In 2000, Thrice signed with Sub City Records and released two LP's. The first, Identity Crisis (2000), only received 1.5 stars in the AMG review and little buzz. The second, The Illusion of Safety (2002), was widely acclaimed and received attention from major record labels. Even though Thrice's music has always included metal influences, The Illusion of Safety contained a heavier metalcore sound. The album was recorded in Beltsville, Maryland and the track The Beltsville Crucible reflects this.
In 2003 Thrice signed up with Island Records and released The Artist in the Ambulance, which featured more metal oriented songs while keeping true to their hardcore influences. In 2005 a DVD outlining their entire career to date was released under the title If We Could Only See Us Now. It included a CD with live tracks from the Apple Store and various b-sides.
Thrice released their fourth full-length album, Vheissu, on October 18, 2005. The album was characterized by many critics as being experimentally different, using non-traditional Thrice elements in the process. From keyboard melodies ("For Miles") to Japanese music-box undertones ("Music Box") to chain gang chant choruses ("The Earth Will Shake"), Vheissu introduced a new sound to the band's post-hardcore roots. UK producer Steve Osborne, whose past credits include many Brit-pop hits, was sought by Thrice to gain a new perspective on the songwriting process, enabling the band to expand their musical influences and produce a different album. The album garnered widespread critical acclaim and peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200.
The band releasedRed Sky, an EP comprised of various b-sides as well as live recordings, shortly after Vheissu.
Thrice released the first and second volume of The Alchemy Index, a highly experimental project based on the four traditional elements (fire, water, earth, and air), on October 16th 2007. Over the summer Thrice parted ways with Island records and signed with Vagrant. The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II - Fire & Water was released on October 16, 2007, and sold 28,000 copies in its first week. The album consists of the first two volumes, Fire and Water, and features 12 songs, 6 on each disk. The third and fourth volumes, Air & Earth were released on April 15, 2008.
The "Fire" disc features the heavier post-hardcore sound traditional Thrice fans will quickly embrace, harking back to their pre-Vheissu albums. The "Water" disc, however, is comprised of ambient songs similar to those found in Vheissu, Thrice's previous album release. The "Air" disc brings a whole new element of electronic elements and delayed guitar riffs to Thrice's sound. In "Earth", much like Dustin Kensrue's solo album, "Please Come Home", Thrice introduces an indie-folk sound combining intricate piano and acoustic guitar.
Thrice's sixth studio album Beggars was released digitally through Vagrant Records in the UK on August 9, 2009 and in the US on August 11 with a physical release containing bonus material pencilled in for September 15. These dates deviate from the original proposed release date of October 13 because of a leak via Vagrant Records web player, which has meant the artwork for the album has also changed. The first single to be taken from the album is All the World Is Mad and was first made available through Guitar Hero: World Tour on July 23.
Dustin Kensrue has described the album as being "more visceral and more raw - both in the songwriting and in the overall sound. It moves with a different energy than any of our past records. It was born out of us playing together in a room, almost as a backlash to the giant headgame that was The Alchemy Index" and has been well received critically.
The seventh studio album Major/Minor came out on September 20, 2011 through Vagrant Records. Yellow Belly, Promises and a few other songs were made available for the listeners to stream online before the release date. The album received extremely positive reviews from many online websites. Alex Djaferis of Absolutepunk.net gave Major/Minor a rating of 95%. Tracks like Promises and Listen Through Me reflected a natural progression from the sound Thrice created in Beggars, which was widely appreciated by the early listeners.
Thrice decided to take a break from being a full time band on November 21, 2011. In late spring/early summer Thrice announced the 'Farewell' tour for the spring/summer of 2012 , which would be the bands final tour before going into an indefinite hiatus.
In early 2015 it was announced that the band intends to release new music and tour again. Announcements were done via the bands website http://www.thrice.net/ and social media outlets with an accompanying picture with "Thrice 2015" text.
Better Days
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
when you always get let down
what's the use in smiling
when all you wanna do is frown
i'm drowning, in a sea of hate-filled eyes
and she's screaming
but no one hears her cries
is anybody hear to see a band
does anyone believe in magic
is anybody here to sing along
people shove me down they're coming from all sides
and as i look around
something just don't seem right
i feel so all alone
though the people inundate
i see no joy or desperation
only senseless hate
is this the same scene
that i used to think i loved
or was i just naive
and were they always out for blood
i've seen better days,
but i know that we can make a change
i've seen better days but we can change!
Thrice's song Better Days talks about the struggle of hopelessness and disappointments in a world filled with hatred and violence. The song starts with a rhetorical question, "what's the use in hoping when you always get let down?" which sets the tone of confusion and frustration. The singer questions the usefulness of even trying to be optimistic when the world around them seems to be engulfed in negativity. The mention of drowning in a sea of hate-filled eyes portrays the feeling of being completely overwhelmed and weighed down by the world's problems.
The singer is seeking solace in others but remains unheard, seen in the line, "and she's screaming, but no one hears her cries." This line is significant because it highlights the current state of the world where people in distress are often unheard or ignored. The singer mentions feeling alone and surrounded by senseless hate, which could point towards the decline of empathy and compassion in society.
Towards the end, the singer asks if this is the same scene they used to love, questioning whether they had always been blind to the hate and violence around them. Despite the hopelessness, the singer believes that change is possible, and they have seen better days. The final line, "I've seen better days but we can change!" provides a glimmer of hope that a better future is possible, but change will require effort and sheer willpower to turn things around.
Line by Line Meaning
what's the use in hoping
Why bother hoping for something when you are always let down?
when you always get let down
No matter how much you hope, you always end up being disappointed.
what's the use in smiling
There seems to be no point in smiling when all you really want to do is frown.
when all you wanna do is frown
You feel so miserable that even smiling does not make you happy.
i'm drowning, in a sea of hate-filled eyes
There are so many people with hateful looks in their eyes that you feel like you are suffocating.
and she's screaming
Someone is screaming for help.
but no one hears her cries
Nobody seems to care about her or her cries for help.
is anybody hear to see a band
Are people here just to see a band play music?
did anybody come to hear a song
Did anyone come here to listen to the music and feel its message?
does anyone believe in magic
Does anyone still believe in the power of magic or the impossible?
is anybody here to sing along
Are people here to join in and sing along to the music as one?
people shove me down they're coming from all sides
People are pushing and shoving you from all directions, making it hard to move.
and as i look around
As you glance around the room full of people,
something just don't seem right
you get the feeling that something is not quite as it should be.
i feel so all alone
Even though the place is crowded, you still feel like you are all alone.
though the people inundate
The place is full of people, but it does not bring you any sense of security or happiness.
i see no joy or desperation
You see no sign of either happiness or despair on anyone's face.
only senseless hate
All you see is senseless and irrational hatred.
is this the same scene
You start to wonder if this is the same kind of environment that you used to enjoy.
that i used to think i loved
You wonder if the place that you thought you loved has changed or if you've changed.
or was i just naive
You question if you were just being naive or if everything around you has really gone sour.
and were they always out for blood
You wonder if people were always so malicious or if it has just gotten worse.
i've seen better days,
You reminisce of better days where things were not so dark and sad.
but i know that we can make a change
Even though things might seem hopeless, you still believe that change is possible.
i've seen better days but we can change!
You have hope that things can improve and that people can make positive changes in the world.
Contributed by Audrey M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Buklit
This was their best song.
@theaspiration
Best early song.
@brunoblume6681
Perfecte
@lukeconcienne6840
🌺💚🌺💚🌺💚🌺💚🌺💚🌺💚