| |
| Hint: Follow a reviewer to be notified when they post reviews. | Author's Rating
Inside AP.net
| Thrice - Live at the House of Blues | Thrice - Live at the House of Blues
Record Label: Vagrant
Release Date: December 9, 2008
It’s dark and there’s a hushed hum rising from the gaggle of people jammed together. Someone walks on stage and the crowd seems to lift itself up and roar in applause. Faintly, four drumstick clicks are heard. Then, with a swell of lighting comes sound, sometimes soft and leading, and sometimes powerful, like a rush of water.
The feeling of a live show can be the pinnacle of music itself. Some bands can make or break their reputations from their live shows simply by sounding good or bad. For Thrice, in the band’s new CD/DVD Live from the House of Blues, the band upholds a high standard of artistry and musicianship through the seamless incorporation of sonic elements, thus supporting the band’s already stout reputation.
At a colossal 25 songs, the release spans Thrice’s career in brilliant colors, nodding to the band’s recent Alchemy Index, but also to the songs and albums which thrust the band into the limelight. Indeed, crowd favorites like The Artist in the Ambulance’s “Cold Cash and Colder Hearts,” “Stare At The Sun,” and “The Artist in the Ambulance” were executed in classic Thrice form, cueing the crowd to immediately indulge with energy and participation. Old favorites such as “Trust” and “Deadbolt” both offer similar reactions, and poignantly noted the band has not forgotten its roots in its recent distinct change in sound.
Although the older material was a nice touch, the band lives and breathes in it’s newer material, notably tracks from Vheissu and The Alchemy Index. Opening keenly with “The Lion & The Wolf” and breaking into “Firebreather,” the band sounds raw and powerful live, not gritty enough to sound abrasive but not polished enough to sound waxy. Indeed, the appearance of both Pelican and Circa Survive as guest vocalists during the bridge of “Firebreather” is powerful. On the other end of the spectrum, tracks like “Digital Sea,” which utilizes a voice modulator to mimic the sound of one’s voice underwater, “The Whaler,” and “Red Sky” show the band’s ability to precisely accomplish an appropriate sonic atmosphere of both heavy and light. Songs like ”Of Dust and Nations,” “For Miles,” and “Open Water” were pulled off beautifully live, and topped off with closers “Deadbolt” and the intense climax of “The Earth Will Shake,” the show was completed with a feeling of closure.
Oftentimes, viewers may walk away from live CD or DVD releases feeling as if they were shorthanded, either with too short of a set list or a poor sounding live performance. In Live at the House of Blues, this is not the case. The set, which is not only covers the expanse of Thrice’s discography, leaves no songs left to be desired. And aside from the vocals sounding weak in a spot here or there, the sound and visual quality is great, with a spectacular light and sounds. Thrice is a band that is wonderful to experience live. But if your pocketbook or location doesn’t permit you to see them, picking up this DVD is the best bet you have.
Recommended if You Like: Deftones, The Receiving End of Sirens, Underoath, Radiohead, Minus The Bear
www.myspace.com/thrice |
|
|
Displaying posts 1 - 8 of 8. |
12:01 AM on 02/18/09 | Go if you want, I can't stop you. Great live CD/DVD. Thrice always puts on a great live performance and I'm glad I got to see them live. | | |
|
02:00 AM on 02/18/09 | save the drama for wilmer valderama great review. not as great as the cd/dvd though. holy 2 hours of entertainment. | | |
|
03:59 AM on 02/18/09 | This is sweet. Ace review man. Thrice absolutely kills it live. | | |
|
09:20 AM on 02/18/09 | every shining time you arrive Hey guys thanks so much for reading this review. If you like my reviews, you can add me as a friend and AP will automatically notify you when I put a new review up:) | | |
|
09:07 AM on 02/25/09 | amazing band and amazing addition to their career. i have always believed that great bands are only as good as they are live. Thrice is one band that has blown me away with their live show a few times now. i saw them on the pelican, circa tour and they were amazing. unfortunately they played club zoo, the crappiest venue in pittsburgh. they just execute everything flawlessly and are excelent musicains. | | |
|
|
| Options
More From This Author Buy the Music |
Browse Reviews
Write a Review
Alphabetized Listing
Popular Reviews
Best New Music
View Artist Profile
View News Articles
Stream the Music
Buy the Album or MP3s
View Blog
View Signature
Posts: 3,558
View Profile Picture
Follow This Review
More Reviews By This Author