After 25 years and 12 albums, it’s time to show Thrice appreciation.
r Riley Breckenridge. The ultimate victor was Island Records, who signed the quartet for $1.1 million and secured producer Brian McTernan to help mold their major label debut, The Artist in the Ambulance (2003). The album was a foundational moment in Thrice’s storied career as Melody Maker and NME (the band’s native U.K.) championed the release as one of the year’s best.
Similarly, The Illusion of Safety and The Artist in the Ambulance exhibited a maturation process that saw punk-leaning singalongs coexist with heavy, dissonant musical passages. The eclecticism employed by the four musicians was further harnessed on numerous remix records, leading one to believe that they were destined to embark on their own score for film or television. After all, Thrice has provided no shortage of anthemic alt-rock tunes that could easily underscore a climactic moment in a blockbuster action film or a resonant montage in a premium cable series. The band’s songwriting skills and instrumental mastery have proven their value in various genres and musical landscapes.
In discussing their latest release, Horizons/East, Kensrue indicated that the band has developed an awareness of their evolution and place in the industry over the past two and a half decades. The most satisfying aspect of their musical journey is that they’ve remained devoted to each other and their collective endeavor, even in the face of industry roadblocks and an ever-changing music marketplace. Kensrue, Teranishi, Eddie, and Riley have all other projects or production gigs yet Thrice remains the focal point of their artistic existence and to their legion of fans as a thriving alt-rock force.