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.
Lockstep
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I Cant Keep A Smile From My Face
I Know It Sounds Cliche
But I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
Somtimes I Sit And Think
Of All The Times You Made Me Laugh
And All The Good Times That We've Had
And Through The Thick And Thin
We've Walked Through
Lockstep
Lockstep
Of All The Tears That Come Between
And all The Years That Wear Away
Add The Friendship That We Failed
I Know It May Sound Trivial To Some
But Not to Me
Every Night I Thank The Lord For You
Lockstep
Lockstep
Lockstep
Lockstep
Lockstep
The lyrics to Thrice's song Lockstep express the deep bond and love between two friends. The persona describes how just the thought of their friend brings a smile to their face, even though it may sound cliche. The persona goes on to reminisce about all the good times they've shared with their friend, and how they cherish every one of those memories. Even though they've had their share of tears and difficult times, they've walked through it all together, in lockstep. The persona knows that the friendship they share may sound trivial to some, but not to them. They thank the Lord for their friend every night.
The song's powerful message lies in its simplicity. The persona's love and gratitude towards the friend is palpable, and it's something that most listeners can relate to. The song celebrates the beauty of friendship - a bond that survives through tears and years, and one that brings joy and comfort to the soul. The repeated use of "lockstep" emphasizes the idea of walking through life together in unity, one foot at a time. Overall, Thrice's Lockstep is a tender and heartfelt tribute to the power of friendship.
Line by Line Meaning
When I Think Of You My Friend
Whenever you come to my mind, dear friend
I Cant Keep A Smile From My Face
It's impossible for me to suppress a smile when thinking of you
I Know It Sounds Cliche
I realize that it may sound like a trite expression
But I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
But the depth of my love for you is beyond your comprehension
Somtimes I Sit And Think
From time to time, I ponder
Of All The Times You Made Me Laugh
About all the moments when you brought laughter to my life
And All The Good Times That We've Had
And all the enjoyable experiences that we shared
I Cherish Every One
I hold dear each one of them
And Through The Thick And Thin
Together, we went through the good times and the bad times
We've Walked Through
We marched ahead together
Lockstep
In perfect synchronization
Lockstep
In complete step with each other
Of All The Tears That Come Between
Despite all the sorrow that may come between us
And all The Years That Wear Away
And despite the passing of time that might dull emotions
Add The Friendship That We Failed
Except for the friendship that we had, and which persevered
I Know It May Sound Trivial To Some
I am aware that others may see it as something insignificant
But Not to Me
But to me, it means the world
Every Night I Thank The Lord For You
Each night, I express my gratitude to God for having you in my life
Lockstep
In perfect synchronization
Lockstep
In complete step with each other
Lockstep
In perfect synchronization
Lockstep
In complete step with each other
Lockstep
In perfect synchronization
Contributed by Lucas Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.