From Dread to Kerosene: Thousand Below’s Newest Single

I’ve finally got myself off of Palace of Dread and onto Thousand Below’s newest release Kerosene. We’ve got a melody encased in an emotionally rich sound as the band keeps pushing forward to their next album Buried In Jade. This will be the band’s fourth album, and what we’re all looking forward to is the tour that comes along with it. More on that at the end, first, let’s get into this latest release and how I seem to keep having it on loop…

San Diegan post-hardcore band Thousand Below had already served its first hook and line with Palace of Dread for the upcoming album. Now, as a follow-up, we were given Kerosene, which in comparison feels like an emotional follow-up from the gritty previous release. With sounds that pass like a strong wind, the track is smooth, airy, and digital-sounding, which is nothing new for this band. I’ll admit, it took me a moment to really value each piece of depth this song has, so I suggest you give it a good listen with some headphones and be distraction-less.

Unclean vocals right off the bat. A harsh knock to the chest. Then what sticks out to me is that crash of digital-shimmer sound that breaks like glass (assuming a synth or atmospheric pad). This element goes forth starting from the first 30 seconds and fills in gaps between instrumental breaks but also weaves intensity between all the pieces it’s present in, this small detail really gives this track some modern tension.

The tension climbs, but the light clean vocals of James Deberg bless your ears and calm like a break in the waves. It’s like he’s pulling you into a safe place with his voice. Ultimately, this leads to a true break where all that is present is light vocals and featherweight instrumentals until the chorus. Although there’s an explosion for this climax of a chorus, it hits softly. Most times it’s like a harsh smack, but this one was soft and deeply emotion-evoking.

But don’t think that the smack never comes, after a rhythmic guitar and breath of fresh air in the song, you’re counting down the time left alongside the sound of feedback, met with a breakdown in the shape of the biggest tidal wave in the song. It’s like taking a deep breath before going completely under. The lyrics here are:

“Just breathe // Just breathe // Follow the smoke, you’re who you’re supposed to be // God only knows, God only knows // You’re who you’re supposed to be”

…but it’s sung in a way that feels like this is the last push and breaking point of the song. I feel like this song is beautiful, and I may or may not have shed a frustrated tear during this segment. It’s moving, you know? This song feels like fuel for a fire that has dimmed (definitely no pun intended). It’s that hand that picks you up when you need it.

The last chorus is that burst of breath that ends up fading into its initial cloudy-type feel and floats away towards the end. If you’re looking for an emotional rollercoaster of a song where, at the end, you feel ready to take on some challenges in life, I highly recommend this one for you. This track brings the heat but gives you a glass of water at the end. It's healing.

You know me, I love digging into the reception of songs by looking at what listeners have to say, and it’s actually really wholesome seeing original fans love what this band has been cooking up. One long time listener had this to say:

“As a day 1 fan you cannot keep getting away with writing songs that absolutely destroy me lyrically and back it up with modern post-post hardcore structures. Each release has been special but the growth up to this record shows in spades.”

It’s so true, too, Thousand Below is not just a band with good sound which is absolutely a challenge as we all know. They’re a band of evolution, and they’re doing it in such a seamless way. The reception is great for these last two releases, and we are amped up for that album (release date Aug. 8th).

Shortly after the new album, the band will be hitting the road, making their first destination, very obviously, here in San Diego at SOMA on Aug. 15th. They will be joined by Aviana, True North, and (a friend’s personal favorite) Dreamwake. You already know myself and Dani will be there at the final show, which is on 09/13 Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex, so with that being said, I really look forward to hearing this one loud and live.