Thursday Band • Page 31

War All The Time is really cool but I personally think that aggression that permeated so much of that record was easy for them. I like them trying things out more, and even Common Existence I think has the benefit of them being more experienced songwriters by that point. Plus I just love the idea of each song being a response to different literature, that's a cool concept. Which isn't to discount WATT, they just have a really really strong discography.
Edit: I do think War All The Time benefits a lot from how immediate and accessible it is

 

It really just depends if you prefer the more straight post-hardcore sound or the more experimental sound. I can't really say which I prefer, they're both fantastic sides to the band.

 

I think that I would hold War All The Time and Full Collapse in higher esteem in their discography if I listened to Thursday earlier in my life. As it happens, the more straight forward post-hardcore of both of those albums just feels like it's been pretty widely imitated, even if Thursday does do it better. I feel like I should give Waiting another chance I listened to that once, maybe twice

 

Full Collapse doesn't do much for me. I appreciate it, and I appreciate that Geoff considers it his favorite work, but given the choice, I gravitate towards the back half of their discography. There's nothing else -- or at least very little else, if that risks being hyperbolic -- that sounds like the second half of The Other Side of the Crash, or Autumn Leaves Revisited, or Circuits of Fever, or No Answers, or A Gun in the First Act. While Full Collapse and War All The Time were at the helm of 2000's post-hardcore, latter-day Thursday still sounds like the future to me.

 

I got into them during Full Collapse and it's still the album I revistit. I haven't listened to their other albums front to back in probably 5+ years.

 

Same time I got into them. But I revisit every album frequently.

 

And I know a lot of people do, but I'm not into those albums anymore. I'm not sure why.

 

yup, i agree with this. FC and WATT are just a little boring to me at this point, no devo and ACBTLD are just such cool records

 

So how come Common Existence is widely omitted from conversations? Like no one seems to have it as a favorite even though it's better than WATT but still in that vein, no one comes out of the woodwork to shit on it, it just doesn't get much discussion either way. What's up

 

Love this photo:

 

CE is solid, something feels missing though
You Were The Cancer is an easy top 5 track though

 

I don't think the band talks about it much, for one. I remember Geoff saying it was his least favorite in one of those album ranking columns. I think since the band doesn't talk about it much, it just kind of sits there. I also think with ND being their last record, and more polarizing sound that it overshadows CE to a degree.

 

CE is an amazing album and really bridges the gap between ACBTLD and no dev stylistically speaking

 

Yeah, I think it's probably that they aren't stretching their wings in terms of sonic experimentation like A City or No Devo, but like overall it's still great at exploring their aggression in a way that I think they hadn't done in quite the same way. I don't think I would be as confused about CE place for people if WATT wasn't held up so highly. Yeah, the Love Has Led Us Astray into You Were The Cancer combo is an excellent way to end the album, for sure. Almost as good as Autumn Leaves, and imo as good as Turnpike Divides into Stay True.

Yeah, it's that Noisey Rank Yr Records thing. But in that he says his feelings are less about the quality of the record and more about the time period and things that were going on, so I don't think that should discount Common Existence as a great addition to their discography. It is effectively invisible which is strange to me. Your last point makes sense though, polarizing (re: good) albums probably make for better conversation

 

Long shot but if anyone is willing or knows someone, I'm looking to trade Starland tickets for the Chicago club show at riot fest.

 

I have a hard time picking out a favorite from Thursday's last three albums, but Common Existence holds its own. You Were The Cancer is my favorite Thursday closer, and Beyond the Visible Spectrum and As He Climbed the Dark Mountain are in my top 10. The b-sides like In Silence are amazing, as well.

 

Jamming CE for the first time in years. Really enjoying it. Not sure why this wasn't a hit.

Only qualm is the drum production. Sounds flat...is that just me?

 

Love Has Led Us Astray, Time's Arrow, and Circuits of Fever.
How are these not in every set of theirs ?

 

See, these are the comments I'd never seen before!! I knew people who fuck with CE existed, nice. I haven't listened to the b sides though. Also I think I recall thinking something sounded kind of off but I don't know if it was the drums and I definitely attributed it to how I was listening to it, so i'll listen again

 

Common Existence is a great album. I always got the impression that it was taking what they did with ACBTLD but melding it with the more aggressive sound they had on WATT. I think it bred a ton of great songs: Resuscitation Of A Dead Man, Last Call, As He Climbed The Dark Mountain, Beyond The Visible Spectrum, Love Has Led Us Astray, and You Were The Cancer. I think it's their most underrated album and it continuously puzzles me as to why.

 

Could you expand what you mean by this part? They were doing a lot on that album, and there were some songs that even doubled down on their previous aggression. What makes that album stick out to me is the stylistic variety with the excellent execution more than anything so I'm curious what you mean, but I agree w everything else otherwise.

 

I just meant that they maintained their sonic direction, obviously with Fridmann back at production, but also with their atmospheric tendencies.

 

Yeah CE has some good atmosphere, hell it has a borderline acoustic song which is wild for Thursday, but also has some super aggresive songwriting going on like "As He Climbed The Dark Mountain" and "Last Call". CE is phenomenal. All the albums from Full Collapse to ND are phenomenal and I love them like children.

 

Beyond the Visible Spectrum is a perfect song

 

Also, I never hear it get called out, but the spoken word bridge on Subway Funeral is incredible. It's up there with Thursday's most emotionally affecting moments.