I had the opportunity to interview Dustin Kensrue a while back as he released his daring solo record Carry The Fire. I found his answer to a certain question to be honestly astonishing, humble, and mature.

“In one sentence, can you try and explain what kind of legacy Thrice will inevitably leave (or what you hope it will be) on the history of music?

DK: “A band that was always learning, and challenged themselves, that cared for each, their crew, and their fans.”

I really do not believe there are many modern “rock stars” or musicians that would give an answer like that to a legacy question. It shows so much character and wisdom, and it proves that he truly has a real love for what he does, and who he does it with.

After all, isn’t music really all about people? It is made for people by people, and it communes people as good or better than food and drink. It helps people and it heals wounds. I believe that Thrice has made some of the most healing and honest music within the past 20 years.

The spaces in between the high and the low. The light and the dark, or the noise and the silence. It is within those moments that we accidentally have the revelation that we love something, or someone; and that there is more to this life than the mundane day to day routines we try to maintain.

The lacking of these rare moments is what makes life frustrating and mundane. Luckily though, if you are a true fan/follower of the band Thrice, each time you listen to their recordings or get to see them live, you will most likely become enamored with many of those kinds of moments. Love, appreciation, hope, community, inspiration and so much more can be found in their art.

Thrice is not a band that just writes and plays music. No, they craft musical art and they do it with a dedication to quality that legends such as Don Henley or Johnny Cash would be proud of.

You see, when an artist or a band puts more than just their music in full view of their fan base, it then becomes something special. A phenomenon of sorts that sparks a cult following. Dustin Kensrue and his bandmates have worn their collective heart on their sleeves for years, and although it may be unintentional, people are drawn to this band. I know I am in a way that very few other artists or bands have done. And the secret seems to be that they are truly just being real; being themselves, which manifests into Thrice.

It was 2002 when I first was blasted with the cutting riffs of “Deadbolt” from Thrice’s second full length The Illusion of Safety. I heard the song along with it’s video and knew that I had to get into this band. It took me a while to find a copy of that CD, but I finally did. It was on every day for a long time.

The same was true when I discovered Identity Crisis, their first heavy post-hardcore debut. These albums motivated me to get up and get moving, and inspired me to create in many different ways. It was rare to hear lyrics of such deep relativity and passion penned by such young up and comers.

In July of 2003 came their crushing, melodic, passionate and solid album The Artist in the Ambulance. It was and still is my favorite album of the year 2003. That is saying something because many great albums came out in that era. The birth of post-hardcore, screamo, post-this and post-that…. Thrice obviously wasn’t listening to critics or popular suggestions. They truly conquered that “third album slump curse” and shot it in the head!

TAITA is one of those timeless records that fans still love, and at every Thrice show I have been to, someone always requests “Silhouette” and everyone goes insane as the riffs to the title track begin. And yet, their very best was yet to come.

October 2005. Have you ever heard of an album so different than its predecessor, and yet so awesome?! Vheissu was that and more. The soundscapes and the riffs and the beautiful blending of heavy and light…Did they just perfect what so many bands try to accomplish as they attempt to go in a different musical direction? The critiques that this album first received were mainly from people who were apparently confused when a band “attempts” to write an album different than their previous.

It seemed as though not many understood how daringly awesome and yet how diversely incredible this album was. Vheissu, as a stand alone record, revealed that it was possible to successfully take your sound into new territories. It broke new ground in the alternative scene as a whole, and Thrice was leading by example the way to take risks and succeed.

I once witnessed Thrice and Deftones share the stage sometime back in ’05. Thrice played most of Vheissu and simply crushed the arena with their perfectly played riffs and Dustin Kensrue’s dooming screams and atmospheric vocals. Each time guitarist Teppei Teranishi slammed the organ keys on the down beats from “The Earth Will Shake” the crowd went insane!

Chino and the Deftones were great, don’t get me wrong, but they did not quite capture the audience in those still moments of heavylight bliss the way Thrice did.

The Alchemy Index was Thrice’s fifth recording. It is an epic four part concept album that came in two releases, Vol. 1 & 2 Fire & Water in October 2007 and Vol. 3 & 4 Earth & Air in April 2008.

The range of genres, styles, and experimentation on this one is monstrous. However it is all pulled off exceptionally well and it made me vow to stick with this band even if they went polka! Well…maybe.

The seamless and artful way in which they literally made their instruments sound like the elements they were portraying as a theme was absolute genius. For the song “Child of Dust” they buried a microphone in a wooden box while singing around it to imitate in recording someone being buried, while those in attendance sung at the funeral. Who thinks of that? This was beyond an inspired concept. It was a mastering of letting music be an interpretation of what is all around us.

2009’s Beggars and 2011’s Major/Minor were both excellent works of art. Each diverse and warm, and filled with enough cutting and challenging lyrics to start a mini revolution. Maybe only true fans realize this, but Major/Minor is actually, by all sonic standards, a nearly perfect rock and roll album. It accomplished to cover every cloud and every hole that rock music travels to, and it’s range and depth also shows off Thrice’s career spanning styles and ability to adapt musically to their growth.

It was a perfect record for Thrice to leave us with as they went on hiatus. They definitely have one of the most re-playable and satisfying discographies in recent history. I find myself often spinning their vinyl and watching the videos I find online. I guess you could say that me and many other fans are ready for brand new music from Thrice!

Thrice’s catalog deserves recognition because it cannot be pinned down into one category.

It truly is an ode to so many different inspirations both musically and what is in life and the earth that drives us. After hearing what they have been capable of in the past, this new offering is met with high expectation.

After releasing Major/Minor and touring to support, Thrice took a hiatus. It was apparent that no one really knew how long it would be. In their absence, they had been reissuing vinyl, making solo music and leather products, and living life. It will be interesting to see how this influences the record they have recently made.

Lead singer and guitarist Dustin Kensrue / Guitarist – BVGs – piano/keys – etc. Teppei Teranishi / Bassist – Ed Breckenridge / Drummer – Riley Breckenridge, with producer Eric Palmquist have now recorded a brand new Thrice album. For a proper review of To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, please CLICK HERE to check out Dave Dring’s great review, but may I at least finish up my muse by sharing my opinion on three tracks.

The first track “Blood On the Sand” is a fast and heavy punk rock anthem that guarantees Thrice has gotten better with age. Lyrically it paints a picture of the current state of our world and how we are all part of the problem. Musically it gets the blood quaking, and everyone’s fists pumping. It has a satisfying tempo and a full on assault of guitars that will send chills down your arms.

This song has the ability to put to rest all the doubts anyone might have had that this band was again going to go in a completely different direction, softening up their sound. You will be taken back to the days of “Deadbolt” or “Under A Killing Moon” but with the added maturity and seasoned songwriting abilities this band has gained over the past decade and a half.

“Black Honey” is beautifully stark and up front. It shines with a late 90’s grunge quality, and yet smooths out so pleasantly as Kensrue melodically delivers the vocals. The chorus hits hard and poignant. It is not the most mainstream choice for the first single, but that is what we love about Thrice. They are more about making a statement, not pleasing everyone’s ears. Although, if you really listen, this song does all of that. It has a tight and strong rhythm, and the guitars blaze and surround your senses so amazingly. The video they put together for it doesn’t just bring the lyrics to life, but it lets us know that the art of making videos with substance is not totally lost. (Directed by Y2K)

On “Death From Above” we can hear that Thrice is still using their ability to write a song that builds on the off beat, and sustains a beautiful melody throughout. Then the chorus strikes in and its heaviness is quick and fast. “I drop death out of the sky, tell me why?” This song is about the emotions that our military men and women must go through as they are ordered to kill, yet take innocent lives. It is hard to hear lyrically, but again is so refreshing to see that Dustin Kensrue and his bandmates are writing from the gut and heart, and not for any corporate agenda.

To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere is satisfying both sonically and contextually, at this point in the career of a band who has really done it all. They pull no punches, leave no one behind, and bring all their experience and chops to an epic height.

I am proud to be an avid fan of a band that is vulnerable and tough, and yet compassionate, caring, and always willing to learn and grow. I hope that you enjoy this new record as much as I have and will, and keep enjoying all of their material as well.

Oh, and if you are still wondering how Thrice has changed music forever…well, did I not just explain that? By successfully creating one of the most expansive and diverse catalogues of music ever that people still listen to, inspired by what was in their hearts and souls. Music that people don’t consider old or out dated, or nostalgic. By defining the phrase, “quality not quantity” and “from the heart.”



Few others in their generation have created such a lasting mark and sound.

So, perhaps the legacy of Thrice will be exactly as Dustin Kensrue stated, but I am also sure that their legacy is already solidified within the modern greats who labor to craft the best music we get to enjoy.