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.
Daedalus
Thrice Lyrics
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This island our prison, our home
And everyday we look out at the sea
This place is all he's ever known
But I've got a plan, and some
Wax and some string, some feathers I stole from a bird
We leap from the cliff and we hear the wind sing a song thats too perfect for words
But son, please keep a steady wing
And know your the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea
Now safely away, I let out a cry
We'll make the mainland by noon
But Icarus climbs higher still in the sky
Maybe I've spoken too soon
But son, please keep a steady wing
And know your the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea
Wont you look at your wings
They're coming undone
They're splitting at the seams
Steer clear of the sun, for once wont you listen to me?
Oh God!
Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings
Oh God!
Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings
Oh God!
Thrice's song Daedalus is a retelling of the Greek mythic tale of Daedalus and his son, Icarus. The lyrics describe Daedalus and his son standing on the cliffs of an island, which is their prison/home. The father has a plan, and he has gathered some wax, string, and feathers to make wings. Together, they leap from the cliff and fly away towards the mainland. However, Daedalus warns his son to keep a steady wing and steer clear of the sun, or he will fall into the sea. As Icarus climbs higher into the sky, he becomes too enamored with flying and gets too close to the sun, melting the wax seals on his wings, causing him to fall into the sea and drowning. The song ends with Daedalus lamenting the loss of his son and his ability to fly.
The lyrics of "Daedalus" showcase the overarching theme of hubris, a common Greek tragedy theme that emphasizes an individual's excessive pride and self-confidence. In Greek mythology, hubris often led to devastating consequences, and this song reflects that as well. Daedalus, thinking himself invincible, was too preoccupied with flying and pushing his limits, which ultimately resulted in his son's death.
The song's slow and melancholic melody reflects the sorrow and regret that Daedalus feels after losing his son. The song's title refers to Daedalus, the legendary Greek craftsman credited with inventing and constructing the wings with which he and his son escaped from their imprisonment.
Line by Line Meaning
I stand on the cliffs with my son next to me
Standing on a secluded island with my son next to me, where we are both imprisoned and call it home.
And everyday we look out at the sea
We look at the vast sea every day, which has surrounded us from all sides, as far as the eye can see.
But I've got a plan, and some Wax and some string, some feathers I stole from a bird
I have come up with a plan to escape the island using some wax, strings, and feathers I stole from a bird.
We leap from the cliff and we hear the wind sing a song that's too perfect for words
We jump off the cliff, and we hear the melodious sound of the wind, which is too perfect for us to explain in words.
But son, please keep a steady wing And know you're the only one that means anything to me Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea
I urge my son to keep his wings steady, and let him know that he is the only one who matters to me the most. I warn him to stay away from the sun or face the consequences of falling into the sea.
Now safely away, I let out a cry We'll make the mainland by noon But Icarus climbs higher still in the sky Maybe I've spoken too soon
Now we have safely flown away from the island, and I exclaim with joy, saying we will reach the mainland by noon. But I see my son climbing higher and higher in the sky, which makes me wonder whether I spoke too soon.
Wont you look at your wings They're coming undone They're splitting at the seams Steer clear of the sun, for once won't you listen to me?
I ask my son to look at his wings, which are coming undone and splitting at the seams. I implore him to listen to me for once and stay away from the sun, which is causing the damage.
Oh God! Why is this happening to me? All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings Oh God!
I cry out to God wondering why this is happening to me. All I wanted was a new life for my son, where he could grow up free. But now, the only thing that meant anything to me has been taken away, and I vow to never fly again and hang up my wings, cursing God in the process.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, EDWARD CARRINGTON BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, TEPPEI TERANISHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind