Ten years ago, when the band Thrice was formed by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and guitarist Teppei Teranishi, it was probably pretty safe to assume that the then-aspiring high school musicians could have never imagined they’d be where they are now. Perhaps that is a false assumption. However, one thing everyone can be sure about is the abundance of pure brilliance laced throughout their last two discs “Air” and “Earth,” released April 15, which capped off the band’s four-disc endeavor, “The Alchemy Index.”

Last October, Thrice released the first two discs, “Fire” and “Water,” of “The Alchemy Index,” and received almost exclusively rave reviews from countless critics, including myself.  All of this may not have been possible if Thrice had not left their former label Island/Def Jam Records and signed to the lesser known, independent label Vagrant Records. According to Absolutepunk.net, Thrice cited a “difference of opinion on our future direction,” as the reason for the split. With the first and second installments of “The Alchemy Index” being testaments to Thrice’s desired direction, the band made a hell of an amazing move that has catapulted them to a status as one of the best bands in rock music today.

“Air” and “Earth” have been heralded by many as some of the most anticipated releases of 2008 since the band released “Fire” and “Water,” and, needless to say, the band delivered ten-fold. “Fire” and “Water” seemingly would have been a nightmare for any band to follow up with something comparable. Thrice proved able, as the release of these two discs finishes out “The Alchemy Index” in an unpredictable, impressive and close to perfect manner.

To be fair, it takes a while to really get into these last two discs, especially “Air.” At first listen, “Air” seems to be a disc of six stellar songs that just don’t seem to fit together. Fortunately, after listening to the EP continuously, the disc starts to take shape and the randomness of the song choice seems only fitting.

“Air” is unlike any of the other discs, as it takes the listener on a journey from hard-hitting songs like “Broken Lungs” and “Daedalus” to songs like “A Song for Milly Michaelson” and “Silver Wings,” which hit the listener with a much more subdued dose of intensity.  The other three discs seem to have a more much clearly drawn out path that they follow, but the beauty of “Air” may lie in its difference from the others. 

The first track, “Broken Lungs,” is possibly one of the best songs Thrice has ever released, which is saying a lot now that Thrice has released four discs totaling 24 songs, none of which miss a beat. The song’s lyrics focus around the controversy and overall tragedy of 9/11 and lyric’s like “Woke up to a brand a new skyline / We licked our wounds and mourned the dead,” send chills down the spine not even thirty seconds into the disc.

Thrice unplugs their guitars, picks up some brush sticks and breaks out the piano for the six songs of “Earth.” This disc is raw, heartfelt and sometimes haunting, and  it should ultimately leave listeners with the impression that they are witnessing some of the best music of the past ten years channeled through their respective music player of choice. Kensrue and the boys shine brighter than they ever have before, doing it all with what seems to be little or no effort. With “Earth,” and “The Alchemy Index” in general, the band has proven that there should be no limitations to any musician as long as each step is handled with care.

The song that rounds out “Earth” and ultimately the entire “Alchemy Index” is “Child of Dust,” which is a chilling song that sounds like a funeral anthem performed by an intelligent-minded hard rock band, only adding to the countless imaginative things this band can muster up on an album. The song even ends with the sound of a casket being lowered into the ground as the vocals and piano are muffled as if they are being heard from underground. Whether the band actually buried a mic and recorded the end of this finale of sorts from six feet under or not, the song should send a chill down any listener’s spine… in a good way.

Five years ago, if songs like “Digging My Own Grave” would have been featured on Thrice’s “The Artist in the Ambulance,” people would have been so shocked they would have probably stopped listening to music altogether. Too heavy of a statement? Possibly. But seriously, the sheer guts Thrice has shown throughout this whole four disc masterpiece cannot be underestimated.

Rest easy, loyal Thrice fans, there is still just enough of that special something that Thrice has always had that is still present on “Air” and “Earth.” Thrice has realized one thing that bands don’t seem to fully comprehend anymore: just like rock legends U2, Thrice knows that people don’t want to hear the exact same album over and over. Not only that, but it seems as though Thrice doesn’t want that either. The result of this apparent revelation is one of the most brilliant albums in rock music in the past twenty years, as “Air” and “Earth” rounded out “The Alchemy Index” incredibly, leaving Thrice with the choice to do pretty much whatever from here on out. Thrice has proved they can pretty much do it all, and do it damn well at that. - A

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