Thursday's Full Collapse was hailed as the harbinger of a new underground hardcore movement which splices traditional hard rock elements with more jagged influences, namely Emo. the problem was that Thursday were hardly representatives of a new underground. bands such as Glassjaw, Jets to Brazil and Fugazi were the more obvious figures of the movement and Thursday seemed to have been given the baton without even their knowledge. suffice it to say, Full Collapse is still a good representative of that underground movement which, by virtue of being discussed here, is underground no more. two years have passed since their landmark debut and with War All The Time we find Thursday burnishing their sound.

the first single, 'Signals Over The Air,' is different than 'Cross Out The Eyes' from their 2001 album because it exhibits a very different [but welcomed] chemistry. most of Full Collapse became a bit tedious because of the acute Emo injections in every song--Geoff Rickley's dogged screaming became tiresome--and there was a certain unfixed system to it all, though this was part of the appeal. War All The Time, however, finds the band treading the more focused waters of rock than of Emo as the guitar work and drumming become more taut. what especially enhances the work is a heightened attempt at subtlety. Andre Everding, their (new?) keyboardist, plays a significant role on the album and gives a cushion to the bands otherwise overly uninhibited edge. though thematically it may not be too dissimilar from their debut, War All The Time is a lot more ardent with its message. there exists a lot more interpretive room with songs like 'Division St.' and 'M. Saints' than 'Autobiography of a Nation' and 'I Am The Killer.' the direction taken with the new album is promising and perhaps foretells a very positive future for the group. this is a fine work.