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.
Promises
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we pledge with diamond rings
We profess undying love
But does that word hold any weight
When we reserve the right to break
Any vow that draws our blood
Broken by the slightest breeze or breath
Our hearts are so deceitful
Sick and filled with lies that lead to death
We are cowards and thieves
Will we never turn to grieve the damage done
Never see, never quake with rage at what we have become
What we have become
Yeah we get down on one knee
O, we play at chivalry
But we do not count the cost
We say, "On me you can depend,
I will be there 'till the end"
Though we will not bear the cross
Our word is so faint and feeble
Broken by the slightest breeze or breath
Our hearts are so deceitful
Sick and filled with lies that lead to death
We are cowards and thieves
Will we never turn to grieve the damage done
Never see, never quake with rage at what we have become
What we have become
We are cowards and thieves
Will we never turn to grieve the damage done
Never see, never quake with rage at what we have become
What we have become
We are cowards and thieves
Will we never turn to grieve the damage done
Never see, never quake with rage at what we have become
What we have become
In "Promises," Thrice reflects on the emptiness of vows and promises in our relationships. The song begins by describing how we pledge and promise beautiful things to one another. Whether it's engagement rings or vows of love, we make grandiose declarations of fidelity and devotion. However, the song questions whether these words mean anything and how much weight they hold when we break them so easily.
Thrice sets up the contrast of the fragility of our promises with the heavier connotations of the word 'blood'. The lyrics suggest that when it comes to life and death, we have no problem renouncing the promises that were made with such fervor. The line "Our hearts so deceitful, sick and filled with lies that lead to death" reinforces the idea that our intentions are corrupted, and we are flawed human beings who fall short of our aspirations.
The song acknowledges the lack of accountability that exists, revealing that we break promises without considering the damage we are inflicting on others. The final lines, "We are cowards and thieves, will we never turn to grieve the damage done? Never see, never quake with rage at what we have become," emphasize the destructive impact of our actions, underscoring how reluctant we are to look at ourselves in the mirror and take responsibility for our actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, we promise pretty things
We make grand promises, often superficial and materialistic in nature.
And we pledge with diamond rings
We make vows and commitments, often linked to costly or luxurious items.
We profess undying love
We declare our love to be eternal and everlasting, without really understanding the true meaning of such a claim.
But does that word hold any weight
Our words are often just cheap talk, and we rarely follow through on them.
When we reserve the right to break
We give ourselves an out, allowing us to break our promises and vows when it suits us.
Any vow that draws our blood
Even the most solemn or serious commitments are not enough to deter us from breaking them.
Our word is so faint and feeble
Our promises and declarations of love are weak and unreliable, easily disregarded or forgotten.
Broken by the slightest breeze or breath
Our words are fragile, and can be easily destroyed by even the smallest challenge or obstacle.
Our hearts are so deceitful
We are not only unreliable when it comes to our promises, but we are often dishonest with ourselves and others.
Sick and filled with lies that lead to death
Our dishonesty can be harmful and destructive, even leading to negative consequences for ourselves and others.
We are cowards and thieves
We are often too afraid to face the consequences of our actions or to take responsibility for our mistakes, and we sometimes take what we want without regard for others.
Will we never turn to grieve the damage done
Will we never take a moment to reflect on our past mistakes and the harm we have caused?
Never see, never quake with rage at what we have become
Are we so blinded by our own selfishness and dishonesty that we cannot even recognize the harm we inflict on ourselves and others?
Yeah we get down on one knee
We make grand gestures to show our commitment or love, often through performative or clichéd acts.
O, we play at chivalry
We pretend to be gallant or chivalrous, often masking our true intentions or actions.
But we do not count the cost
We make promises or commitments without considering the true price, whether it be emotional, financial, or otherwise.
We say, "On me you can depend,
We offer ourselves as reliable and trustworthy, but our actions do not always match our words.
I will be there 'till the end"
We claim to be loyal and committed, even in the face of adversity or difficulty.
Though we will not bear the cross
We are not willing to endure hardship or sacrifice for the sake of others, despite our claims of loyalty.
What we have become
Our true nature is revealed in our actions and choices, regardless of what we may claim or promise.
We are cowards and thieves
We are not always honest or responsible, and we sometimes take advantage of others for our own gain.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, EDWARD CARRINGTON BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, TERANISHI TEPPEI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
P. Anderson
Thrice quite literally changed my life. I was wallowing in dark places when I discovered them. I wasn't sure who I was (my own identity crisis, ironically). Who would I be? Where was I going? Before Thrice, I'd never encountered such depth in music - particularly in lyrics. I became a thinker - a philosopher, of sorts. So I quit my job and went to college. I earned a degree in Creative Writing, and am now less than a year from attaining a Master's degree. I'm teaching composition, too. Thrice4E!
NathanJ Rodey
@Randall Billy haha "kinda off topic". Still, Thrice fans supply.
Angelo Kaiden
@Randall Billy Glad I could help xD
Randall Billy
@Angelo Kaiden thanks, signed up and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :) I appreciate it!
Angelo Kaiden
@Randall Billy Flixportal
Jo Dan
"We are cowards and thieves
Will we never turn to grieve
The damage done"
This is poetry. The past 3 years without any new Thrice has been rather bland. Music nowadays has lost all quality. I'd rather listen to the same 5 Thrice CDs than listen to the crap on the radio(Just my opinion). We miss you Thrice and I know we will see you soon.
Jo Dan
HELL YEA MAN!!!
Eddie V.
True words. Rejoice, for they are back!
Zachary Patton
Not only is thrice truly lyrically and musically exceptional, but they seem to have an adept understanding of cinematography that connects to both their song's themes, but to their audience.
BRGVNTI
Love this band so much, I wish Teppei would show off his guitar chops a little more and throw in some sweet guitar solos, but none the less this is amazing.