A few months ago I had the pleasure of seeing Thrice live for maybe about the sixth or seventh time. I won’t belabor the point with how much the band has meant to me over the years (highly recommend you read my review of their magnum opus The Artist in The Ambulance if you want to watch me wax poetic) but the headline is simple– they are firmly in my Top 5 of “stranded on a desert island for the rest of my life” bands. Over the past 25 years they have defined what the word artistry means in heavy rock music, building a diverse discography that rivals pretty much any band who has ever slung a six string over their shoulder and made the conscious decision to make something meaningful.
They were touring off their new album Horizons/West during this recent stint. And while most bands of their generation may revert to playing the hits, a little sneak preview into their set list showed how strongly they believed in their new material. Nearly 40% of their set list was off this new album, which considering their massive body of work, that is truly saying something. And man did the boys ever deliver. Dustin, Teppei, Riley, and Eddie turned in one of the better live shows I’ve ever seen from them during that brisk fall night in San Francisco, ripping through their new material interweaved with a ton of their classics. The light show was incredible– about six foot high lights evenly dispersed behind the band across the stage that made the stage feel intimate and kept a focus on the band, perfectly synchronized with the music. “Gnash” in particular was so fucking intense to witness, bright white lights exploding in my eyeballs alongside the chug of the guitar and double bass pedals, a truly intense experience I could feel in my bones.
I spent a lot of time in the pit during their set (as you can imagine “Deadbolt” as the closer was an absolute scene) but made a conscious effort to really listen deeply to the songs off Horizon/West. And throughout the entirety of my listens (pre-show, during the show, and post-show) what’s been clear to me is that this album is easily Thrice’s best album in years and frankly stands up to their epic run during the mid-2000’s.
The sound on this album is vintage Thrice. From the moment “Gnash” dropped as a single ahead of Horizons/West, it was hard not to feel that familiar jolt of excitement for what was to come. The aggressive vocal delivery, reverb-soaked guitars, and grimy electronic textures felt like a clear nod back to The Alchemy Index era, a reminder of how powerful heavy Thrice can be when they fully unleash. While the band’s post-Major/Minor output has been solid-enough, those spine-tingling moments of pure intensity have been rarer than many of us might like. “Gnash” delivered that feeling in a big way, with a powerful rejuvenated rawness that felt like hearing the band rediscover an essential part of their identity. Tracks like “Blackout” and “Holding On” showcase the band’s mastery of tension and release, building patiently before exploding into full-band catharsis. “The Dark Glow” and “Crooked Shadows” highlight just how locked-in the group is, with Dustin Kensrue delivering some of his most commanding vocal performances in years. The album’s closing stretch is especially strong, with “Vesper Light” and “Unitive/West” providing a thoughtful, expansive finish that feels delightfully earned in its cinematic scope.
For me Horizons/West holds up against Vheissu, The Alchemy Index, Beggars, and Major/Minor. This is an album that represents the artistic side of Thrice which fans like myself have grown to love over the years, and showcases them at a level of maturity that gives them the opportunity to take chances. 20 years ago when I fell in love with the band during middle school I never would have envisioned a future where Dustin sang in falsetto and made me cry like a baby (I definitely did when I first heard “Vesper Light”). And yet here we are now. It’s proof that Thrice is truly in a league of their own, a band who takes artistic chances and expands their palette of colors to paint on, but never ever compromises who they truly are at their core.
May they never rest.
Standout Songs: “Blackout”, “Gnash”, “Albatross”, “Holding On”, “The Dark Glow”, “Vesper Light”, “Undertow”
