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.
Cold Cash and Colder Hearts
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and they die by the thousands and we look away
they are wolves at the door
they are not going to move us or get in our way
cause we don't have the time
here at the top of the world
yeah we're doing just fine
we hold our own by keeping our hearts cold
different god, darker skin
they are just not a burden that we'd like to bear
they are living in sin
just throw out any reason for us not to care
cause we're feeling alright
here at the top of the world
yeah we're doing just fine
here at the top of the world
we've learned that money matters most
so we keep our cards held close
here at the top of the world
we hold our own by keeping our hearts cold
we learned what matters most so we keep our
hearts cold
they are no one
they are no where
they are not our problem
not worth saving
nonexistent if we keep our hearts cold
they are no one
they are no where
The lyrics to Thrice's song Cold Cash and Colder Hearts explore the idea of apathy and indifference towards those who are less fortunate. The first verse sets the stage by describing a group of people who are sick, poor, and dying, not receiving any attention from those in power. The second verse presents a contrasting perspective, suggesting that people of different races and religions are seen as a burden, and therefore not worth saving. The chorus reinforces the idea that those in power have no empathy or compassion for the less fortunate, they are doing just fine at the top of the world. They hold their own by keeping their hearts cold, which implies that they have learned the hard way that being emotional and caring can result in vulnerability.
Overall, this song seeks to highlight the brutality and inhumanity that many people experience on a daily basis, particularly those who are marginalized and looked down upon by those with privilege. The lyrics are a call to action to recognize that we all have something to give, and that it is our responsibility to help those who are less fortunate than us. The song ends with a repetition of the phrase "they are no one, they are no where" to drive home the idea that the marginalized have no voice, no power, and are easily ignored.
Line by Line Meaning
they are sick, they are poor
We know that there are impoverished, unhealthy people in the world, but we choose to ignore them.
and they die by the thousands and we look away
We are aware of the extreme mortality rate faced by these people, yet we don't take any action to prevent it.
they are wolves at the door
These people are a threat to our comfortable lives by reminding us of their existence and forcing us to confront our own callousness.
they are not going to move us or get in our way
We are so accustomed to disregarding these disadvantaged individuals that nothing they do can change our behavior.
cause we don't have the time
We are too busy pursuing our own interests and maintaining our privileged positions to worry about others.
here at the top of the world
We are proud of our elevated status and view ourselves as superior to those less fortunate than us.
yeah we're doing just fine
We are content with our own lives and don't see any reason to get involved in helping others.
we hold our own by keeping our hearts cold
We maintain our position of power and prosperity by intentionally avoiding emotional connections to those in need.
different god, darker skin
We discriminate against people who don't look or think like us, even if they are the ones most in need of help.
they are just not a burden that we'd like to bear
We intentionally distance ourselves from those who are struggling because we don't want to be responsible for their well-being.
they are living in sin
We use religion or morality as an excuse to justify our lack of concern for the less fortunate.
just throw out any reason for us not to care
We make up excuses to justify our apathy and indifference toward those who are suffering.
cause we're feeling alright
Our own contentment and well-being take priority over the suffering of others.
we've learned that money matters most
We have internalized the belief that financial success is the ultimate goal and that empathy and compassion are secondary to this goal.
so we keep our cards held close
We are secretive and guarded about our finances and resources because we don't want to share them with those in need.
we hold our own by keeping our hearts cold
We maintain our position of power and prosperity by intentionally avoiding emotional connections to those in need.
we learned what matters most so we keep our hearts cold
We prioritize our own success and financial stability over empathy and emotional connection to others.
they are no one
We do not consider these individuals as valuable or important members of society.
they are no where
We ignore their existence and disregard their struggles and hardships.
they are not our problem
We refuse to take responsibility for addressing the issues faced by people in need.
not worth saving
We see no value in investing time or resources to help those in need.
nonexistent if we keep our hearts cold
We act as if the struggles of others don't exist if we choose to intentionally avoid empathy and connection.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, EDWARD CARRINGTON BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, TEPPEI TERANISHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Erison Bianchi
20 years! Crossing the fingers to see them again in Rio de Janeiro playing the full album this time! :D
Shawn Ryan
I will see them tonight in San Diego!
3waycrash
This song proves to be more and more relevant as time goes on
Steve Pimentel
Still the best album they ever made . Should have won album of the year .
Andre Sanchez
The only people in this comment section are lucky to know such incredible music.
Armando Fernandez
#blessed
MegaTechpc
If only they still made music like this…
ハウスミュージック
But do you know Kidcrash?? That's the answer.
man doodoo man oops
@ハウスミュージック Kidcrash is fucking awesome. So is Indian Summer, City of Caterpillar, Orchid, Funeral Diner, Saetia...
PROXYINDUSTRY6
Hands down, best album that they've ever made.