Maybe the next time someone reviews a CD, they should do a little bit of background work. To compare Thrice to Good Charlotte is comparing Abercrombie to Junkman's. Good Charlotte may be punk influenced, but they are by no means a punk band. Good Charlotte sold out at the first opportunity and the band members are now 'way too cool' to talk to anyone from their hometown. La Plata, MD is farm country (where we send our beagle when my family goes out of town) and there is nothing there that could possible have given them any sort of real punk influence. While Thrice is not one of my favorite bands, I can appreciate what they are doing as a musical set up. People who truly understand music and what it means to sell out can know the difference between Good Charlotte and Thrice. Next time, please consult a real music fan before making asinine comparisons.
i agree. to praise the white stripes & the hives then insult thrice's musical ability is ridiculous. who let the trendy garage rock lover try and put the words "punk rock" with "good charlotte"? i'm glad thrice doesn't take any musical notes from that band, otherwise they'll end up just like every other commercially regurgitated band that gets played on mainstream radio. this guy is pathetic. write about something you know a little more than nothing about next time.
William it is your take on "The Artist in the Ambulance" that "crashed into the bleachers high and right." I guess it's easy to see your argument here-Thrice's album isn't good because you don't think it will make the TRL top ten. Stellar achievement criticizing art the same way you would a new sports drink. I have to admit that I am not angered by your article, in all honesty it makes me sad because you're missing the point of music. Why did you make your criticism of Thrice mostly based upon the album's ability to sell? Is this how you always listen to music? Another fault of your "Prognosis" for the MUSICIANS (not businessmen) of thrice lies within your music comparisons. No one ever compared Zeppelin to Stevie Nicks, Garth Brooks to Slayer, or Creed to anyone with musical talent. But you want to put Thrice and...Those guys from Sweden The Somethings(I get confused there are so many the bands, although it must be noted that the _____ does sell records) I know what your thinking to Willie "THE THRICE"...must at least give it a B-. It would have made much more sense for you to just state that you don't know enough about Thrice to write an article on them. And I am not going to bash the bands you listed, I just feel that your comparisons are a good indicator of your overall music knowledge. The often synonymous singing and screaming is a certain lyrical style used by many bands you COULD compare thrice to. You mentioned punk and then complained about the "frenzied feel of the songs." Punk is, well a lot of what you complained about. But here we find another problem with your article, although punk influenced, Thrice is not punk. It is almost ignorant to want a band to achieve punk marketability when they aren't punk. Here is where you bring up Island records, a mainstream record company. Putting aside the fact that Thrice's music is art, not just some product; do you feel that your opinion has some superiority over the big wigs at Island records? Do you think they are just taking a chance on some failure of a marketable punk(cringe at your style synopsis) band? Let the record show these guys don't give out contracts very easily. To me it seems like a large company believes in the marketability of Thrice. And I guess they too probably compare Thrice to Good Charlotte(the band you apparently think is the standard). Speaking of G.C. if you watch MTV, and judging from your article you do, the boys from suburbia Maryland once said about thrice "this is one of the best bands on the scene right now." Seems like your grandaddy-of-all-punk-bands thinks Thrice is better than C+. But hey what do actual bands and record companies know anyways. Nevertheless, the main point here man is that you missed what "The Artist in the Ambulance" is about. Come October 10th Thrice will play with a few other bands you would like to put "the" in front of. They will play before a sold out Masquerade crowd that could care less if they ever saw Thrice on MTV. Those kids will be there for the music, I wish you could be too.
Is this guy serious?
The first thing I have to respond to is the comment that Teppei Teranishi's guitar work is "uninspiring." He's a classical guitarist and has amazing skill. What can be uninspiring about that? Secondly, in the realm of punk you'll likely find bands such as 88 Fingers Louie, Big Wig, Strung Out, and many others. Good Charlotte definitely does not belong in the same category as said bands. GC was never punk, and never will be. Wearing black socks pulled half way up your calf and sideways trucker hats don't make you punk. The only reason GC has had good record sales is because they appeal to the same audience that enjoys Brittany Spears and other TRL favorites. I would also like to say something about the comment that Thrice can improve and that lots of bands don't have "stellar starts." "The Artist in the Ambulance" was NOT their start. Their two previous albums "Illusion of Safety" and "Identity Crisis" are amazing. Moving along, I don't agree with the discrimination against the lyrics. Look up "metaphor" in the dictionary, and then maybe try looking at the Thrice lyrics again. I also don't see how the writer can complain about the scream-singing style. I agree with the previous post by Liz...Reviews of indie bands should be made only by people who fully understand the genre and its complexity.
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa there WIllie. First of all; you article is on the wrong page. Next time you right a "review" why don't you go ahead an put it under the OPINIONS section, because thats all you based your thrice review on. How dare you compare Thrice to Good Charlotte. I am even surprised that the editors at your fine establishment even let you compare apples to rotten oranges. You obviously missed the point of this album; Expression of true emotions and feelings ACTUALLY written by Thrice, as opposed to the brain washing sheep fodder that people think of as "hard-rock". I'm sure Thrice would care less if Carson Daily wants to hang out with them on TRL or if they win two dozen Mtv music awards for best "Wanna-be Rockstars"
Also, what made you decide to write a "review" about an album that came out in July. It seems to me that you are just picking on the band. All you are doing is giving them a bad reputation. All the people who read that article are going to think that Thrice is a talentless band who is worse than the "THE" bands. What did Thrice do to you man! You of all people should know that most people in our generation follow the strict guidelines of the "pop-culture" and digested media. My advise to you is to stop listening to music because obviously you don't understand what music is.
this is an awful review! you should be ashamed of yourself. thrice knows that they are different and they are okay with that. they probably don't want to sell out like good Charlotte and play for a bunch of 14 year olds screaming. your citique is way off. i don't even know why the people who run the site would even let you write this.
dude you are ridiculous i just saw thrice in west chester on October 15 and it was the best show i have ever been too... William quit your job because you have no idea what you are talking about... Thrice is one of the best bands i have ever listen too... get a life big man and go back to mc donalds where your reviews may make a little more sense...
This throughly misguided review should be prefaced with these lines from it. I feel this would've prevented me and others from wasting our precious time to actually read the entire abomination.
"Thrice should take notes from Good Charlotte..."
Days after reading, I am still struggling to wrap my head around the fact that this sentence even exists, let alone is published.
"Kensrue should regret that his singing is sub-standard, and his screaming is abysmal."
One of the absolute best vocalist in the genre, such range and depth in both singing and screaming. For my money it doesn't get any better than Dustin. He came in second to only Jesse Lacey in a huge poll of best vocalist on Absolute Punk dot net, only because kids at absolute punk worship Jesse Lacey as some sort of second son of God (not saying that's a bad thing though).
"The guitar work from Teppei Teranishi, though well performed, is uninspiring."
Uninspiring??? Teppei's guitar work on Artist is the gospel for all melodic hardcore guitar. I mean it literally steals the stage in my mind; I sing along with the guitars as much as the vocals for goodness sake.
"Breckenridge's drumwork also could use improvement and variety."
Well as long as your picking on things right... But seriously variety? There are at least four or five different time signatures on this album some songs alone containing four. Show me the Good Charlotte album that does that dear William.
In conclusion, I place no blame on poor William O'Dell, in fact I pity him that his musical palate is no broader than the diameter of a Hydrogen atom; forgive him Thrice and readers, for he knows not what he does. Instead I place the blame firmly on Red and Black dot com. What editor (even of a small school newspaper) would let something like this be published? "I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul"
wow, this is the worst review I've ever heard in my entire life, everything thrice has done from identity crisis to alchemy index is absolutely genious, and you compare them to good charlotte.
This review is a little late, don't you think? This album may have just been released on Def Jam, but it has been out there for a few years. Also, your review is terrible and your labeling tactics are embarassing.
Wow, William, you obviously dont know anything about music at all. I know that this article was written 6 years ago, but back then you had NO idea on what good music is. Saying that Thrice should take notes from Good Charlotte is like saying The Beatles should have taken notes from Brittney Spears, if she were a singer back then. You dont hear anything about that "punk" band Good Charlotte or from the brother/sister band Thw White Stripes anymore, and why's that? Because they made a few hit singles and then theyre done. Its been 10 years and Thrice has come out with 8 albums, a red sky EP and theyre coming out with a new one in October. They are doing MUCH better with fans and popularity that Good Charlotte. Thrice has much more respectful fans than the little teenyboppers who think theyre punk rock who listen to GC. So next time you decide to do a review on a VERY talented band, look into it, and remember, its your opinion, so dont make it sound like its every one elses.
and if anyone wants to contact me, my email is cholla9508@yahoo.com
Spring Break
anonymous871
posted 10/26/03 @ 3:04 AM EST
you should be fired.
Ian Hilsdon
Marietta
Igod@ianhilsdon.com