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.
Don't Tell And We Won't Ask
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We don't need no evidence
Flood the market
We do it all in self defense
You're a smart kid
Never work without your gloves
If you're a smart kid
You'll stay the hell away from love
And if it comes to murder
Don't tell and we won't ask you how
You sleep at night when the lights go out
And you're all alone
With all the ghosts of lesser humans
Whose lives you've spilt to suit your own
Sit and think of
All the dollars and the cents
And your blue blood
You'll see it all makes perfect sense
Drink from this cup
A better life awaits us all
You're one of us
Remember conscience comes before the fall
Your actions all are justified
Your actions all are justified
And if it comes to murder
Don't tell and we won't ask you how
You sleep at night when the lights go out
And you're all alone
With all the ghosts of lesser humans
Whose lives you've spilt to suit your own
But don't we all bleed red blood?
Don't we all bleed red blood?
The lyrics to Thrice's "Don't Tell And We Won't Ask" paints a sinister picture of a corrupt, self-serving society that is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain its status quo. The song opens with the lines "Paint the target, we don't need no evidence / Flood the market, we do it all in self-defense", which suggests a willingness to manipulate events and create a sense of danger in order to justify the group's actions. The second verse refers to the "blue blood" of the group, likely a reference to their perceived aristocratic privilege, and encourages the listener to drink from the cup of their worldview.
The chorus is particularly chilling, with its ominous call to "Don't tell and we won't ask you how / You sleep at night when the lights go out / And you're all alone / With all the ghosts of lesser humans / Whose lives you've spilt to suit your own". This suggests a disregard for human life and a willingness to sacrifice others for personal gain. The final lines, "But don't we all bleed red blood? / Don't we all bleed red blood?" serve as a haunting reminder of our shared humanity and the consequences of ignoring it.
Overall, "Don't Tell And We Won't Ask" is a powerful commentary on the destructive forces of greed and corruption. It highlights the dark consequences of putting personal gain above the well-being of others and the value of acknowledging our shared humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Paint the target
Identify the victim
We don't need no evidence
No proof is necessary
Flood the market
Overwhelm with supply
We do it all in self defense
We take action for our own protection
You're a smart kid
You are intelligent
Never work without your gloves
Always protect yourself
If you're a smart kid
If you are intelligent
You'll stay the hell away from love
Avoid emotional attachments that can be exploited
And if it comes to murder
In the case of committing homicide
Don't tell and we won't ask you how
Keep it a secret and we won't inquire further
You sleep at night when the lights go out
You can rest easy despite your actions
And you're all alone
In solitude
With all the ghosts of lesser humans
Haunted by those you have harmed
Whose lives you've spilt to suit your own
Whose livelihoods you have taken for personal gain
Sit and think of
Reflect on
All the dollars and the cents
The financial benefits
And your blue blood
Your aristocratic heritage
You'll see it all makes perfect sense
You will understand the reasoning
Drink from this cup
Partake in our ideology
A better life awaits us all
We will all benefit from this
You're one of us
You belong among our group
Remember conscience comes before the fall
Do not let your morals bring you down
Your actions all are justified
Your deeds are excusable
But don't we all bleed red blood?
Despite our differences, we are all human
Don't we all bleed red blood?
We all share the same anatomy and emotions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, EDWARD CARRINGTON BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, TEPPEI TERANISHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
oblivianji
i love this album, and this is one of the best songs on it
Fighting Fish
@Daniel Berg Me too Daniel Bergo, me too!
Daniel Berg
I agree whole-heartedly
Daniel Berg
Thrice always has and always will be my most favorite band ever. The evolution of their sound since the early days has been perfect. I can always count on their music to pick me up when I'm down. I do however wish that you would re-release "First Impressions" so I can add that to my collection XD
Cystlib
1:20 is such a badass moment. Completely out of nowhere, rolling drums then an explosion of sound and before you know it it's already over
Jaime
Best song on the album.
Drew Scriver
Yep. The end of this song still gives me chills.
milkeh S
Amazing how all these classic songs have become so relevant
B E
Does Dustin Kensrue like taco seasoning?
Blah Uhm
he dusts his naked body with it every night before bed