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 THURSDAY-Full
Collapse (Victory)
The boys named after the fifth day of the week (or fourth day of the work
week, depending on your perspective) put out some very good music. I've
always liked Thursdays as they are a warm up to the weekend. Well, the
band, Thursday, is a warm up to something spectacular. On Full Collapse,
Tom Keeley and Steve Pedulla (guitar), Geoff Rickly (vocals), Tim Payne
(bass) and Tucker Rule (drums) produce some thoughtful, expressive, and
intelligent hard rock. The CD starts with a subtle crescendo that sneaks
up on you and then unleashes its fury in a full sonic assault. These guys
rock in a collegiate way; heavy, but certainly not devoid of artistic
tempo changes and textured instrumentation and vocals. The whole CD rocks
but a few tracks stick out as extra polished, one being
"Understanding in a Car Crash." Mr. Rickly's vocals remind me of
Robert Smith (The Cure) on amphetamines. In other words, he has the rich
tonal qualities of the aforementioned Goth college cult rocker but with
more rock and less whine. On several tracks it sounds as if he is
screaming over his dubbed more melodic self. Indeed, he often seems to get
more riled up as a song progresses, ending the song in a cathartic scream
worthy of today's angriest rap metalists. On "Paris in Flames"
the elements of the band come together in a swirling cacophony of
blistering guitar and poignant vocals. I also liked the suspenseful
drumming and fast chord progression of "Cross Out The Eyes."
Geoff Rickly's voice is the exclamation point to some fine musicianship on
this album. Blood curdling screams like guillotines mesh with complex
chords, changing riffs, and just enough effects to keep you on the edge of
your seat. - Tony Gerardi
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