Thrice 

“Horizons/West” 

Genre: Rock

Though “Horizons/West” isn’t necessarily a comeback album, as Thrice has had several releases in the past five years (“The Artist in the Ambulance (Revisited)” (2023), “Horizons/East” (2021),“Palms” (2018), “Horizons/West” is both a gritty and experimental return to their sound that emerged post-90s grunge. From borderline sludge metal (“Gnash”) to hard rock with riffs just waiting to be headbanged along to (“Blackout”), to slower, synthesizer-paired dreamy rock ballads (“Undertow”), the album takes listeners through a journey of the band’s evolution from post-grunge into contemporary music, where electronic elements make their presence known in even the most unexpected places… 

The album thematically explores sunlight and nature, not only through its title, “Horizons/West,” and its artwork, which features cool and warm sunset hues, but also through the song titles themselves: “Dusk,” “The Dark Glow,” and “Distant Suns.” Much like how every day is a journey, from the calm beginning of sunrise, to the chaos under the blaring sun, to the peaceful stillness of dusk and night, this work reflects the same balance between its moments of ambience (“Epitaph,” “Undertow”), its flashes of metal and punk influence, and even licks of indie rock, found primarily in “Distant Suns.” 

What makes “Horizons/West” remarkable is how fully it embodies Thrice’s identity while still feeling adventurous and new. Just when you think the album’s journey has reached its conclusion and surely they have incorporated all of their fresh ideas, Thrice closes with “Epitaph,” an unexpected and hauntingly beautiful finale. The track layers soft, echoing vocals over metal resonance and nearly four minutes of drifting static, creating a meditative sense of finality that lingers after the record ends. 

Of course, you can’t discuss “Horizons/West” without its counterpart “Horizons/East” (2021). The two were originally conceived as one 21-song double album. Where “Horizons/East” leans brighter and more grounded in the band’s emo and pop-punk strengths, “Horizons/West” dives deeper into experimentation and atmosphere. The contrast between the works highlights Thrice’s creative range. While one album feels refined and accessible, the other is lush and bold in ideas. 

“Horizons/West” is a dense, ambitious journey that complements and, in some ways, surpasses its predecessor. The four years between releases feel intentional, allowing the band to refine their ideas into something cohesive and powerful. The result is an album that feels deliberate at every turn, thoughtfully crafted, unpredictable, and of course, unmistakably Thrice.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) 

Recommended Track: “Blackout” is a standout opener that sets the tone for what is to come, beginning soft and still before erupting into an explosion of contagious hard rock.

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