Cold, Crossfade, is similar to Red Sky only in that it is a highly-hyped song of one of my favorite bands. Also like Cold, I don't feel it is worthy of that status.

Personally, I don't see what people see in Red Sky. Thrice themselves even chose this as the centerpiece for their newest EP. I just don't get why. Red Sky is the weakest song on Vheissu, tying with Image of the Invisible. Ironically enough, both are the most well-known songs of off Vheissu, which I am irritated with. They really don't exhibit Thrice's talent, and I would normally have marked them off as filler songs.

Lyrics: Alongside Atlantic, Red Sky is the only song without a direct religious allusion. That doesn't hurt or harm it any, I just felt like pointing that out.
Back to the point, though, this song is based on the story of sailors approaching their deaths as the sky blazes red. A cool idea, but not portrayed as well as it could have been.

Thrice abandons the deep and cryptic lyrics they favored when creating the tracks of Vheissu in Red Sky, in lieu of the blunt, boring lyrics that dominate The Artist in the Ambulance. I only recently became a fan of Thrice. A year ago, yes, but considering Thrice has been around for six years, that is recent. Only now, as I near the end of my Thrice collection, can I honestly look back and judge the songs they've made in comparison to others. This is it:

The Artist in the Ambulance is the most direct of Thrice's four main Albums, and I find it to be the weakest and least innovative because of that. The majority of Vheissu is free of that curse, showing listeners what Thrice is capable of when they flex their creative muscle. Red Sky contradicts that, ending a very solid Album with a song that borders on generic. And believe me, it's a sad day when Thrice can be labelled as generic.

No line in this song really stands out to me. Thrice, interestingly enough, wasn't able to see the trees for the forest in this song. They were aiming for a doom-laden atmosphere, and the instruments reflect that idea. But the lyrics were lost somewhere in translation, wandering off aimlessly like a bored child. The chorus is weak, good only for reminding you what this song is actually trying to say in the first place. Dustin has always produced amazing lyrics, but they were just absent altogether in Red Sky. 5/10.


Vocals: Dustin takes on a softer tone in this song. Again, this isn't cause for celebration or resentment, just a warning of what to expect. I don't mind Dustin's softer singing; I'm a pretty big fan of Atlantic, after all. Dustin is quite an incredible individual, seeing as he can both write awe-inspiring lyrics and sing them fantastically as well. Though the lyrics definitely took a turn for the worst in Red Sky, Dustin did well singing them. As I said, despite missing their own point, Dustin does his best to convey the sense of foreboding he had in mind in Red Sky, and he does it quite well. 7/10, I'd say, though that's being very generous.


Instruments: Another big problem I had with this song was the use of instruments. Thrice typically bombards their listeners with sound, but they do it artfully, avoiding the uninspired cacophony most screamo bands produce. I wouldn't call Red Sky a mess in terms of instrumental work, but dear heavens, I was so, so disappointed to hear guitars, drums, and vocals just tossed together with all the finesse of a grade schooler wielding modeling clay. It was just roaring sound after roaring sound, and it really hurts your ears after a while. However, the beginning and the ending were soothing, almost calming, before the whole song falls apart on itself. Sometimes I actualy decide to listen to the quietly pulsing beginning of Red Sky before moving onto a better song; Weight of Glory is currently right after Red Sky, soon to be joined by Flags of Dawn. They make the EP of this mediocre song a lot better than it has any right to be.

I find myself wondering, when listening to Red Sky, why I'm not listening Weight of Glory instead. Now that's a song that knows how to make thunderous vocals and instrumental work sound superb. Red Sky isn't anywhere close to achieving that sort of excellence. I give the Instrumental Work a 6/10, just because the ending and the beginning somewhat make up for the irritating collaboration of noise that makes up the chorus line.

Lyrics: 5/10
Vocals: 7/10
Instruments: 6/10

5 + 7 + 6 = 18. 18/30 = 6/10.

....Honestly, I think a 6/10 is too high for this song. 5/10 would be more suiting. However, I don't have much choice if I abide by my own rules. 6/10 it is, unfortunately. Red Sky is a limited song, devoutly showing the weaker side of Thrice's music and nothing but it.

Ironically enough, I just heard a song on the ending credits of The Core, a movie FX played today, and it began with mention of, believe it or not, the sky turning red. As the song progressed, I couldn't help but think how much more ethereal and overall good Red Sky would have been if it emulated that ending song. Unoriginal perhaps, but it would certainly sound better than the vague and convoluted Red Sky Thrice currently shows off so proudly.

First, how I came by this impressive song. I was cruising iTunes, deciding to download a nice mass of rock songs. I purchased Blood Clots and Black Holes, Weight of Glory, and Like Moths To Flame from Thrice. I was really excited for Like Moths To Flame, seeing as it comes from Vheissu, and Vheissu is brilliant. But what really had me jubilant was when I went to the Crossfade portion and found tracks from Falling Away listed! Eager, I quickly downloaded The Unknown as I had planned, and then wondered which track from Falling Away to buy. I noticed iTunes' Relevance scale, which I really can't figure out, on Already Gone was higher than everything else except Invincible. So I decided to go by that, and on a whim, purchased Already Gone. And wow, was I impressed. This is an amazing song, and I only need it and Invincible to know that the rest of Falling Away is going to be downright incredible when I get around to getting more of it.

Lyrics: [What could you possibly want from me, can't you see I'm already gone?] The vocals really emphasize this phrase, and it sounds great. The lyrics of this song are as deep as any other Crossfade song, and I can honestly relate with them. I like that in songs. For that, I give this song a 9/10 in Lyrics. They're excellent, but not quite perfect.

Vocals: Oh heavens do I love the vocals. Crossfade's sound has really matured and progressed since Crossfade, and Already Gone is perfect evidence of this maturation. Crossfade was a brilliant Album, make no mistake, but Falling Away just rocks. So many of the lines that could've fallen flat here were saved, and then some, by the strong vocal work from Ed Sloan. The feeling of unabashed departure is brought out by the work from this man, and it works strongly in the song's favor. Just one excellent example to cite is the music from 0:20 to 0:24. And yes, that's just the beginning. The entire song is filled with intense moments like that, and for that, vocals get a 10/10. This is really Crossfade's best so far, in terms of vocals. I haven't heard the rest of Falling Away, so I don't know if they performed as magnificently as they did in Already Gone, but if they have, that's awesome.

Instruments: What the vocals didn't do, the instrumental work did. The strength of these instruments is conveyed perfectly in the most gripping moments of the song, like 0:20-0:24. The drums give the song an interesting blend of frantic anger and relaxed indignance; you can feel the urgency, but at the same time, you can understand the bittersweet contempt behind it all. The guitar work is topnotch as well, giving you a reason to remember the strongest moments of this song for hours afterward. The riff from 2:08 to 2:14 shows how far an improvement Crossfade has made in the two years from Album to Album. 9/10, I suppose, though I'm close to giving it a 10/10 for the excellence of it all.

Lyrics: 9/10
Vocals: 10/10
Instruments: 9/10

9 + 10 + 9 = 18. 28/30 = 9 1/3 out of 10.

I'd like to give this song a 10/10, but it's not quite there. So I'll round it down to 9/10. But it's still an incredible song, remember that. One of the highlights of Falling Away, in my opinion, and I haven't even heard the entire Album yet.

Square One is the first track on X&Y, Coldplay's 2005 release. It also happens to be one of the best songs off of.

Lyrics: Coldplay's always been a master of smooth and meaningful lyrics, and Square One is no exception. Lost, searching for a purpose, searching for anything....A haunting and gripping song, yes, but wondrous nonetheless. 10/10

Instruments: This song has a very eerie melody, but it fits the lyrics perfectly. Coldplay really shows how far they've come and the directions they've went in the last few years with Square One; you won't find a song like this off of AROBTTH. I love all of Coldplay's songs, but I'm glad Coldplay chose to take a chance with Square One; it wouldn't be the same without the speed and mystical sound effects. 10/10 again.

Vocals: Chris Martin is one of the best singers around, in my opinion. He can go from deep to falsetto with little to no effort. His range of pitches in Square One isn't amazingly diverse, but there's no way it could be called restricted. It's right in the middle, I'd say, and right in the middle works here. 10/10 once more.

Vocals: 10/10
Lyrics: 10/10
Instruments: 10/10

30/30 = 10/10.

I may sound like I'm rambling here, and I am giving this song a lot of praise. But Square One is an undeniably excellent song, and if you listen to it, I expect you'll like it, perhaps even love it as much as I do. At 500+ on my Play Count, Square One is my most-listened-to song in iTunes, and the most-listened-to song in the entire family library of songs.

If you've read the first Entry in Eye of the Storm, you'll know I like the band Thrice. I find their songs to be enjoyable to listen to. The lyrics and tunes are well thought-out. But, there's one song that stands out from the rest, and that song is Of Dust and Nations.

Seriously, this is the best Thrice song. If you've never heard Thrice before, or even if you have, listen to this song. Forget whatever genre of music you're interested in; this song will most likely tickle your fancy. The melody of this song is beyond incredible. It's a blend of mystical sound effects and amazing handling of the guitar, and it sounds awesome. There's no other way to put it. If you like music at all, you'll like this tune.

Then there's the lyrics. Impressed as I am by the melody, I couldn't help noticing the lyrics. Thrice has a knack for creative lyrics, and this song is no exception. It can get slightly repetitive, but the song is still great to listen to, whether lyrics or melody means more to you.

In the beginning, the main tune is slower and more quiescent. But then it completely slows down. You'd think something went wrong, really. But then there's an explosion of music, and it totally sweeps you away.

I'm awed by this song. It's just handled so brilliantly; it makes me wonder why Image of the Invisible is the highlight of Thrice's newest album, Vheissu, instead of this masterpiece. I highly recommend it, because I think pretty much anybody would enjoy it.

10/10, btw. This is an old Entry and I can't be bothered with inserting my rating system into it, but this song is just astonishing, and it deserves a perfect ten.