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.
Burn The Fleet
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are kings now, or nothing at all
Check your armor; Light up your torch
Touch the flame to the sail before you head for shore
And we will burn the fleet
We can never go home
It's on to victory or under ground
But we won't be turned around
The old flag will burn with the sail
And a new one won't fly if we fail
But the fire continues to rise
And it shows not a hint of any fear in our eyes
Burn the fleet, we can never go home
It's on to victory or under ground
Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts
But we won't be turned around
Thrice's song "Burn the Fleet" is a stirring and powerful call to action, urging listeners to stand up and fight for what they believe in, no matter the cost. The lyrics describe a group of warriors facing a battle and knowing that they may not survive. They stand together in the dark of night, ready to either triumph or perish in the effort. They check their armor and light their torches, preparing to burn their fleet and cut off any possibility of retreat. The song suggests a defiance of fear that can only be born of faith in one's own abilities and a deep conviction in one's cause.
The metaphor of burning the fleet is a poignant and powerful one. It represents a turning point in the battle, a moment where the warriors must commit fully to their mission and accept that there is no turning back. For them, there is no option to retreat, only victory or death. The lyrics suggest a sense of bravery and determination rather than resignation or despair. The band's music amplifies the intensity of the lyrics, evoking the energy and passion of the warriors as they prepare to face the enemy.
The overall theme of the song is about courage, bravery, and the willingness to risk everything in pursuit of what is right. It's a call to action, urging listeners to be bold, take risks and fight for what they believe in. It encourages one to stand up to adversity, to face their fears, and to do what needs doing, even if there is no opportunity for retreat.
Line by Line Meaning
In this dark night we stand or fall
We are facing a situation where our fate hangs by a thread
We are kings now, or nothing at all
We have everything to win or to lose
Check your armor; Light up your torch
Get ready for what's coming by making sure you're well equipped
Touch the flame to the sail before you head for shore
Destroy any chance of turning back before moving forward
And we will burn the fleet
We will sacrifice everything to achieve our goal
We can never go home
There's no turning back from the path we've taken
It's on to victory or under ground
We either achieve our goal or suffer defeat and humiliation
Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts
We'll achieve greatness or be remembered as failures
But we won't be turned around
We won't back down or change our course
The old flag will burn with the sail
Everything we've known so far will be destroyed
And a new one won't fly if we fail
We will not have a second chance
But the fire continues to rise
Our passion and determination are only getting stronger
And it shows not a hint of any fear in our eyes
We are fearless and confident in our pursuit
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, EDWARD CARRINGTON BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, TEPPEI TERANISHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ethos The Rapper
What I'd give to hear this song live right now and be filled with goosebumps
Bálint Schmidt
Probably the best song of the album right here
Panagio
Tied with Firebreather
Kris Skulls
My ears, my brain, my mind need this.
arex82
Burn the fleet
We can never go home
It’s on to victory - or under ground
Burn the fleet
We’ll be heroes or ghosts
BUT WE WON’T BE TURNED AROUND
TheSignatureK
I know, right? I've been listening to this band for the past six months non-stop. It's all I ever listen to anymore, and I love it. Very few sounds out there that can compare to Thrice. It's the most pleasing thing for my daily stress. It empowers me with a certain degree of boldness every time I turn on an old mp3 player that I found inside a second hand corduroy jacket, and hear Vheissu playing.
Audrey and Remington
7th comment!!!!...
Why? This song's been out for years. WAP doesn't deserve its fame. This deserves all of the love WAP gets and more. Why is life unfair?
John Notmylastname
Like what Cortez did or not you can’t deny it was absolutely bad ass. Dude arrived at a completely unknown place with 600 men and had so much confidence he ordered his men to burn the ships.
M.R. Devost
On memory lane. Love you guys.
agiledust
Dream fuel for sure