Thrice

Track: Yellow Belly

Album: Major/Minor

Lyrics:

You were built for blessing,
But you only make them bleed,
You don’t care, you don’t care
And bruises are but shadows
Of the blackness that you breed,
But you don’t care, you don’t care

The light that’s left inside their eyes
is darkened day by day
But you don’t care, you don’t care
Your presence pulls the color
From the world til all is grey
But you don’t care, you don’t, you don’t, you don’t.

You’re less than half a man
Yellow belly and crimson hands
You will one day reap your reckoning,
Maybe then you’ll understand

Hands are made to comfort
But they only conjure fear
But you don’t care, you don’t care
She’s in the closet, praying “Lord, please get me out of here”
You don’t care, you don’t you don’t you don’t

You’re less than half a man
Yellow belly and crimson hands
You will one day reap your reckoning,
Maybe then you’ll understand

What mercy have they known,
From you, from you
To ask that it be shown,
To you, to you

What mercy have they known,
From you, from you
To ask that it be shown,
To you, to you

What I have to say about it:

The first track on Thrice’s newest release (at least as I write this) is definitely a fun one. A great bouncing riff that helps define this album in a similar vein to Beggars, but with a bite that gives the whole album a different vibe than its predecessor. Dustin has a certain vibe in his “accusatory”-styled songs. In that sense, this is a similar song to “All The World Is Mad” or “Doublespeak” in that it focuses on the negative aspects of some people’s characters, but rather than say “we” this song refers to a specific “you.” The music is much more jam oriented, with Teppi riffing at various parts of the song, but the polish on the album is more present than Beggars. A grand opening track in my opinion.

Videos:

Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR1puvTfk3k

Acoustic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCjB4c46Fks

Track: Phoenix Ignition

Album: Identity Crisi

Lyrics:

Like a phoenix ignition
Like a crematorium
Like a swelling volition
From the barrel of a gun
From the ashes and the embers
Like a rocket I’ll ascend
Like a cry gone up for a fallen friend
Like a cry gone up for a fallen..

Like a phoenix ignition
Like a crematorium
Like a swelling volition
from the barrel of a gun
From the ashes and the embers
like a rocket I’ll ascend
Like a cry gone up for a fallen friend
I’ll ascend

Everyday tear down the walls
Till cornerstones remain
Coming one step closer all the time
And although we’ll never reach perfection always persist to try.

No regrets, just rebirth
Move forward, and ignite.
Incandescent Reinvention
A new renaissance
A New Fire Each Day

What I have to say about it:

This may be my favorite song on Identity Crisis. It’s funny to watch this song live because when Thrice played it regularly, their stage presence was so different. This song demands a kind of raw energy that was one of Thrice’s early appeals. This is a prime example of Dustin’s lyrical genius early on. His eloquence (even within the harsh and aggressive vocals) are something that has lead me to have a great respect for him. It’s fun to hear Teppi’s riffs in older Thrice albums; so different than the Thrice of now. Different, but within its own right, still great.

Videos:

live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBc5ZpGdv6Y

Track: Burn The Fleet

Album: The Alchemy Index Vol. I - Fire

Lyrics:

In this dark night we stand or fall
We are kings now, or nothing at all
Check your armor; Light up your torch
Touch the flame to the sail before you head for shore.

And we will burn the fleet,
We can never go home;
It’s on to victory or under ground.
Burn the fleet, we’ll be heroes or ghosts
But we won’t be turned around.

The old flag will burn with the sail
And a new one won’t fly if we fail.
But the fire continues to rise,
And it shows not a hint of any fear in our eyes.

Burn the fleet, we can never go home;
It’s on to victory or under ground
Burn the fleet, we’ll be heroes or ghosts
But we won’t be turned around.

What I have to say about it:

The chords used in this song are definitely far away from the semi-predicatable, driving sound of The Artist In The Ambulance. When listening to the chorus or the mellow nature of the bridge, it’s hard to imagine this band as the writers of “Deadbolt,” but that’s what makes this band so beautiful. Of all the Fire songs, this is the one that has had to grow on me the most, but each time I hear it, I understand more and more why they choose to play it live as often as they do. The lyrics themselves are cookie-cutter only in comparison to the rest of Fire because of the continuing theme. But if you place them next to any other band being pumped out of major labels, Dustin’s artistry and eloquence with words remains head and shoulders above the <digital> sea of mediocrity. 

Videos:

live at HOB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8hKYNmd3q8

acoutic-y version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neWul81bagU

Track: Between The End And Where We Lie

Album: Vheissu

Lyrics:

Is this everything, I’ve dreamed of so much more
between the end and where we lie
here all our hopes and dreams are scavenged from the floor
and fed into machines that feed on vacant eyes
all of my dreams, always find me
far beyond these fake fluorescent skies
I know there must be something more, if I could only find the door
then I could free myself and see the world outside

where daylight breaks on you and shines into the
grey that sleeps beneath your skull
daylight breaks on you and burns away the
grey that suffocates your soul

for now I hold a key, and though I may be lost
I know that I will find my way
I search endlessly but every time I’ve thought
that I was near the smoke and mirrors lead me astray
see the pit boss, steal each tick tock
time it seems will suffer at our hands
I look for exits in the haze, the dense electric twilight maze
I’ve heard that there is one that leads to sunlit lands

where daylight breaks on you and shines into the
grey that sleeps beneath your skull
daylight breaks on you and burns away the
grey that suffocates your soul

(daylight, daylight, daylight, daylight)

daylight, they tell me that it’s just a myth
they try to betray me with a kiss
daylight, they tell me that it can’t exist
they might never know just what they missed as

daylight pours fire into my grey eyes
pour grace into my grey life
breaks in and lights the way
I can’t live without the day

What I have to say about it:

I heard this song for the first time about a month before Vheissu came out when Thrice toured with UnderØath. The xylophone intro let me know instantly that this was to be a different album entirely. The song dynamically doesn’t do as much as it could have, but reading the lyrics you can tell that this album was a maturing point for Dustin. These words form poetry that can’t be denied. The drums throughout the song are addicting and the guitar sound is a wonderful contrast to the ambient feel of the in-between parts of the song (like the intro and bridge). Enjoy!!