Thrice

Thrice is an American post-hardcore band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group consists of Dustin Kensrue on vocals and guitar, Teppei Teranishi on guitar and keys, Eddie Breckenridge on bass, and Riley Breckenridge on drums. Their sound sits across post-hardcore, alternative rock, emo, hard rock, melodic hardcore and rock, with metal influences present throughout their work.

Early releases and label changes

Thrice signs to Sub City Records in 2000 and releases two albums there. Identity Crisis appears first, followed by The Illusion of Safety, which gains wider critical attention and brings interest from major labels. That album also shows a heavier metalcore edge, and its recording in Beltsville, Maryland is reflected in the track “The Beltsville Crucible”.

In 2003 the band signs to Island Records and releases The Artist in the Ambulance, which continues to balance heavier songs with hardcore roots.

Expansion of style

In 2005 Thrice releases Vheissu, an album noted for experimenting beyond the band’s earlier post-hardcore style. It includes keyboard-led passages, Japanese music-box textures and chant-like choruses, and it is produced with Steve Osborne, whose background lies in many Brit-pop hits. The album reaches number 15 on the Billboard 200 and receives strong critical praise. Around the same period, the band issues If We Could Only See Us Now, a DVD covering its career to that point, with an accompanying CD of live recordings from the Apple Store and various B-sides. It also releases Red Sky, an EP of B-sides and live material.

The Alchemy Index and later albums

Thrice then releases The Alchemy Index, a four-part project built around the elements fire, water, earth and air. Fire and Water appear first, with two discs and 12 tracks in total, followed by Air and Earth. The project ranges from heavier post-hardcore to ambient, electronic and indie-folk material, with piano and acoustic guitar taking a larger role in the final section.

The band’s sixth studio album, Beggars, follows on Vagrant Records and is issued digitally in the UK and the US with a physical edition containing bonus material. Its release shifts after an online leak, and the album includes the single “All the World Is Mad”. Major/Minor, released in 2011 through Vagrant Records, is preceded by online streams of tracks including “Yellow Belly” and “Promises”.

Hiatus and return

Thrice decides to stop as a full-time band in 2011 and announces a farewell tour for 2012 before entering an indefinite hiatus. In 2015 the band announces that it plans to release new music and tour again.