- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. Fast To The End ( 3:21)
02. No Answers ( 4:52)
03. A Darker Forest ( 3:39)
04. Sparks Against The Sun ( 4:45)
05. Open Quotes ( 3:02)
06. Past And Future Ruins ( 4:15)
07. Magnets Caught In A Metal Heart ( 3:41)
08. Empty Glass ( 4:59)
09. A Gun In The First Act ( 5:01)
10. Millimeter ( 2:47)
11. Turnpike Divides ( 4:54)
12. Stay True ( 7:52)
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
"It would be safe to say there are some bands that truly do not sit still
when it comes to shaping their sound. Thursday is one of those bands. After
penning a post-hardcore masterpiece in Full Collapse and breaking into the
mainstream with War All The Time, Geoff Rickly and company revamped
themselves into a less abrasive, more melodic and certainly more experimental
band with A City By The Light Divided. Their ongoing quest for a constantly
changing musical identity has again and again brought listeners to new
realms, and Thursday’s newest opus No Devolución is no exception. A beautiful
display of a band’s ability to evolve while creating a surreal environment
from start to finish, No Devolución proves to be the most moving album
Thursday has penned since they gave us Full Collapse nearly ten years ago.
What sets No Devolución apart from the records they’ve released since Full
Collapse is the success Thursday is able to achieve in creating a memorable
atmosphere musically. The bombastic opening of “Fast to the End” is quickly
subsided by driving drums and lush, dense melodies. Rickly’s gentle vocals
mix well given their production to a slightly raspy output as well, giving
this album a very memorable beginning. From the first track, producer Dave
Fridmann does an amazing job melding the sounds this band cranks out
regardless of the mood – a sure sign of the comfort level built between the
band and Fridmann over the now three albums they’ve recorded together. The
experimenting with lush melodies continues in “No Answers” as a droning hum
pushes things along while Rickly again takes center stage. “A Darker Forest”
brings a darker timbre to the table, with eerie guitars and a snare-driven
drum beat building the tension at the introduction. When it resolves to the
chorus, the melodies stay dark while the drums and vocals go to another
level. What is strange about the delving into darker melodies on this record
is that after listening to Thursday’s split with Envy, none of this seems
like it was ever out of reach for these guys.
“Past and Future Ruins”, a track featured recently on a split with Underoath,
features spurts of abrasion and melody between sections of driving toms and
moving keys. It also shows us one of the few hints of unclean vocals on the
record in the culmination of the chorus as the fuzzy, grizzly vocals help
push the chorus over the edge. “Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart” is more in
the vein of indie-rock, channeling crisp, yet delicate guitar melodies and
echoed vocals to create a rather surreal sound that embraces the atmosphere
it creates. Thursday even channels a somewhat industrial feel in “A Gun in
the First Act” by their use of grimy programming on top of the off-kilter
drumming from Tucker Rule. The one true sidewinder comes in the form of
“Millimeter”, which harkens sounds of Flock of Seagulls more than anything
else. It takes some time to get used to (what part of this record really
doesn’t?), but you could argue they own the song nonetheless. It all seems
effortless regardless of the path they take, as Thursday proves to be a
master at creating moving atmospheric backdrops for their melodies and
vocals. If you were looking for a return to the past given the band’s touring
on Full Collapse or even a rehashing of Common Existence, you will be in for
quite a shock when your ears hear what No Devolución has to offer.
On their sixth time recording a full length, Thursday has never seemed so
sure of what they were creating as they sound on No Devolución. It seems time
has only made this band more focused and realized, and the tracks here prove
once again that Thursday will not sit still regardless of what anyone has to
say about them."
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
Link to large cover scans: http://i.imgur.com/glbdW.jpg
Link to large liner note scans: http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/5745/thursdaylyrics.png
