"The Alchemy Index" by Thrice

This entry is going to be a little different than my previous posts, namely because of one thing: this album lends itself to reviewing sections more than individual songs. That album is "The Alchemy Index" by Thrice (another band originally from Irvine, thank you very much). The album was released in two installments and contains for sections: fire, water, air, and earth. The music in each section emulates the feel of each respective elements. It's an extremely artistic cd, and it's executed really well. The album art is simple but effective. It makes you feel as though you are about to hear something ancient, something that has been in the works for generations. And with that, here we go!

"Fire" - Been dumped recently and pissed about it? Gotten a bad grade and pissed about it? Found out that you are out of ice cream and feel as though the world is out to get you? Look no further for musical therapy than this section of "The Alchemy Index." Fury courses through the veins of the six songs that make up the fire section. Harsh vocals and furious guitars mirror the uncontrollable power and fury of flames. The section explores what fire is used for and the damage it can do. The final song of the section is written in the form of a sonnet, from the point of view of the element (this is also true for each of the subsequent sections of the album). "The Flame Deluge" is fire's lament that man has misused it. It feels as though he could be so much more than simply a destroyer: "My curse, this awful power to unmake." The melody of this song mirrors this mourning; the beginning of the song opens like a lament, then kicks into frustration and anger. It's a powerful end to quite the power packed six song set.

"Water" - From fire, we move on to water, a more subdued section of the album. The water section of the album feels as though it is performed underwater, with the songs having a sort of murky quality. Still, all the songs in this set have a sort of quiet intensity. They can be both calm and powerful, just like the ocean. Don't underestimate this section, because it packs quite the emotional punch at times. For example, in "The Whaler," a daughter cries out to her father, "Father where do you go, so far out upon the sea, when are you coming home to me?" We never know if he does. The sonnet from water to man, entitled "Kings Upon the Main," offers a chilling possible conclusion to the whaler's story. It cautions man to respect it and not to let their own pride take over. Water warns, "When kings upon the main have clung to pride and held themselves as masters of the sea, I've held them down beneath the crushing tide til they have learned that no one masters me." Beautiful and chilling at the same time, this song sticks with you.

"Air" - Probably my favorite section on the album. The air section of the album sounds like, well, just that. The songs in the set are light (but not happy), almost unsubstantial, as if you must listen to them while you can before the wind sweeps them away. The songs are beautiful, and lyrics are extremely strong (though, that tends to be true of just about every single Thrice song thanks to Dustin Kensrue). "Daedalus," for example, is a retelling of a Greek myth. A father encourages his son, Icarus, to fly to the mainland. The song ends in tragedy, however, when Icarus flies to close to the sun, leaving the father to lament his own cruel fate. The sonnet from air to man entitled "Silver Wings" is also my favorite sonnet on the album. Air speaks of how it tries to do nothing but help man: "I drew the poison from summer's sting, and eased the fire out of your fevered skin." The song ends with my favorite lyrics of any song that I have ever heard, because of the sheer emotion and sadness that they are delivered with. Air wonders helplessly: "And after all of this, I am amazed that I am cursed for more than I am praised." That line never fails to get me. I can't even explain it.

"Earth" - Earth is the roughest sounding of the sections of this album, as well it should be. Raw acoustic guitar is the primary instrument of choice in this section. The section speaks of how the Earth knows much in terms of what has happened on it and what people are like, but it professes that "I don't know the first thing about love." Piano also makes a mark on this section, especially in "Digging My Own Grave," which tells the man who, through bad habits such as drinking, is digging his own grave. He pleads: "Someone please save myself from me." Overall, this section flows with a sort of plodding patience, because the earth isn't going anywhere. The sonnet that concludes this section, entitled "Child of Dust," is yet another beautiful piece of lyric-writing to conclude the album. The Earth, taking a sort of Mother Earth role, speaks of how it has tried to raise man: "And though I only ever gave you love, like every child you've chosen to rebel" by, in my opinion, treating the earth terribly (pollution, war, etc.) The album closes with the end of man's existence. Mother Earth beckons for the now dead human race to come back to her for eternal rest. The powerful last lines of the album close things out with a subdued finality: "Now safe beneath their wisdom and their feet, here I will teach you truly how to sleep."

I can't say enough about the lyrical excellence of this album. It makes it the absolute emotional rollercoaster that it is. In my opinion, it is best-written set of songs that I have ever heard. I return to it often, and I always finish the last song with the same sense of wonder that I did the first time this music was introduced to me. For anyone who is looking to lay back for an hour and a half and absorb a complete musical experience, this is the album to do it with.

Here is a link to their Myspace

http://www.myspace.com/thrice

Until next time, enjoy :)