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.
Kill_Me_Quickly
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can we kill each other quickly,
Quick enough so I won't feel it?
A shot of strobe light anesthesia and I'll be fine
'Cause I'm beginning to feel cold.
My hands are shaking from fear,
White from clutching my pride, red from cutting you
'Cause I'm sick of the stabbing, I'm sick of the breaking
I'm sick of the bleeding until we fall down.
Sick of this circle of death that we dance through again
And again, just lay me in the ground
Let's fall asleep together, hold me darling 'cause I'm scared,
And I can't do this alone.
But I need your heartbeat to haunt me, your cold lips to breathe,
A promise that tomorrow we'll wake up somewhere new.
Thrice's song Kill Me Quickly is a visceral and emotional plea for an end to a toxic relationship that has devolved into violence and pain. The opening lines, "Can we kill each other quickly, quick enough so I won't feel it?" show the desperation of the singer to end the pain, both physical and emotional, that has been inflicted upon them. The line "A shot of strobe light anesthesia and I'll be fine" further reinforces this idea, suggesting that the singer is willing to endure any amount of pain so long as it can be quickly and finally ended.
As the song continues, the lyrics paint a picture of a relationship that has deteriorated to a point where both parties are hurting each other in equal measure. The singer's "hands are shaking from fear" and are "white from clutching my pride, red from cutting you, and blue from telling lies" - showing that both are engaged in acts of violence and deception against each other. The repetition of "I'm sick of" in the chorus suggests that this cycle of violence and pain has been going on for some time, and the singer is weary beyond words.
Ultimately, the song is a plea for an end to this cycle of violence, pain, and deception. The line "just lay me in the ground" suggests that the singer would rather be dead than continue in this way, but they also seek comfort and companionship from their partner. The final lines, "But I need your heartbeat to haunt me, your cold lips to breathe, a promise that tomorrow we'll wake up somewhere new" suggest that despite everything, the singer still has hope that their relationship can be salvaged, or at least that they can find a better life somewhere else.
Line by Line Meaning
Can we,
Asks if it is possible to do something
Can we kill each other quickly,
Wonders if they can mutually and expeditiously end each other's lives
Quick enough so I won't feel it?
Requests that the death be swift so there is no pain
A shot of strobe light anesthesia and I'll be fine
Implies that a sudden or overwhelming event would render them numb
'Cause I'm beginning to feel cold.
Acknowledges that their emotional state is deteriorating
My hands are shaking from fear,
Describes physical sensation due to anxiety
White from clutching my pride, red from cutting you
Lists the various reasons for their current state
And blue from telling lies.
Adds another reason for their emotional color spectrum
'Cause I'm sick of the stabbing, I'm sick of the breaking
Expresses discontent and exhaustion with the negative elements of their relationship
I'm sick of the bleeding until we fall down.
Frustration with the cyclical nature of their troubles
Sick of this circle of death that we dance through again
Describes destructive pattern of the relationship
And again, just lay me in the ground
Prefers permanent resolution to continued strife
Let's fall asleep together, hold me darling 'cause I'm scared,
Desire for comfort and emotion, going beyond current toxic environment
And I can't do this alone.
Admission of inability to handle current situation without support
But I need your heartbeat to haunt me, your cold lips to breathe,
Reconciliation that even with previous mistakes or challenges, they still crave the other person's presence
A promise that tomorrow we'll wake up somewhere new.
Hope for a better future together
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, EDWARD CARRINGTON BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, TEPPEI TERANISHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@doggish412r
Lyrics
Can we
Can we kill each other quickly?
Quick enough so I won't feel it?
A shot of strobe light anesthesia
And I'll be fine
As I'm beginning to feel cold
My hands are shaking from fear
White from clutching my pride
Red from cutting you
And blue from telling lies
Cause I'm sick of the stabbing
I'm sick of the breaking
I'm sick of the bleeding until we fall down
Sick of this circle of death that we dance through
Again and again, just lay me in the ground
Let's fall asleep together
Hold me darling cause I'm scared
And I can't do this alone
But I need
Your heartbeat
To haunt me
Your cold lips to breathe
A promise that tomorrow
We'll wake up somewhere new
@singinwhatimdoin
This album blew my brain out of the back of my skull when I discovered it in my early 20s. This cd was ALWAYS in my car, and played loud af, pushing the limit of those stock Subaru speakers. This got me out of some pretty rough times, and it was downright eerie sometimes, how much the lyrics resonated with me. Listening to this incredible album, front to back, is a ritual I hadn’t performed for far too long.
@ChaseRightOn
I totally feel where your coming from... This CD and band changed me to the core. This will forever be my favorite album. Still drop in every few months to give it a spin.
@Down_to_clown
bump
@spaceballs2462
For sure it’s a classic buddy
@rorys433
for sure bro
@STOICZZZ
I'm still finding pieces of my brain scattered around since the day Thrice blessed us with album!! 1st band I ever saw and this was the 1st song they played. I about lost my shit at 0.1 seconds hearing the intro fade-in part!!! Not even joking...I was catatonic lol i stood frozen...in the middle of this human volcano which I knew was about to go into annihilation mode!! GDI.....can I just visit those times one last time..? Who knows, maybe that's where the rest of my brain is lol
@ThunderCat731
seriously amazing that basically the whole illusion of saftey album on the youtube page has around zero views... easily the best album.
@louisevincent639
Tom Erickson bro half of it is blocked in my country......Australia, go figure. Best album though
@ThunderCat731
@OFF THE RAILS ENTERTAINMENT interesting point. Never thought of that. And yeah I agree, not a big fan of the newer stuff.
@AnxietyRanger
I thought the same. By far the best. Actually trendsetting