"...The pairing of a so-called emo band from New Jersey and a screamo/post-rock band from Japan may seem odd. But for those well versed in the recordings of both Thursday and Envy, this partnering of punk-minded individuals makes a lot of sense.

Thursday begin the split with "As He Climbed the Dark Mountain." The sound set forth by the New Jersey quintet is akin to their most recent full-length. The music is heavily textured and melodic, falling someplace between the worlds of hardcore, traditional emo, and post-rock. If the rest of the band's next album is anything like this song, it may just be their best album to date

yes, even better than Full Collapse. The instrumental piece "In Silence" follows and showcases a side of the band I've become more intrigued with, their use of instrumental pieces on their recordings. It's a fairly new act to their repertoire, but it's a great addition. "In Silence" is a brooding piece that boasts haunting guitar noodling and electronic effects centered around the piano; it could easily be used as the backdrop to a major motion picture ala Explosions in the Sky. "An Absurd and Unrealistic Dream of Peace" is a return of Thursday to what they do best, fusing melody and aggression in perfect balance. Their side is closed out by "Appeared and was Gone," a reworking on "In Silence" by Anthony Molina of Mercury Rev. It's an interesting interpretation but I prefer the original.

On the other side Envy offers up three tracks that fall right in line with their latest output. While originally leaning in the traditional screamo sound, the band has lately delved into a softer and more intricate and delicate style. "An Umbrella Fallen into Fiction" is centered around electronic beats, various synths, and spoken word from Tetsuya Fukagawa for four minutes; the final two minutes boasts a sudden and increased flourishment of harmonizing guitars and fluid rhythms while Fukagawa delivers a coarse scream - this definitely saves the song from being a bore. "Isolation of a Light Source" and "Pure Birth and Loneliness" bring to mind the band's release Insomniac Doze. as they walk the line between the epic nature of post-rock and the ferocity of screamo. Both songs are great but the more aggressive "Isolation of a Light Source" wins out as my favorite on their side of the split."

- Michael, scenepointblank.com

Thursday– As He Climbed The Dark Mountain
Thursday– In Silence
Thursday– An Absurd And Unrealistic Dream Of Peace
Thursday– Appeared And Was Gone
Envy– An Umbrella Fallen Into Fiction
Envy– Isolation Of A Light Source
Envy– Pure Birth And Loneliness
Thursday– As He Climbed The Dark Mountain
Thursday– In Silence
Thursday– An Absurd And Unrealistic Dream Of Peace
Thursday– Appeared And Was Gone
Envy– An Umbrella Fallen Into Fiction
Envy– Isolation Of A Light Source
Envy– Pure Birth And Loneliness