The Illusion of Safety (Thrice album)

The Illusion of Safety is the second studio album by American rock band Thrice. It was released on February 5, 2002 through Sub City Records, who the band had previously reissued their debut studio album Identity Crisis (2000) through. They wrote new songs at a rate of two per month, prior to recording in July 2001. Sessions were held at Salad Days Studios with producer Brian McTernan. The Illusion of Safety is a melodic hardcore and post-hardcore album, with a reoccurring topic of death and religious references.

The Illusion of Safety received universal acclaim from music critics, some of whom praised the album's mix of styles. It sold 4,202 copies during its first week of release, reaching the top 20 on the Billboard Independent and Heatseekers Album charts. Thrice promoted the album with a tour with Anti-Flag and Against All Authority, before playing a few shows with Further Seems Forever. A music video was filmed for "Betrayal is a Symptom", prior to the band supporting Face to Face, and embarking on a headlining tour of the United States. A music video for "Deadbolt" was posted online, leading to a co-headlining US tour with Hot Water Music.

Background and recording

Thrice released their debut studio album Identity Crisis in June 2000 through local label Greenflag Records. By September 2000, they were in the process of writing new material for its follow-up. They received rejection letters from labels that were confused by the variety in the band's sound. The band were put in contact with Louis Posen of Hopeless Records, who was interested in licensing Identity Crisis. It was subsequently re-released on March 6, 2001 by Hopeless imprint Sub City Records. The band were able to write new songs at a rate of two per month in preparation for their next album. In June 2001, Thrice performed a few shows on the Warped Tour. They were in the process of seeking a producer for the new album, finding that Brian McTernan's name was mentioned on a number of albums the band was listening to. He had heard Identity Crisis and was interested, asking the band to provide him with some demos. Thrice set up a dictaphone recorder in the middle of a rehearsal space; as the band's PA system was lacking in quality, Kensrue had to yell into it for his vocals to be picked up on the recording.

McTernan thought the songs were heavy-sounding, but he was unsure if he was going to take on another project like that. He initially emailed their manager Nick Bogardus, suggesting they find someone else to work with. Bogardus responded by telling him he would be a perfect match, adding that he would supply additional demos. The following month, they recorded The Illusion of Safety with McTernan over the course of three weeks. The band had missed their flight as the airport had changed the times without informing them, prompting the band to drive from Washington, D.C. Sessions were held at Salad Days Studios, where McTernan also aided as engineer. Lollipop Magazine writer Tim Den said its "[s]omber melodic hardcore" had "Master of Puppets fingerprints all over it". Bassist Eddie Breckenridge said the other members began expanding their music tastes, citing that he liked jazz, Kensrue listened to Michael Jackson, and guitarist Teppei Teranishi explored pop music. In another interview, the host asked about the death references in the song titles, to which Breckenridge said, "we actually changed them. They were way way more metal sounding. I think 'Stabbing Angels' was the name of one". Athom said that Kensrue's lyrics featured "literary references and religious allusions" as he "struggles with faith, dogma, and friendships". "A Subtle Dagger" explores similar territory, with its guitar parts evoking Megadeth, which is followed by "See You in the Shallows", which recalled the material on Identity Crisis. "Deadbolt" evokes 1990s hardcore and screamo, and shuns the verse–chorus–verse form of songwriting. Throughout it, Teppei's guitar parts counter Kensrue's vocals in a call-and-response manner, shifting between post-hardcore and pop-punk. On November 6, 2001, "Betrayal is a Symptom" was posted as a free download through the band's website. In November and December, the band supported Converge and American Nightmare on their co-headlining tour of the United States. Following this, the band toured with Piebald for two weeks in December. The Illusion of Safety was released on February 5, 2002 through Sub City Records. In the booklet, a "thank you" credit is given to police in Texas for "pulling us over three times in twenty four hours". Riley Breckenridge explained that had been pulled over when they toured Texas for the first time for not having the correct registration. A quote from "The Masque of the Red Death" is included in the booklet, which Kensrue felt went well with the album's theme.

In February and March 2002, the group went on tour with Anti-Flag and Against All Authority. In late March, the group performed a few shows with Further Seems Forever, Hot Rod Circuit and Recover. In between tours, a music video was filmed for "Betrayal is a Symptom". In June, the band went on a headlining US tour with Recover and Brand New. Later in the month, the band played a handful of shows on Warped Tour. In August, the band played a one-off show, which served as a music video shoot for "Deadbolt"; it was posted online on October 3. In October and November 2002, the band went on a co-headlining US tour with Hot Water Music; they were supported by Coheed and Cambria. In May 2004, A Place Called Home established the Sub City/Thrice Scholarship, offering six students the chance to take a year's worth of performance lessons and learn professional music theory. By June 2007, The Illusion of Safety had raised over $100,000 for A Place Called Home. Coinciding with the band's farewell tour, the album was re-pressed on vinyl in June 2012. They performed it in its entirety at the 2022 Furnace Fest, and for a series of shows at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, to celebrate the album's 20th anniversary.

Reception and legacy

The Illusion of Safety was met with universal acclaim from music critics. AllMusic reviewer Jason Anderson highlighted its mixes of styles: "Atypically dynamic for its genre, Thrice stabs at punk-pop with grandiose guitar harmonies, hardcore vocal wails, and a Metallic (note the big "M") chunk that transforms its emo turnarounds into progressive hardcore theater". Brian Greenaway of Modern Fix said the "myriad acts out there attempting to meld melodic harmonies with heavy, relentless guitars would do well to take a page out of Thrice's playbook". In a retrospective piece, Athom reiterated this, saying that "thousands of bands that popped up after its release, trying in vain to capture the power and majesty hidden within its thirty-eight minutes". Den added to this, saying that his "gut-wrenching-yet-tuneful delivery will have you pumped with drama". Greenaway was surprised by Kensrue's "ability to actually sing", easily separating them from their emo peers, It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart, and number 20 on Heatseekers Albums chart. Sacher said it "would go on to help define the early 2000s post-hardcore boom"; Jack Rogers of Rock Sound similarly called it a blueprint for the emo genre. Wolves at the Gate covered "Deadbolt" for their Back to School (2013) EP, while the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus covered "Trust" for the compilation Songs That Saved My Life Volume 2 (2019).

Track listing

All music by Thrice, all lyrics by Dustin Kensrue.

Thrice

Dustin Kensrue – lead vocals, guitar
Teppei Teranishi – guitar
Eddie Breckenridge – bass guitar
Riley Breckenridge – drums

Production and artwork

Brian McTernan – producer, engineer
Alan Douches – mastering
Cold War Kids - design, photo

Charts

{|class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Chart performance for The Illusion of Safety

!Chart (2002)

!Peak<br>position

References

Citations

Sources

External links

The Illusion of Safety at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)