SPILL LIVE REVIEW: THRICE w/ MODERN COLOR & DOWNWARD @ DANFORTH MUSIC HALL, TORONTO

THRICE w/ MODERN COLOR & DOWNWARD

@ DANFORTH MUSIC HALL, TORONTO

NOVEMBER 4, 2025

Fresh off the release of Horizons/West, Thrice has embarked on a fall tour to bring their new album to life for audiences, and on the brisk evening of November 4th, it was Toronto’s turn.

The night started off by Downward. A modern alternative band who carves emotional depth into shimmering, reverb laden soundscapes that surge into raw intensity, melding a shoegaze atmosphere with post-hardcore drive and emo vulnerability. A perfect blend to ease the crowd into the evening. Their songs ebb and flow between quiet and loud cathartic bursts.

Modern Color brought the energy up a notch with their blend of melodic and post-hardcore mixed with emo and shoegaze, a mix that very few bands can pull off this successfully. They care about their texture and tone and can weave these sounds into something cohesive.

The band feels like a bridge for the mid 2010’s revival of indie and hardcore into the modern era. They balance sweeping ambience with a mosh pit mentality that brings an extra layer of emotion and rawness. They want you to feel them more than they want you to hear them.

HORIZONS/WEST ALBUM REVIEW

They ended their set with “Pale,” the epic closer from From the Leaves of Your Garden and walked away with more than a few new fans.

From the second Thrice took the stage fans were in awe of front man Dustin Kensrue. His presence is commanding, and his voice is flawless. The band overall is such a powerhouse and there’s a reason they are veterans of their genre and era. They helped define what modern post-hardcore and melodic hardcore could sound like and have continued to grow album after album. This tour puts that passion on full display for fans.

Classics like “For Miles” were so memorable with multi-instrumentalist Teppei Teranishi playing the introduction on piano under a spotlight while the rest of the stage was submerged in darkness.

They continued to draw from every era of their career ending with “The Earth Will Shake.” Proving that they are as just as ferocious as they’ve ever been.

(Photography by Jacob Vandergeer)