Despite the peace barring name, Common Existence is an aggressively relentless crash of lofty melodies and high pressure, militant rhythms. Thursday’s latest pushes the barriers of A City By The Lights Divided, refusing the easy of modesty and creating an intense, almost dramatized lashed out against the tragedies of an unforgiving world. Though they stay clear from Red/Blue politics, they are not afraid to voice their opinions of governance, war, and modern life. Thursday’s musical aggression and battle cry hymns seem only natural result of their social discontent.
The first half of the album never slows down. Like riding out a sudden burst of influence, the first five songs all flow together in a steady, fierce sound of rage and control. The tracks Last Call, and As He Climbed The Dark Mountain, are lead by unleashed rhythms, filled with high-scaled picks and resonant noise. Singer Geoff Rickly plays the ballad tune of his voice in the songs Time’s Arrow and Love Has Lead Us Astray, which happen to be the only two slower songs of the cd.
If Thursday hasn’t impressed you in the past, I doubt this CD will be the one to do it, but if you’re a long time listener like myself and most fans, this latest release is a necessary chapter in the bands discography.
