Thrice - The Alchemy Index, Vols. 1 & 2: Fire & Water

Thrice is one of those bands that is always progressing yet remaining successful in the process. Their last release, 2005's Vhiessu, saw them abandon previous sonunds in favor of more post-hardcore/prog-rock. 2007 finds them releasing half of their follow-up, a massive collection of songs known collectively as The Alchemy Index, made up of 4 EPs inspired by the four elements—Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Volumes 1 and 2 (Fire & Water) come first, with vastly different styles. Fire feels a lot like Vhiessu, featuring a Thrice most people are used to. Water, on the other hand, delves into electronic elements and softer vocals. All the while, you never lose the fact that this is Thrice, which is key to the success of the entire project. Fire & Water works well on its own, but the power of the two volumes together is really what should make this work. [www.thrice.net]