Thursday - Common Existence [Album]

Epitaph

February 13, 2009, 09:46 PM

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The post-hardcore genre is a very hard part of the music scene to get right. Obvious pioneers of the genre include At The Drive-In, Hell Is For Heroes, Hundred Reasons, Million Dead, Biffy Clyro and the like. Thursday themselves got it just right in 2003 with their apparent, non-political 'War All The Time' album. 'Common Existence', the fifth Thursday release is complex, powerful, emotional, and unique. All the ingredients for a great album.

Producer Dave Fridmann [star in our reasonably priced car for Mogwai, MGMT and Flaming Lips] sets the standard high for the future releases of 09. At moments in the album there are sudden booms that sound very similar to some of Mogwai's powerful material and Thursday have obviously been gaining this influence from working with Fridmann. A lot of creative techniques have been used to get this record to where it will be in a few months time. Track 6 - 'Time's Arrow' features a very cool reversed guitar/drum pattern layered with simple vocals to a fade out. Very cool indeed.

The overall sound is unique, sometimes there is a distant feel to the vocals and guitars and some creative use of slap back vocal lines. It might come across as scrappy production, but somehow it works. Many new hardcore/emo bands have an extremely clean-cut sound. Immaculate bass drum kicks, perfectly gated tom's and a totally non-live at all feel. 'Common Existence' could well have been a live recording [with a few studio tweaks] and is a great piece of work.

To the untrained ear, Thursday can be very hard to understand. It may take a few listens, but you will get there. Listening back to their back catalogue of albums also make this album a track record for their experimentation with sound. Progression is key to a band wanting to release record after record, 'Common Existence' is no exception to this rule. The older material seems to have a lot more aggressive screaming in the tracks, this new album seems to be very subtle in it's aggression. Surprisingly, 'As he Climbed The Dark Mountain' is the only real track with screaming in it.

The musicianship is brilliant, the use of samples, keyboards and digital effects are a to-die-for accessory. The final track 'You Were The Cancer' has some amazing drum parts, complex beats and break-downs that all add up to an almost Rage Against The Machine style.

The penultimate day before the long awaited weekend? Or a great band consistently attempting something different with their sound? You decide.

Track listing:
1. Resuscitation of a Dead Man
2. Last Call
3. As He Climbed The Dark Mountain
4. Friends In the Armed Forces
5. Beyond the Visible Spectrum
6. Time's Arrow
7. Unintended Long Term Effects
8. Circuits of Fever
9. Subway Funeral
10. Love Has Led Us Astray
11. You Were The Cancer

Release Date – February 17, 2009

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