The Alchemy Index turns up gold

Fire and Water are the first two installments of Thrice's The Alchemy Index, a four-EP collection focusing on the four elements of nature: fire, water, air and earth. Each EP focuses on a specific element and portrays it through music.

Of the two releases, the Fire EP, akin to the 2002 release Illusion of Safety, represents a sound any Thrice fan might recognize. The songs have moved away from the familiar heavy metal guitar riffs, however, and concentrate more on creating the sound of fire through melody.

The EP's opening track "Firebreather" brings something new to Thrice's signature sound: choral vocals over mesmerizing guitar work. "The Messenger" is by far one of the band's heaviest tracks; the powerful thunder of the drums, heavy guitar, and front-man Dustin Kensrue's potent vocals make this two minute song a force to be reckoned with.

The Water EP is just that in elemental form; fire's opposite. Water is mysterious, full of electronic undertones, and haunting vocals. Thrice proffers something unexpected in "Digital Sea". Upon first listen, the aquatic-like sounds and use of chilling electronics point to a sound similar to that of Deftones. The entire EP becomes its element in the instant it starts playing. The riveting, instrumental "Night Diving" is the exceptional track off this installment, finishing at just after the six minute mark.

The Fire EP is moody, heavy, and full of a familiar Thrice sound. The Water EP is Fire's parallel, though still grasping tight to the depth of their sound. Each EP still has a heavy sound, but fits with its prescribed element.

The first two releases of The Alchemy Index are phenomenal works of art and leave this listener waiting not so patiently for the third and fourth installments.