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October 25th, 2005 by Shopping Bag V – shew – what?
Alas, the record is indeed titled Vheissu as recorded by one of my all-time favorite bands Thrice. And while it took me a while to get over my initial shock of how different the record sounded, I am now officially a fan of Vheissu. I think the best way to ease into this record – much the same way you ease into a cold leather seat as you trudge outside to start your car in the winter – is to do it gradually. Listen to it for a bit, even skip around a little, but then take it off. And wait a little bit. Then, when your curiosity gets the best of you, throw it back on for another brief listen. Alternatively, you could pick up the If We Could Only See Us Now EP/CD that came out earlier this year and get your ears warmed up to this new sounding Thrice by listening to the live, acoustic performance of “Artist in the Ambulance,” a truly powerful version of the song that evokes – of all groups – the Cure. Taking that approach is a good way to ease yourself into this giant leap Thrice has made to go beyond the hardcore and metal dynamics of their earlier albums. While the textured, layered work that is Vheissu tends to borrow from conventional emo (add muted piano tones here, harmonies here, miscellaneous ambient sounds here) the record is jerked back into reality by the sporadic full-bore post-hardcore songs that litter the album, songs like “Image of the Invisible,” “Like Moths to Flame,” and “For Miles.” And it is those fist-pumping, screaming reminders of why Thrice kicks so much ass that save this record from completely sucking. The emo direction is cool, especially tunes like “Stand and Feel Your Worth,” but without the hardcore songs that punctuate the album Vheissu would be another emo waste. |
At first listen, I had to scratch my head and wonder what the fuck happened to Thrice. I quickly skipped through the 11 tracks feeling more and more convinced that I must have picked up an album by a group called Vheissu whose latest record was called Thrice.