Spun: Thrice

By Logan Niehaus

Invention doesn’t necessarily make a worthwhile album. Actually, a band’s attempts to be inventive often yield albums completely reliant on the quest for new, creating a exhaustive, messy monstrosity. There are exceptions: occasionally a band reinvents their sound, opening themselves up for something far greater than their previous heights.

Punk music has a strange relationship with invention. Though bands like the Clash and the Dismemberment Plan successfully branched into unexpected realms, there are few strong punk acts right now willing to jeopardize any of their success. One band who has taken the challenge, muting critics and fans alike, is Thrice. Their latest album, Vheissu, sets a standard few if any have achieved.

Whether it’s the explicit opener “Image of the Invisible,” the simplistically eloquent “Atlantic,” or the frighteningly beautiful “Red Sky,” the dynamics of this strenuous project resonate to nearly unexplainable levels. Though Thrice has never carried the same sound on any of their albums, Vheissu and all it encompasses is unlike anything they, or possibly anyone else, have ever done.

Vheissu is, as hard as it is to describe, truly something special and should turn heads in the music industry. People might have difficulty understanding what Vheissu is but they won’t have the same problem determining whether it’s a masterful piece of work.