Product Description

'The Alchemy Index Vol.1 & 2' is the first two parts of an ambitious project from post-hardcore act Thrice. These firsttwo volumes are concerned with the elements fire and water,the concepts being linked together by the band's unique brand of post-hardcore. Includes the tracks 'Firebreather', 'Backdraft' and 'Kings Upon The Main'.

Track Listing

1. Digital Sea
2. Open Water
3. Lost Continent
4. Night Diving
5. The Whaler
6. Kings Upon The Main

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28333 in Music
• Released on: 2007-10-15
• Number of discs: 2

Customer Reviews

Awesome
This albumn is absolutely awesome, if you are a fan of Thrice you will not be dissapointed.

What the dickens is "post hardcore"?
As these albums have been released as a putative 4 disc concept album, I have taken the liberty of posting this review on both of the released sets. Two reasons for this - one, the 4 elements/discs should be looked at as a coherent whole, and two, anyone who intends to buy one of these releases, will surely buy both so hopefully you will see the validity in reviewing the whole thing.

Now, the first thing that strikes me - and I can't consider myself a "fan" as such, as I've never listened to any Thrice before - is that these albums are found in the metal sections of record stores and come up as "rock" on the old I pod. Of the four discs, only "Fire" (as you would expect) is what I would term "Rock". Otherwise the prevalent sound is one of wistful alt-country/folk with occasional blasts of Radiohead-like noise to stir up the mix. For me they have missed a chance on the "earth" disc where they might have gone in with some heavy growling bass and booming drums, but that obviously didn't fit in with the concept - which goes to show why these guys are producing fine music and I'm left to write this...

So are they good albums? Does the concept work? In my opinion the Fire and Water set is the best, more closely attuned with the concept of elements and a fine album in its own right. The earth and air one is also a good album but lyrical content aside, doesn't fit in so well with the concept, at least as far as I can see. Taken on their own merits then we have two fine albums, well worth 5 and 4 stars as given above, but are they good Thrice albums? I'm afraid I don't know but they have certainly enticed me into getting a couple of their previous releases and that can't be a bad thing.

Good old Dustin and Teppei
Thrice have again come up with the goods, the first two discs are even more experimental but even better than vheissu (fav songs - music box, of dust and nations, red sky). Its hard to describe the discs do sound like their elements! Fire uses a powerful, atmospheric, alternative yet meaningful sound (firebreather especially and burn the fleet are particularly outstanding) using a loud yet melodic theme. Whilst water is harmonic, obviously more moody but passionate and deep (as the sea), my stand out tracks would be Digital Sea, Open Water and The Whaler, Lost Continent and the effective instrumental Night Diving are also effective but Kings Upon The Main, for me, although it had quality lyrics, was not as good an album ender as The Flame Deluge