Thrice – Horizons / East (Review)

Horizons / East is the tenth album by Post-Hardcore band Thrice. They have been around for roughly 21 years and re-invented themselves more than once. Taking the name of the album into consideration, one could say that the band sets their eye (see the cover) for new horizons while the old work is the foundation they are walking upon.

When I first heard „Scavengers“ I immediately thought of „Yellow Belly“ (Major/Minor). Especially the sound of the drums is more present on this album than on its predecessors. Every instrument has the same worth, which makes this album sound very organic. Tracks like “Scavengers” or “Summer set Fire to the Rain” showcase that perfectly.

The constant reminding of the previous body of work is a thing that happened a lot to me while listening to the album. Nearly every song contains a „nod“ to a previous „state“ of Thrice. But (very) old-school should not rejoice too early, since the quotations reach back as far as Vheissu (which is perfectly fine in my books).

The Alchemy Index is the record that came to my mind very often. You got the electric effects of the Water-EP („The Color of the Sky“)or the light rhythmic-foundation of the Air-EP („Northern Lights“). Some of the guitars in „Robot soft Exorcism“ and „Dandelion Wine“ reminded me of Beggars, especially the latter sounds like the finale of „Beggars“ (the track).

One of my favorite tracks on this album is “Buried in the Sun“. The vocal delivery reminds me somehow of “Branch in the River” (Palms) while the bass-line reminds me of “Cataracts” (Major/Minor). When the songs opens up in the middle, your eyes will surely be as wide as the one on the cover.

Regarding the lyrics of this album, it is almost as if Thrice took the song “Beyond the Pines” and meditated on. The songs circle around the topics of searching, looking and finding meaning in life. So there’s also a lyrical nod to the past work.

This is the third album since the re-union of Thrice. Horizons / East succeeds in keeping the high level of the previous albums. With the hint of a companion album coming next year, one can only be looking forward for what Thrice will have in store for us then.