February 20th, 2009 
James Shotwell Band: Thursday
Album: Common Existence
Genre: Hard Rock
Label:Epitaph
Track Listing:
1. Resuscitation of a Dead Man
2. Last Call
3. As He Climbed The Dark Mountain
4. Friends In The Armed Forces
5. Beyond The Visible Spectrum
6. Time’s Arrow
7. Unintended Long Term Effects
8. Circuits of Fever
9. Subway Funeral
10. Love Has Led Us Astray
11. You Were The Cancer
Thursday is on their way to/if not already legends in the emo/hard rock scene. Having come onto the scene with Waiting and then fully exploding into the limelight with Full Collapse, Thursday continue to been an ever present name on the lips of music fans everywhere. Their career has gone from small time Eyeball Record, to Victory, to the majors, then back to Victory, and now they are releasing their latest work, Common Existence, on Epitaph. Seems fitting for a band with such a legacy to be on a label with a similar history of greatness. The one question is, do they still have it?
I will be the first to admit, A City By The Light Divided was a trainwreck for Thursday. In my opinion it was a wishy washy attempt to get a record out that fans caught on too instead of praising. The singles were weak and the filler was nothing to award. So my timidness with the new record has probably been experienced by many fans, but from the get go, the band starts earning our admiration back. “Resuscitation of a Dead Man,” the lead track and single, is simply blistering. Geoff and crew really bring their A-game up front, which can mean great things are on the horizon or their covering their bases before getting into questionable territory. Luckily, the first one is the case here. “Last Call,” and the other following tracks keep the fury and emotional/lyrical depth Thursday fans have come to expect. In Fact, “Last Call,” may be my favorite track on the record as it seems to throwback to Five Stories Falling era Thursday with a healthy dose of maturity. There’s then a sense of urgency with, “Friends in the Armed Forces,” that one cannot deny. Geoff’s vocals just pull you in and demand your attention while making off collar references to past celebrations of war and signs of honor. It’s classic Thursday, but once again feels very fresh.
The back half of the record kicks off for me with, “Time’s Arrow,” an acoustic track that builds in structure and depth from a foxhole to a cavern. The real key here is the production value which is simply through the roof on the whole record, but this one track is just stunning. The band has really come great distances in creating atmosphere within a single track as opposed to an entire record. The record isn’t perfect and does start to have a bit of drag in the back half, which is common in any album, but I really think we could have done without, “Circuits of Fever.” This track has the lyrical feel of Thursday, but the electronics and overall speed beg for you to feel something rather than make you and it just feels weak for a bad of this calliber. Luckily, things pick back up for the remaining tracks, as, “Subway Funeral,” gives the disc a fresh jolt of youthfulness and technicality. The guitar riff simply tears at you throughout and the bass never ceases to chug along at the speed of hearts. The closer, which has alwasy been a significant track on any Thursday album, does not disappoint. Starting with similar synths as, “Circuits of Fever,” this one builds very slow, creating an eerie world of sound for Geoff to begin his delivery within. The words flow like a slower, “Jet Black New Year,” with references and analogies made about something we’re not told about upfront. The guitars seem to duel and compliment at the same time while the drums just radiate throughout. The sheer level of effort in this song alone shows why Thursday is where they are – they can make your jaw drop without even fnishing a song. It’s just a solid track and a perfect closer.
In the end, Common Existence, picks up the pieces the previous Thursday album broke off and reestablishes the band as a force to be met in the scene. So many bands in thsi genre change their sound altogether or outlive their welcome, but Thursday continues to give us reasons to care and perfects their art again and again. I will add however, I would like to see the act go four tracks without mentioning fire, building crumbling, bombs, or the color black. A little lyrical mix up won’t hurt anyone and if anything would only work to help freshen up the band. That said, there are few outright flaws with Common Existence and I would recommend everyone give it a spin. So many bands today live fleeting careers, but Thursday is a prime example that hard work can pay off and longevity in the music industry is still attainable.
*Written By: James Shotwell*
Grade: 8.5/10
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