Thursday/Envy Split (2008)

The new split between American post-hardcore act Thursday and Japanese screamo band Envy was first conceived during a conversation between a hardcore Envy fan and Thursday vocalist/lyricist Geoff Rickley. I'm not exactly sure how everything managed to fall into place, but somehow the stars were aligned and the split was recorded in the spring of 2008. Thursday contributed the first four of seven tracks, and they're actually the first new recordings we've seen from the band since 2006's underwhelming A City By The Light Divided. I can actually say with confidence that this is probably some of the best material Thursday has ever released, and it just makes me that much more excited to see what they come up with for the new record. "As He Climbed The Dark Mountain" and "An Absurd And Unrealistic Dream Of Peace" are more in-line with material Thursday has released in the past, while "In Silence" and "Appeared And Was Gone" are both instrumental tracks that dabble into the realms of electronica and experimental post-rock. These instrumental tracks are no doubt the weaker part of the Thursday side, but are nonetheless somewhat interesting and obvious extensions of the direction they were headed in with A City By The Light Divided.

Envy's side starts off a bit weak with "An Umbrella Fallen Into Fiction," a track that features a lengthy 4 minute intro that slowly transitions into a wall of gainy feedback and beautifully melodic soundscapes. "Isolation Of A Light Source" brings us more into that familiar Envy territory with explosive guitars and chaotic drumming underneath a blanket of harsh screams. The final track of the album, "Pure Birth And Loneliness" is a mellower, more melodic tune that concludes the split with a really awesome guitar riff that is more than likely to get stuck in the back of your head. I'm really glad that these two bands got together, as they both step into somewhat uncharted waters and try to experiment with each other's unique sound. There are some weaker moments to be had here, but the stronger material more than makes up for it. If you're a fan of Thursday and/or Envy, you'll probably find something worth getting excited about.

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