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.
Circles
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Till we're all spinning 'round
Reaching for reach, in this marry go round
We seem respent
We call it progress
We seen this all before
When all said is done,
We set sail with no fixed star in sight
We drive by rail in candle light
We're building towers, with no foundation.
We're stacking stone on stone,
Whatever it takes
Mix our mortar with bones
True progress means, matching the world too
The vision in our heads
We always change,
When vision is dead
We set sail with no fixed star in sight.
We drive by rail and candle light.
The song Circles by Thrice is a reflection on the repetitiveness of human behavior and how society often talks about change without actually making any. The lyrics, "We talk too much. We talk in circles 'till we're all spinning 'round. Reaching for reach, in this merry go round," suggest that despite constant conversations and debates about societal issues, there is no real progress. The repetition of circles and spinning imagery emphasizes this sense of stagnation.
The second verse highlights the idea that society often masks lack of progress as progress itself. "We seem respent. We call it progress. We seen this all before. When all said is done, leave cups on the floors." This suggests that even though we are constantly moving forward, we end up leaving behind the same problems, as evidenced by the cups left on the floor.
The chorus, "We set sail with no fixed star in sight. We drive by rail in candle light," further emphasizes the lack of direction and progress in society. This could be interpreted as a criticism of modern society's obsession with quick fixes and temporary solutions, rather than long-term planning.
Overall, the song Circles is an insightful reflection on the endless cycle of human behavior and the lack of real progress.
Line by Line Meaning
We talk to much. We talk in circles
We engage in endless conversations, yet we never really get anywhere or achieve anything.
Till we're all spinning 'round
Our conversations leave us feeling dizzy and somewhat disoriented.
Reaching for reach, in this merry-go-round
We're constantly striving to get ahead and make progress, but it feels like we're just going in circles.
We seem respent
We appear to be tired and worn out from all our efforts.
We call it progress
Despite our fatigue, we still cling to the notion that we're making progress.
We seen this all before
We've experienced these cycles of futility and false progress in the past.
When all said is done, Leave cups on the floors
After all our conversations and attempts at progress, we're left with nothing but a mess to clean up.
We set sail with no fixed star in sight
We embark on our journeys without a clear destination or plan.
We drive by rail in candle light
We navigate through life using outdated methods and technologies that limit us.
We're building towers, with no foundation
We're constructing elaborate structures and plans without taking the necessary steps to establish a solid foundation first.
We're stacking stone on stone
We're adding more and more to our lives without realizing that we need to take a step back and reassess before moving forward.
Whatever it takes
We're willing to do whatever it takes to achieve our goals, even if it means sacrificing our own well-being or values.
Mix our mortar with bones
Our methods may be harmful or destructive in the long run, but we continue to use them anyway.
True progress means, matching the world too
Real progress involves aligning our goals and actions with the needs and realities of the world around us.
The vision in our heads
Our idealized version of progress that we hold onto.
We always change
Our goals and methods need to evolve and adapt over time to remain effective.
When vision is dead
If our idealized vision no longer serves us, we need to let it go and embrace a new way forward.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: EDDIE BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, TEPPEI TERANISHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Oliver Bowles
best song of the album. beautiful arrangement!
Jason Daaayum
Amen man - honestly I can't tell which album is my favourite. Artist, Vheissu, or Beggars...
QuikSummit
One of my all time favorites
O'Keen
"True progress means, matching the world to, the vision in our heads."
"We always change, the vision instead."
Talk Antiano To Me! Podcast
This song is just soo good!
Thrice one of the few, if not the only, bands that with every album I feel like they get better every time!
The lyrics, the music itself it's all a masterpiece
Been listening to you guys since The Illusion of Safety. Keep making awesome music :)
Joseph Indrieri
Best album for sure -2020
James Tubbs
Well said illusion was the first CD I braught also
L. M.
amo este temaa!
Hetženauer
One of the best of the best
Steve Sitkowski
best. lyrics.ever