Thrice Concert and Interview

MUSIC REVIEWS 8 Twice the energy, Thrice the fun

By BRYAN BARNETT

Daily Titan Staff

Few words give justice to a concert as intense as a barbed-wire wrapped baseball bat to the unsuspecting cranium. OK, more than a few. The band is Thrice, whose sold-out Friday night show at the UCI Bren Center tore down the barriers between pop and metal with a wrecking ball of riffs and vocals, creating a new genre where only Thrice reigns supreme.

Thrice has done something different here – they’ve added melody. Heavy rock doesn’t have to be defi ned by violent throat noises anymore; with a slower, catchier element, Thrice is straying from the traditional barrage of shouts.

Awaiting the Oct. 18 release of their fourth album, Vheissu, the band successfully blended leisurely, heartfelt melodies together with shredding guitar solos for a more mature record. The band previewed some of the new music onstage, provoking screams of approval from the sea of arms and heads.

Some bands can’t change their pace without losing their core audience, but while Thrice has made changes, they haven’t strayed so far as to upset the fans who have made sold-out shows standard. Bodies tossed over the audience like little ships in a dark storm-tossed sea become a testament to the fan’s satisfaction. In fact, by incorporating the new tunes, Thrice’s fan base might grow to encompass those who enjoy rock but not the metal screaming component.

The band’s new producer, Steve Osborne, who has worked with U2 and Peter Gabriel, steered Thrice in the right direction with Vheissu.

“One of the things we tried to consciously do was give the record a bigger feel,” singer Dustin Kensrue said to AcclaimedPunk.com.

Preceding Thrice on the night of their Irvine show was Veda, a Foo Fighter-esque band led by the powerful vocal talent of Kristen May; The Bled, a very loud unintelligible metal band; and Underoath, a more talented unintelligible metal band (because they have a singing drummer). The second two bands pumped an intense energy into the already dangerously eager crowd with relentless vocal assaults, guitar

NIYAZ PIRANI/Special to the Daily Titan Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi play at the UCI Bren Center.

work and numerous Thrice references. Fans exploded at the mere mention of the word. After the onslaught wreaked by these hardcore fans, the lights dimmed and the roar of the audience fi lled the arena. Anyone there couldn’t help but feel as if they were a part of some new glorious improvement to the whole spectrum of modern music. Like an addition to a house, or a caterpillar’s metamorphosis, a mature Thrice is provoking the world with its new album.

The drummer speaks ...

By BRYAN BARNETT

Daily Titan Staff

Riley Breckenridge, drummer for Thrice, talked to the Daily Titan from Boise, Idaho on Tuesday. Though the background noise had party written all over it, Breckenridge came through loud and clear.

DT: So what was the biggest difference you experienced in recording this album compared to the last ones?

Riley: The biggest thing was we had a lot more time to write and experiment, which enabled us to incorporate more instruments. In previous records we were always under the gun. We would write a song right before we recorded it. We didn’t have time to write or record, but we were very prepared for this one, and I think it shows.

DT: How was it working with the new producer, Steve Osborne?

Riley: It was awesome. It wasn’t the most conventional choice because he hadn’t done a hard rock record before. But what he was lacking in the aggressive area, we thought we could make up for.

DT: This record sounds a lot different from the last few. How has the feedback been?

Riley: The feedback has been very positive. People have had very nice things to say. It’s always a compliment in person though, because people save all the bad stuff they’re going to say about you for [the Internet].

DT: So which song is your favorite?

Riley: My favorite song at the moment … well it changes all the time, but right now it’s [Thrice’s] “The Earth Will Shake” because I like the heaviness of it and it gets a little bluesy at times.