In July, Thrice dropped their single “Scavengers,” the first song off their upcoming album, Horizons/East. Today, the California-based band shared their newest single, “Robot Soft Exorcism.” The song offers another taste of their upcoming release, which is set to drop on September 17th via Epitaph Records. In March, the band shared some photos from their work in the studio, raising the anticipation of their fans.
The video/visualizer to the song continues the thematic of cyberspace and the album art. The audience can see machines working, a robotic head and a cyborg-like being running through the space.
The song itself stays faithful to the thematic as well, with futuristic elements that complement the beats of the song. Vocalist Dustin Kensrue gives it all throughout the song. His vocals almost remind one of an early Chris Cornell. They are raspy just in the right way. The lyrics also showcase Kensrue’s songwriting abilities with lines like, “But there’s another way to face the unforeseen—you don’t have to stay inside of that machine. Staring up across the wreck, a single figure stands erect—they shout and wave, so tiny and absurd.”
While the previously released song, “Scavengers,” showed the band from their dark and heavy side, “Robotic Soft Exorcism” takes a different route. Yes, it is dark, but with all the little notes woven into the melody of the song, it elevates the song tremendously. In their press release, the band explains the name of the song, “The track’s title may sound familiar to those who are aware of David Dark. The American author and teacher coined the term in a Twitter thread, exploring a metaphor in an attempt to help us distinguish between harmful and destructive systems and those that inhabit and benefit from them.”
The band is currently set to tour with the hardcore band Touché Amoré next month.
Photo Credit: Owen Ela