrics by Dustin Kensrue. [20]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Broken Lungs" | 4:14 |
2. | "The Sky Is Falling" | 4:21 |
3. | "A Song for Milly Michaelson" | 5:07 |
4. | "Daedalus" | 6:00 |
5. | "As the Crow Flies" | 2:22 |
6. | "Silver Wings" | 2:10 |
Total length: | 24:14 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Moving Mountains" | 2:55 |
2. | "Digging My Own Grave" | 3:04 |
3. | "The Earth Isn't Humming" (Frodus cover) | 4:58 |
4. | "The Lion and the Wolf" | 2:42 |
5. | "Come All You Weary" | 4:08 |
6. | "Child of Dust" | 3:09 |
Total length: | 20:54 |
Personnel per booklet. [20]
Thrice
Additional musicians
| Production
|
Chart (2008) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [46] | 13 |
UK Albums Chart [47] | 140 |
US Billboard 200 [49] | 17 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [44] | 4 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [43] | 1 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [45] | 4 |
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 has received favorable reviews from music critics.
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.
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.
In Defense of The Genre is the third studio album by American rock band Say Anything. The album artwork was provided by Jeff Smith, an artist primarily known for his work on the Bone comic series.
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.
Coaster is the eleventh studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on April 28, 2009 through Fat Wreck Chords.
Let the Dominoes Fall is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid, released in June 2009 by Hellcat/Epitaph. It is their first album of new material in nearly six years, following 2003's Indestructible, and their first with drummer Branden Steineckert, who joined the band in 2006 after the departure of founding drummer Brett Reed.
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.
...Is a Real Boy is the second studio album by American rock band Say Anything, released on August 3, 2004.
Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band La Dispute. Supported by three release shows, it was released on November 11, 2008, alongside Here, Hear II. through No Sleep Records on both CD and vinyl. The album's title is derived from an Asian folktale, which the album's lyrics loosely follow. The album received positive reviews by notable critics, and it remains as a legacy in the post-hardcore scene.
The discography of Thrice consists of eleven studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, five EPs, ten singles, and fifteen music videos.
Major/Minor is the eighth studio album by American rock band Thrice. The album was released on September 6, 2011, through Vagrant Records.
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.
"Black Honey" is a song by American rock band Thrice. The song was released on April 27, 2016 as the second single from their ninth studio album, ToBe Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere. It was the first single the band released following their hiatus 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.
"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)