Battered and bruised, the New Brunswick-bred post-hardcore outfit Thursday has once again proved that maturity and passion make for better albums than neon clothing.
Led by lead singer Geoff Rickley's signature vocals, the band seems poised now more than ever to deliver intelligently designed lyrics while encompassing highly technical musicianship only 12 plus years of experience can accomplish.
Thursday fans looking forward to Full Collapse V.2 will be disappointed with their latest album; Common Existence retraces the musical footsteps more recently heard on A City by the Light Divided and Kill the Houselights.
"As He Climbed the Dark Mountain" features chaotic drumming from Tucker Rule as Rickley attempts to destroy his vocal chords as he carelessly throws in howls to coincide with his melodies.
Following is the strongest and one of the most lyrically impressive songs Rickley has ever penned.
Featuring an all-out assault on the eardrums, "Friends in the Armed Forces" is an in-your-face rock anthem about the complex issues with the military.
"Another folded flag to a mourning lover/ He was an army of one but they'll find another/ And in the fold of the body bag/ Somebody check for a heart," sings Rickley.
Sticking with the war machine theme, "Unintended Long-term Effects" is a quick strike, with riotous guitars swirling that continuously build up to Rickley's call to arms regarding the emotional consequences still lingering in the families from Hiroshima.
From dropping bombs to saving lives, "Resuscitation of a Dead Man" starts the album off with heavy-handed guitar work that speaks of the kinder side of humanism based on Rickley's experience watching a group of EMT's attempt to breathe life into an accident victim.
"We could be the heartbeat/ Of everything nine-10ths collapsed/ Come back to life/ We could be the breath of air/ Just get to the lungs of the dying," sings Rickley.
Other tracks on the record stick to the Thursday modus operandi, including "Last Call" and "Subway Funeral."
"Last Call," sounds reminiscent of the band's most popular live anthem, "Jet Black New Year," including a slow building section that ends with an uproarious outcry to bring the masses together.
Common Existence is the combination of growing maturity and reaching a new plateau of musical excellence proving to be another notch in the studded belt of Thursday's post-core superiority.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
