Full Collapse
Full Collapse gives Thursday's post-hardcore a strong sense of movement. Clear guitar figures can turn into a heavier wall of sound, while Geoff Rickly's exposed singing sits beside sharper supporting screams. The bass and drums provide more than a background for those changes. Their active playing helps the songs stay engaging even when the melodies are less immediate.
Understanding In A Car Crash is a convincing introduction to that balance. A bright guitar figure runs through a darker, bass-led arrangement, with the band increasing the force at useful moments. Rickly's voice gives the song a recognisable character, and the contrast between its cleaner surface and heavier sections remains effective.
Cross Out The Eyes pushes the combination further. The singing and screams work around a changing pace, while feedback and heavier guitar disturb the more melodic passages. It is intense without becoming shapeless. Paris In Flames keeps that pressure high, with forceful drumming and varied vocal delivery helping the performance retain its direction.
Standing On The Edge Of Summer provides a useful change in pace. Its lighter guitar detail offers some relief, while the band can still bring back a heavier riff when the song needs it.
Not every arrangement is as convincing. Autobiography Of A Nation fits a great deal into a short space, and some of its changes feel crowded.
The later stretch also asks for patience. How Long Is The Night? has enough ambition to hold interest, but tries to bring together more than the writing can comfortably carry. Rickly's unusual tone can become another obstacle when the material beneath it is less focused.
Even so, Full Collapse is a strong and distinctive record. Thursday make good use of the distance between melodic guitar, heavy rhythm and contrasting voices. The album is uneven, but its best songs show how those parts can produce emotional force without relying only on volume.
