In 2003, California, based rock band Thrice released their third studio album "The Artist in the Ambulance". This record was a commercial and critical success for the band and a refining of sound from their two previous records. Thrice are a band that have progressed quite a bit since their early records, but "The Artist in the Ambulance" is an album that still holds up and is an highlight in the band's career. Tracks like "Cold Cash and Cold Hearts", "All That's Left", "Paper Tigers", and the classic "The Artist in the Ambulance"are just four reasons why Thrice are one of the most respected and loved groups from the early 2000's rock scene. This album as a whole displays some excellent instrumentation and some passionate vocals by lead front-man Dustin Kensrue. This album also displays Thrice's fantastic balancing of heavy and melodic dynamics, with my favorite example being one of the album's singles "All That's Left"."The Artist in the Ambulance" also showcases Dustin Kensrue's ever growing vocal talents, with his cleans sounding more mature and his screams sounding tighter than they did the on band's previous efforts. The instrumentation isn't a slouch either, with the guitars giving the album that needed edge and melodic feel. The drums and bass are also solid throughout the album's run-time. The album's only low moments are the tracks "The Melting Point of Wax" and "Blood Clots and Black Holes". These track are good enough to be on the album, but their also too underwhelming for them to be great. Besides the couple more underwhelming tracks this albums is solid through and through.
Overall, "The Artist in the Ambulance" is a great record that any fan of early 2000's rock should own, or at least listen to. This album also showed a lot of promise for the band, with the next record "Vheissu" being the actualization of that promise. I give "The Artist in the Ambulance" my rating of an 8.8/10. Give it a listen!
Favorite Tracks: Cold Cash and Cold Hearts, Under a Killing Moon, All That's Left, Paper Tigers, The Artist in the Ambulance
Least Favorite: The Melting Point of Wax and Blood Clots and Black Holes
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