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.
The Color of the Sky
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is staring up in wonder at the wall
It circumscribed the city
They said beyond it nothing dwelt at all
But I
Came to wonder if the stories all were true
So one night I made my mind up
I resolved that I would find a passage through
And as I made my plans
My head would spin and swiftly dance between the whys
Like why the roads were all dead ends
Why we'd no word to name the color of the sky
And why
Did these tunnels lead me deep beneath the streets?
When I was through I lit my lamp
With something soft and green and damp beneath my feet
And I don't know the way
But I know
That I belong out here
On this journey that I never thought I'd make
Setting out
Across some new frontier
A new horizon with each eager step I take
As the stars begin to fade
I stride to meet the breaking day and breathe it in
It rakes over my tongue
So crisp and cool inside my lungs, against my skin
And I
See the colors burst and bloom beneath the dawn
Oh, the brilliance overwhelms me
Leaves me wondering what new world I'm even on
And I don't know the way
But I know
That I belong out here
On this journey that I never thought I'd make
Setting out
Across a new frontier
A new horizon with each eager step I take
I don't know the way
But I know
That I belong out here
On this journey that I never thought I'd make
Setting out
Across some new frontier
A new horizon with each eager step I take
In Thrice's song "The Color of the Sky," the lyrics take us on a journey of curiosity and exploration. The singer begins by recalling their earliest memory, which is staring at a wall that circumscribed the city they lived in. They were told that beyond the wall, there was nothing. However, this sparked a sense of wonder in the singer, and they decided to challenge the stories and find a passage through the wall.
As the singer makes their plans, they become overwhelmed with questions. Why do the roads lead to dead ends? Why is there no word to describe the color of the sky? These questions fuel the singer's determination to venture into uncharted territories. They enter tunnels deep beneath the streets, carrying a soft green and damp material for light.
Throughout their journey, the singer acknowledges that they don't know the way, but they feel a strong sense of belonging to the unknown. Walking into some new frontier, they discover a new horizon with each step, guided by the fading stars and the breaking day. The experience is transformative as the colors burst and bloom beneath the dawn, overwhelming the singer with brilliance and leaving them wondering which world they have stumbled upon.
"The Color of the Sky" is ultimately about embracing curiosity, stepping outside of one's comfort zone, and embarking on a personal journey of self-discovery. It highlights the importance of questioning the norms and boundaries imposed upon us, and the beauty that lies in venturing into the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
My first and foremost memory
The most important memory in my mind
Is staring up in wonder at the wall
I remember being filled with awe as I gazed at the wall
It circumscribed the city
The wall surrounded and enclosed the entire city
They said beyond it nothing dwelt at all
People claimed that there was nothing beyond the wall
But I
However, I
Came to wonder if the stories all were true
Became curious about the authenticity of these stories
So one night I made my mind up
Therefore, one night I made a firm decision
I resolved that I would find a passage through
I set a resolution to discover a way to go beyond the wall
And as I made my plans
While I was formulating my strategies
My head would spin and swiftly dance between the whys
My mind would rapidly oscillate between the questions
Like why the roads were all dead ends
Such as why all the roads led to dead ends
Why we'd no word to name the color of the sky
Why did we lack a word to describe the color of the sky?
And why
Furthermore, why
Did these tunnels lead me deep beneath the streets?
Did these passages guide me to the depths beneath the streets?
When I was through I lit my lamp
Once I traversed them, I illuminated my lamp
With something soft and green and damp beneath my feet
Using a substance that felt soft, green, and slightly wet underfoot
And I don't know the way
Despite my lack of knowledge regarding the route
But I know
However, I am aware
That I belong out here
That I have a sense of belonging in this place
On this journey that I never thought I'd make
Embarking on this adventure that I never anticipated undertaking
Setting out
Commencing
Across some new frontier
Across an unexplored boundary
A new horizon with each eager step I take
Every enthusiastic stride I make reveals a new horizon
As the stars begin to fade
When the stars start to diminish
I stride to meet the breaking day and breathe it in
I confidently march towards the dawning day, inhaling its essence
It rakes over my tongue
The morning air sweeps across my taste buds
So crisp and cool inside my lungs, against my skin
The air feels refreshingly cold and invigorating within my lungs and against my skin
And I
And in that moment, I
See the colors burst and bloom beneath the dawn
Witness the vibrant colors exploding and flourishing under the emerging sunrise
Oh, the brilliance overwhelms me
The sheer magnificence overtakes me
Leaves me wondering what new world I'm even on
Leaves me pondering the unfamiliar environment I find myself in
And I don't know the way
Despite my uncertainty regarding the path
But I know
Nevertheless, I am aware
That I belong out here
That I have a sense of belonging in this place
On this journey that I never thought I'd make
Embarking on this adventure that I never anticipated undertaking
Setting out
Commencing
Across some new frontier
Across an unexplored boundary
A new horizon with each eager step I take
Every enthusiastic stride I make reveals a new horizon
I don't know the way
I remain unaware of the exact route
But I know
However, I am certain
That I belong out here
That I have a sense of belonging in this place
On this journey that I never thought I'd make
Embarking on this adventure that I never anticipated undertaking
Setting out
Commencing
Across some new frontier
Across an unexplored boundary
A new horizon with each eager step I take
Every enthusiastic stride I make reveals a new horizon
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Dustin Kensrue, Teppei Teranishi, Riley Breckenridge, Eddie Breckenridge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Amelia Rose
Hear me out:
"The Color of the Sky", played full blast, with the AC set to cool or windows down.
Driving on the fwy with no traffic, in the middle of the night. Nothing but you, the road, and the stars.
Try it. It's fucking magical. ♥️✨🎶
(Edit: was too excited writing this comment that I had misspelled some words. 😂)
Toni
Ok ok...damn this band....they're too good. like wtf...wow...just wow
Erich Whiteside
Riley's drum work in this tune is incredible.
TalleeOn
@Erich Whiteside This track really reminds me of The Alchemy Index Air album.
Moonlight Graham Cracker
Yeah?
valere Bakaria
Bass/drum are incredible :)
Erich Whiteside
@Bret Collins He's always been great, but this track really shows off his talent. Wish more tracks would focus on his drumming.
Bret Collins
I whole heartedly agree with you. You can definitely tell he’s been working on his chops. His intro at 1:07 is tasty.
Chasen S
This album is the absolute greatest. First listen - my ears just couldn’t take in all the variations of sounds and tempos - but second, third and now fourth listen - officially Thrice’ greatest album yet. Right there with Vheissu and Alchemy Index. Just incredible.
Devin Michael Roberts
@L O I feel after a few months we can give an accurate review of the album compared to the rest of their catalog and for it kind of lost its listen-ability after a few weeks. It was great but something about its constant bounce from genre to genre has made prolonged listening less of a interesting proposal for me. I still find myself putting on their other stuff before i reach for this album now
L O
Dude. Exact same, I was almost a bit let down coming off the hype of Scavangers, and I really didn't care for Dandelion Wine, but that song is like my favorite right now, Each listen, reveals something new, they are truly masters of their own craft.