Therapy? | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Northern Irelands Therapy? might have been among the vast number of bands who benefited from the rise of Nirvana and grunge in the early 90s, but they proved their worth by outlasting that trend and any number of sub-strains that followed throughout the subsequent decades. By constantly expanding upon a frame of influential references that included the usual suspects (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest) and the not-so-usual for a metal band (Killing Joke, Hüsker Dü, Buzzcocks), Therapy? released career-defining albums like Troublegum, Infernal Love, and Semi-Detached, and constantly challenged themselves and their fans. Despite their decibel-heavy reputation, the band possessed a melodic sensibility that also separated them from their alternative metal peers, a predilection they carried forward into the new millennium with offerings like Disquiet and Cleave. As the bridge between Metallica and Nirvana, they never played it straight or safe. After recording a brief initial demo, singer/guitarist Andy Cairns and drummer Fyfe Ewing recruited bassist Michael McKeegan. The trio recorded the Meat Abstract single, pressing a limited number on vinyl and releasing it on their own Multifuckingnational label. BBC DJ John Peel played it on his program shortly after receiving it, and Wiija boss Gary Walker became interested after hearing the single through Silverfishs Lesley Rankine. The separately recorded Baby Teeth and Pleasure Death EPs were released on Wiija in 1991, both of which did extremely well on the British indie chart. Quarterstick, a U.S. independent label distributed by Touch & Go, released a compilation of the EPs as Caucasian Psychosis. Major labels came knocking on the strength of those nasty releases, with A&M; eventually winning out. The label expected something closer to a grunge record, but Therapy? wound up with something that didnt sound too far removed from their earlier records. Nurse ended up tweaking the bands sound, providing more focus on the rhythm and developing Cairns burgeoning melodic vocal hooks. The Hats Off to the Insane EP provided a stop-gap until the release of 1994s Troublegum, which brought about more melody and straightforward riffing to good effect. The band enjoyed the most commercial exposure at this point, thanks to the teen angsty "Screamager," an anthemic ode to ugliness and awkwardness if ever there was one. Many a disillusioned teenager likely bookended it with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on mixtapes. Infernal Love was released in 1995, hot on the heels of Troublegum and extended touring. A bleak, cinematic effort that made the remainder of Therapy?s records seem chirpy in comparison, it ruined the notion of the band ever making it to mainstream popularity. Ewing left the band shortly after its release. Graham Hopkins replaced him, and ace session cellist Martin McCarrick was added to the lineup as a second guitarist, also adding strings when necessary. 1998s Semi-Detached brought the band out of the emotional murk of Infernal Love, returning to some of the tunefulness that was left at the curb after Troublegum. The U.S. wing of A&M; unfortunately balked on issuing the underrated record. The band was eventually cut off from the label completely after the massive Seagrams merger left them homeless as a casualty of label gutting. Miles Copelands Ark 21 label swept them up, issuing Suicide Pact: You First in 2000. Though it wasnt their finest record, the band experienced a bit of a rebirth during its recording, regaining the enthusiasm that they felt early on. Later in the year, Ark 21 issued So Much for the Ten Year Plan, a compilation of some of the bands finest moments. The title took aim at the more ambitious alternative acts who embarked on elaborate career paths in the early 90s, only to fall by the wayside. The Jack Endino-produced Shameless followed in 2001; Hopkins wasnt happy with the bands direction, however, and left the lineup soon after its release. Neil Cooper (founder of the progressive metal group the Beyond) joined as Hopkins replacement, but the new lineup only lasted through the release of 2003s High Anxiety, as McCarrick opted to leave the band in order to nurse his damaged eardrum. Beginning in early March, Therapy? soldiered ahead as a three-piece band. Never Apologise Never Explain was the first album to feature the newly slimmed-down lineup, followed by One Cure Fits All in 2006. Touring continued into the subsequent years, with the band eventually returning to the studio to create their tenth full-length album, 2009s Crooked Timber. 2012 saw the release of the well-received, Nabokov-inspired A Brief Crack of Light, and was followed in 2015 by Disquiet, which became the highest-charting release for the group since 2000s Suicide Pact: You First. Cleave, the bands 15th studio long-player, was issued in 2018 via Marshall Records (part of the legendary Marshall Amplification Company). | ||
 | Album: 1 of 29 Title: Babyteeth Released: 1991-07-15 Tracks: 7 Duration: 27:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Meat Abstract (03:46) 2 Skyward (02:39) 3 Punishment Kiss (04:41) 4 Animal Bones (03:39) 5 Loser Cop (03:26) 6 Innocent X (04:00) 7 Dancin With Manson (05:24) |
 | Album: 2 of 29 Title: Pleasure Death Released: 1992-01-27 Tracks: 6 Duration: 22:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Skinning Pit (06:01) 2 Fantasy Bag (03:40) 3 Shitkicker (02:30) 4 Prison Breaker (04:26) 5 D.L.C. (02:32) 6 Potato Junkie (03:09) |
 | Album: 3 of 29 Title: Caucasian Psychosis Released: 1992-03 Tracks: 13 Duration: 49:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Meat Abstract (03:46) 2 Skyward (02:39) 3 Punishment Kiss (04:41) 4 Animal Bones (03:39) 5 Loser Cop (03:26) 6 Innocent X (04:00) 7 Dancin with Manson (05:20) 8 Skinning Pit (05:56) 9 Fantasy Bag (03:40) 10 Shitkicker (02:30) 11 Prison Breaker (04:26) 12 D.L.C. (02:32) 13 Potato Junkie (03:09) |
| Caucasian Psychosis : Allmusic album Review : A pairing of the bands Wiija-released Baby Teeth and Pleasure Death EPs, Caucasian Psychosis would end up sounding increasingly formative after each successive Therapy? record. From the beginning, the trio seems to worship at the altars of just about any band with the word "black" in their name. This means Black Sabbath (dark chords), Black Flag (darkly personal lyrics), and Big Black (mangled vocals). So you really couldnt get any more black. Andy Cairns troubled soul lyrics are spartan, usually spouted in short phrases or single words. Theyre not as effective as any written by Black Flags Greg Ginn or Henry Rollins, but theyre in the same vein. Sometimes theyre rather funny, like "Potato Junkie"s "Im bitter/Im twisted/James Joyce is f*cking my sister." The most characteristic track here is "Loser Cop." The guitar intro duplicates the sound of a racing ambulance, eventually finding rhythmic placing into something akin to Naked Raygun, accompanied by no wave sax skronks. A Tourettes syndrome-like slew of catchphrases ensue, both spoken and sampled, including the words "creep," "bastard," and "asshole." Rhythmic variety looms only in the near-dance rhythms on "Innocent X" and "Skinning Pit," and Cairns melodic sense is in infancy, rarely present. The disc is mainly a tuneless murk of unimaginative songwriting and instrumentation thats just beginning to find a voice of its own. But if you just want a good brain-bashing, it should do the trick. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 29 Title: Nurse Released: 1992-11-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Nausea (03:56) 2 Teethgrinder (03:25) 3 Disgracelands (03:42) 4 Accelerator (02:15) 5 Neck Freak (05:51) 6 Perversonality (03:52) 7 Gone (06:23) 8 Zipless (02:53) 9 Deep Sleep (05:14) 10 Hypermania (02:48) |
| Nurse : Allmusic album Review : An expanded recording budget does wonders for Therapy? for their first proper studio record, released by new label A&M.; But rather than record with a label-approved producer, the Irish band opted to go with their soundman to provide a grunge tinge to their punishing noise. So the bands fans rested easily knowing that Nurse was more than their band being courted off by the fairy princess, only to return a mutated band for the worse. Nurse expands on the basic gist of the Caucasian Psychosis compilation, benefiting from further focus on Michael McKeegans bass and Fyfe Ewings drumming. It still sounds dark and insular, but it casts off the lo-fi sludge factor that hampered the preceding EPs. Andy Cairns lyrics dont develop a great deal, remaining straightforward and sometimes awkward. Aside from the line "Forget Columbus/Lost your culture," "Disgraceland" fails in societal commentary with its topical namedropping. But overall, the underlying theme of the record is "Youre messed up, but Im in worse shape." Everything tends to steam by, most notably on the "Ace of Spades"-like drive of "Accelerator." But where Nurse really hits its stride is when the trio doesnt play on top of each other, like on the screeching insomniac dub of "Deep Sleep," one of Therapy?s best overall moments. Since Nurse is somewhere between the amateurish early compilation and the polished sounding, more melodic Troublegum, some Therapy? fans would argue that this is their best overall record. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 29 Title: Face the Strange E.P. Released: 1993 Tracks: 4 Duration: 12:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Turn (03:52) 2 Speedball (02:32) 3 Bloody Blue (01:14) 4 Neck Freak (04:57) |
 | Album: 6 of 29 Title: Born in a Crash Released: 1993 Tracks: 8 Duration: 25:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Turn (03:52) 2 Speedball (02:32) 3 Bloody Blue (01:14) 4 Neck Freak (04:57) 5 Opal Mantra (02:27) 6 Innocent X (live) (03:37) 7 Potato Junkie (live) (03:47) 8 Nausea (live) (03:29) |
 | Album: 7 of 29 Title: Hats Off to the Insane Released: 1993 Tracks: 8 Duration: 22:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Screamager (02:41) 2 Auto Surgery (02:20) 3 Totally Random Man (02:23) 4 Turn (03:52) 5 Speedball (02:32) 6 Opal Mantra (02:28) 7 Bloody Blue (01:14) 8 Neck Freak (04:57) |
 | Album: 8 of 29 Title: Shortsharpshock E.P. Released: 1993-03-11 Tracks: 4 Duration: 09:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Screamager (02:41) 2 Auto Surgery (02:20) 3 Totally Random Man (02:23) 4 Accelerator (02:08) |
 | Album: 9 of 29 Title: Troublegum Released: 1994-02-07 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:07:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Knives (01:56) 2 Screamager (02:36) 3 Hellbelly (03:20) 4 Stop It You’re Killing Me (03:50) 5 Nowhere (02:26) 6 Die Laughing (02:48) 7 Unbeliever (03:28) 8 Trigger Inside (03:56) 9 Lunacy Booth (03:55) 10 Isolation (03:10) 11 Turn (03:49) 12 Femtex (03:14) 13 Unrequited (03:03) 14 Brainsaw (25:27) |
| Troublegum : Allmusic album Review : A high watermark of early alternative metal, Troublegum is a spectacular, powerful, clutter-free record. Densely packed at 14 songs in 40 minutes, theres sharpness on every level, demonstrating that the promise evidenced on Nurse was no mirage. Chris Sheldons job on the boards provides separation among all the instruments, avoiding the mashed effect from Therapy?s previous outings. Fyfe Ewing and Michael McKeegan basically do what theyve been doing all along as a rhythm section, but the increased clarity really allows for one to fully appreciate their abilities. Andy Cairns vocal range and ear for melody increase tenfold, and his guitar takes on countless tones and textures only hinted at before. Detractors might claim that the riffs are too predictable and too "metal," which is somewhat understandable but ultimately unfair. One could call them simple, and one could call them focused; its more the latter. Since the songwriting is more direct and less concerned with merely knocking things out and stopping after three minutes or so, everything is fully formed and completely realized. Its the absolute opposite of aimless, which is something Therapy? was sometimes guilty of. Theres much more variety, too. With each play, it becomes increasingly obvious that no two songs sound much like each other, yet each song hangs together to form a singular piece. Metal-phobes cant help but give in to the irresistable pop-punk hooks of "Screamager" and "Nowhere." An obvious influence is acknowledged in a storming version of Joy Divisions "Isolation," which pays tribute and transforms at the same time. "Unrequited" cant be missed, featuring a rattling guitar riff that gets yanked away by a violent cello tug from Martin McCarrick. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 29 Title: Infernal Love Released: 1995-06-12 Tracks: 11 Duration: 48:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Epilepsy (03:50) 2 Stories (03:11) 3 A Moment of Clarity (06:04) 4 Jude the Obscene (03:32) 5 Bowels of Love (02:54) 6 Misery (03:41) 7 Bad Mother (05:47) 8 Me vs You (06:23) 9 Loose (03:02) 10 Diane (05:01) 11 30 Seconds (05:28) |
| Infernal Love : Allmusic album Review : The final vocal line on Infernal Love might be "There is a light at the end of the tunnel," but theres no denying that Infernal Love is anything but optimistic; its an unrelentingly dark and sometimes bluntly turgid record. Anyone familiar with the band had grown accustomed to Andy Cairns spins on depression, anger, bitterness, and self-destruction, but even the most devoted listener probably screamed "Snap out of it!" while first listening to this third record. Its almost as if Therapy? went on a preemptive strike, just to make sure mainstream popularity slipped from its grasp. The band had a fair amount of momentum after the success of Troublegum, but Infernal Love seemed to leave that concept in the dust. Darker chords and slower tempos prevail, and the pop-punk hooks are all but washed away. The sequentially buried, bouncing "Loose" is an anomaly, sounding like a refugee from Troublegum that reads like a dystopian "Jack and Diane." Other than that, its nothing but despair and heartache. What makes Infernal Love misunderstood is the musical depth, which is easy to miss from the endless doom. Its not one-dimensional at all, buoyed by mournful strings and stylistic curveballs. "Bad Mother" and "Stories" skank along in staccato rhythm, with the verses of the latter aided by swanky saxophones. "Bowels of Love" sounds like Andy Cairns and the Bad Seeds. If thats not enough of a departure, a cover of Hüsker Düs "Diane" is nothing but voice and strings. David Holmes stitches everything together masterfully, employing numerous atmospheric effects and random trickery to give the record a cinematic flourish. If this is what Therapy? had in mind, the band hit the bullseye. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 29 Title: Semi‐Detached Released: 1998-03-30 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Church Of Noise (03:05) 2 Tightrope Walker (03:18) 3 Black Eye, Purple Sky (03:10) 4 Lonely, Cryin Only (02:40) 5 Born Too Soon (03:47) 6 Stay Happy (03:53) 7 Safe (04:01) 8 Straight Life (04:47) 9 Heavens Gate (03:49) 10 Dont Expect Roses (02:44) 11 Tramline (04:52) 12 The Boy’s Asleep (04:24) |
| Semi‐Detached : Allmusic album Review : If you convinced the staff at the psych ward to let you out after listening to Infernal Love for two weeks straight, you might have caught wind of Therapy?s fourth studio record, released two years later. The U.S. branch of A&M opted not to release Semi-Detached, so odds are pretty good that some of the bands stateside fans found out about it much later on. Since Therapy? made no signs of crossing over into the rap-metal territory that was just beginning to prove profitable, the U.S. decision-makers likely felt that the band was no longer marketable. Infernal Loves drab tone didnt help, though. Nonetheless, Semi-Detached deserved more ears upon release. The band would later admit to lacking direction and focus while recording it, but you really wouldnt know that when listening to it. Fyfe Ewing abandoned ship prior to recording, replaced by Graham Hopkins. Martin McCarrick, who had supplied cello for the band, was added as an official member on guitar and strings. Whether or not the transitional nature led to a perceived state of haziness is up for debate, but its pound-for-pound a fine record. Its not as harrowing as Infernal Love, and it registers as 12 songs rather than a thematic slab. A return to defiantly anthemic melody is present, but theres nothing overtly poppy. The guitars gnaw and latch on. Andy Cairns usual subject matter remains, but the songwriting is at its least clichéd. Its no masterpiece, but its probably their second or third best record -- hardly something to fret over. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 29 Title: Suicide Pact - You First Released: 1999-10-18 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:11:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hes Not That Kind of Girl (03:25) 2 Wall of Mouths (04:08) 3 Jam Jar Jail (04:45) 4 Hate Kill Destroy (03:32) 5 Big Cave in (05:47) 6 Six Mile Water (06:19) 7 Little Tongues First (04:25) 8 Ten Year Plan (05:14) 9 God Kicks (02:41) 10 Other Peoples Misery (01:53) 11 Sister / While I Pursue My Way Unharmed (28:54) |
| Suicide Pact - You First : Allmusic album Review : Very unapologetically, Suicide Pact says "Screw you if you dont like me." Shedding any sense of pop hooks, Andy Cairns and company resort to meat cleavers to reel you in. Its a big sloppy mess, which will likely appeal to fans of Therapy?s older material -- heres hoping they didnt lose them in the tar pit of Infernal Love. Those wanting a return to the tunefulness of "Screamager" and "Loose" will likely be disappointed. Its a warts-and-all record, which means it isnt short of its ugly bits ("Jam Jar Jail," "Six Mile Water"). Cairns occasional Billy Gibbons-meets-Tom Waits warbling can get tiresome, especially when youre reminded of his fine singing voice. But when they really get their Irish blood pumping, the magic of Troublegums nastier bits ("Knives," "Trigger Inside") rears its demented head and Therapy? click on all cylinders. Suicide Pacts greatest moment is the last track listed, "Sister"; its the most rhythmic, bass-driven song on the record. Cairns guitar allows room for the rhythm section to breathe a little, a rarity. If theres a running lyrical thread to Therapy?s metallic miserablism throughout their decade-long existence, its stated in that song: "Sister Im lost/ And Im taking you with me/ Wherever I go." Despite growing long in the tooth for a hard-rock band, theyre still doing this music better than the majority of their younger ilk. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 29 Title: So Much for the Ten Year Plan: A Retrospective 1990-2000 Released: 2000-10-02 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:18:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Screamager (02:41) 2 Bad Karma Follows You Around (04:06) 3 Die Laughing (02:48) 4 Meat Abstract (03:46) 5 Straight Life (04:47) 6 Teethgrinder (03:25) 7 Fat Camp (04:29) 8 Stories (02:52) 9 Nausea (03:56) 10 Six Mile Water (06:19) 11 Church of Noise (03:05) 12 Hes Not That Kind of Girl (03:25) 13 Diane (04:00) 14 Nowhere (02:26) 15 Potato Junkie (03:07) 16 Ten Year Plan (05:14) 1 Evil Elvis (02:20) 2 Bloody Blue (01:10) 3 Summer of Hate (02:28) 4 Isolation (Consolidated mix) (04:27) 5 Where Eagles Dare (02:27) 6 Lunacy Booth (string version) (04:58) |
| So Much for the Ten Year Plan: A Retrospective 1990-2000 : Allmusic album Review : Therapy?s sardonically-named retrospective So Much for the Ten Year Plan gathers singles, highlights from their albums, and two new tracks, "Bad Karma Follows You Around" and "Fat Camp." From their first single "Meat Abstract" to churning, angst-ridden pop like "Screamager" and "Nowhere" to darker, metal-tinged songs like "Hes Not That Kind of Girl" and the Hüsker Dü cover "Diane," the hand-picked track selection covers all the bases of Therapy?s sound, and provides fans and newcomers alike with an entertaining sampling of their best work. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 29 Title: Shameless Released: 2001-09-17 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Gimme Back My Brain (02:36) 2 Dance (04:03) 3 This Ones for You (03:45) 4 I Am the Money (03:26) 5 Wicked Man (03:48) 6 Theme From Delorean (04:37) 7 Joey (04:01) 8 Endless Psychology (03:54) 9 Alrite (02:30) 10 Body Bag Girl (03:25) 11 Tango Romeo (03:02) 12 Stalk & Slash (02:21) |
| Shameless : Allmusic album Review : A slight return to punk and hard rock form, Shameless records a Therapy? intent on capturing its own late-80s/early-90s rock underground aesthetic with just a bit more melodic shimmer. This 2001 release for Miles Copelands Ark 21 label is tuneful like Troublegum for sure, but not to the detriment of Therapy?s edgy guitar aesthetic. Some almost perky punk rock ("Gimme Back My Brain," "Joey") calls to mind classics by the Ramones and Rocket From the Crypt, while the borderline alternative metal ("Dance,") sounds convincingly true. A quirkier tone on numbers like "Body Bag Girl" is also prevalent on Shameless, announcing the groups official break with the maudlin Infernal Love period. This is probably for the better, but not in time to reclaim any mid-90s commercial momentum. Fans of Therapy? should be interested in this record, as it is perhaps the bands best in years, but the appeal of Shameless doesnt extend beyond the Irish bands loyal base. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 29 Title: Scopophobia Released: 2003 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:08:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Hey Satan You Rock (02:44) 2 Who Knows (03:07) 3 Nowhere (02:23) 4 Nobody Here but Us (03:39) 5 Church of Noise (02:49) 6 I Am the Money (03:23) 7 Stories (02:48) 8 Not in Any Name (03:53) 9 If It Kills Me (03:18) 10 Die Laughing (02:39) 11 My Voodoo Doll (02:00) 12 Ten Year Plan (04:50) 13 Trigger Inside (04:43) 14 Potato Junkie (05:04) 15 Diane (04:14) 16 Rust (04:51) 17 Teethgrinder (03:08) 18 Knives (02:41) 19 Screamager (05:38) |
 | Album: 16 of 29 Title: High Anxiety Released: 2003-05-05 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hey Satan - You Rock (03:08) 2 Who Knows (02:50) 3 Stand in Line (03:20) 4 Nobody Here but Us (03:27) 5 Watch You Go (02:14) 6 If It Kills Me (03:39) 7 Not in Any Name (03:22) 8 My Voodoo Doll (02:15) 9 Limbo (02:59) 10 Last Blast (03:24) 11 Rust / Never Ending (09:51) |
| High Anxiety : Allmusic album Review : High Anxiety is Therapy?s first set of new material since 2001s Shameless, the bands first for Spitfire, and the debut of ex-Beyond basher Neil Cooper behind the drum kit. It might be the best example yet of Therapy?s sound, which can only be described as literate metal. Cooper, guitarist/cellist Martin McCarrick, bassist Michael McKeegan, and guitarist/mouthpiece Andy Cairns have always been courageous enough to sludge through the swamps of Black Sabbath and Motörhead while holding melody and intellect high overhead. High Anxietys "Nobody Here But Us" and "If It Kills Me" are driven forward by hard-edged, unforgiving riffs and concussive reports from Coopers drums. But despite limited vocal range, Cairns pulls off melodies that make the songs much more than simpleton soundtracks for crushing cans on foreheads. Similarly, Cairns lyricism straddles the line between metal midget and genre-busting brainiac. The biting, cynically funny "Hey Satan -- You Rock" brilliantly skewers heavy musics penchant for religious controversy while it tramps through the cathedral with muddy boots and a lit cigarette. "Wanna storm the gates of heaven, backstage pass in hand," grumbles Cairns. Later, he sends a postcard to hell, flirts with the Virgin Mary, and breaks into Gods liquor cabinet. But as each verse begins with "I wanna," its clear that the song is a dream, a fantasy. The song extinguishes metals flashpots and bombast and replaces them with a cerebral sound that can still spar with the toughest of strutters. After a ten-plus year career that has seen them outlast competitors and outwit industry attempts at categorization, High Anxiety proves that the members of Therapy? are still headbangers with their thinking caps screwed on tight. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 29 Title: Never Apologise Never Explain Released: 2004-09-27 Tracks: 13 Duration: 39:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Rise Up (02:48) 2 Die Like a Mother Fucker (02:41) 3 Perish the Thought (03:40) 4 Here Be Monsters (02:44) 5 So Called Life (03:09) 6 Panic (02:02) 7 Polar Bear (03:37) 8 Rock You Monkeys (03:05) 9 Dead (02:37) 10 Long Distance (03:31) 11 This Ship Is Sinking (03:17) 12 Save the Sermon (03:02) 13 Last One to Heavens a Loser (03:22) |
 | Album: 18 of 29 Title: One Cure Fits All Released: 2006-04-24 Tracks: 13 Duration: 44:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Outro (00:34) 2 Sprung (03:50) 3 Deluded Son (02:58) 4 Into the Light (02:56) 5 Lose It All (03:36) 6 Dopamine, Seratonin, Adrenaline (04:17) 7 Unconsoled (03:53) 8 Our White Noise (03:40) 9 Private Nobody (03:49) 10 Rain Hits Concrete (03:07) 11 Fear of God (03:13) 12 Heart Beat Hits (03:42) 13 Walk Through Darkness (04:50) |
 | Album: 19 of 29 Title: Music Through a Cheap Transistor: The BBC Sessions Released: 2007-08-13 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:33:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Innocent X / Meat Abstract (08:52) 2 Prison Breaker (04:33) 3 Perversonality (03:56) 4 Nausea (03:21) 5 Totally Random Man (02:28) 6 Accelerator (02:15) 7 Teethgrinder (03:54) 8 Auto Surgery (02:30) 9 Totally Random Man (02:29) 10 Bloody Blue (01:13) 11 Pile of Bricks (03:01) 12 Screamager (02:47) 13 Totally Random Man (02:25) 14 Disgracelands (03:49) 15 Perversonality (03:53) 1 Brainsaw (03:18) 2 Trigger Inside (03:59) 3 Knives (01:53) 4 Isolation (03:26) 5 Bad Mother (04:00) 6 Misery (03:04) 7 The Sweeney (02:51) 8 Lost Highway (01:29) 9 Church of Noise (02:52) 10 Black Eye, Purple Sky (03:18) 11 Tightrope Walker (03:27) 12 Teethgrinder (03:25) 13 High Noon (05:07) |
 | Album: 20 of 29 Title: Crooked Timber Released: 2009-03-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Head That Tried to Strangle Itself (03:25) 2 Enjoy the Struggle (04:10) 3 Clowns Galore (03:42) 4 Exiles (05:36) 5 Crooked Timber (05:52) 6 I Told You I Was Ill (03:51) 7 Somnambulist (04:05) 8 Blacken the Page (02:47) 9 Magic Mountain (10:04) 10 Bad Excuse for Daylight (05:49) |
| Crooked Timber : Allmusic album Review : There was a point when Therapy? were one of the biggest "buzz bands" in Europe -- thanks in part to seemingly nonstop coverage in such publications as Kerrang! and Metal Hammer. But the buzz eventually dissipated, as Therapy? in the modern age dont necessarily storm the charts with each new release, but still retain a sizable following. With Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill on board as producer, Therapy? unveiled their tenth studio album overall, 2009s Crooked Timber, which leans more toward the punk/alternative side of things rather than riff-happy metal (and on "I Told You I Was Ill," sounds comparable to Gills band). In fact, think vintage Helmet and youre not far off from such album highlights as "Enjoy the Struggle" and "Bad Excuse for Daylight." And on the title track, it sounds as if Therapy? have managed to channel both Sonic Youth and Joy Division into a single track. Ten albums down the line and Therapy? still play like they mean it, as evidenced by the arrival of Crooked Timber. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 29 Title: Were Here to the End Released: 2010-11-08 Tracks: 36 Duration: 2:16:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Screamager (02:53) 2 Sister (05:09) 3 Turn (03:34) 4 Enjoy the Struggle (04:03) 5 Die Like a Motherfucker (03:21) 6 Stories (02:53) 7 Meat Abstract (04:03) 8 Exiles (05:14) 9 Skyward (02:53) 10 A Moment of Clarity (04:59) 11 Sprung (03:34) 12 Neck Freak (04:57) 13 Diane (04:17) 14 Potato Junkie (03:48) 15 Dancin With Manson (05:02) 16 If It Kills Me (03:30) 17 Rust (03:26) 1 Nausea (03:47) 2 Knives (01:52) 3 Nowhere (02:32) 4 Evil Elvis (02:24) 5 Epilepsy (03:39) 6 Rain Hits Concrete (02:47) 7 Our White Noise (03:32) 8 Opal Mantra (02:30) 9 Fantasy Bag (03:52) 10 Church of Noise (02:26) 11 The Head That Tried to Strangle Itself (03:13) 12 Polar Bear (03:43) 13 Crooked Timber (06:51) 14 Punishment Kiss (04:45) 15 Trigger Inside (04:13) 16 Innocent X (03:48) 17 Die Laughing (02:48) 18 Isolation (05:33) 19 Teethgrinder (04:01) |
| We're Here to the End : Allmusic album Review : Rowdy Northern Irish trio Therapy? may have slipped under most peoples radar since threatening to gatecrash the whole Brit-pop party in the mid-90s, but they are still capable of pulling off the kind of raw, raucous, and mosh pit-inducing shows that briefly made them Kerrang! poster boys all those years ago, as evident on their first ever official live album, Were Here to the End. Released to celebrate the bands 20th anniversary, the generous 36-track collection, culled from their three-night residency at Londons Water Rats in early 2010, luckily avoids the often derided tendency to concentrate on their most recent studio effort (only five tracks from 2009s Crooked Timber do make the cut) and instead provides a casual fan-friendly greatest-hits set with material from all but one of their ten studio albums (only 2001s poorly received trash-rock effort Shameless is ignored). Produced by vocalist Andy Cairns and mixer Adam Sinclair, the two-CD track list blisteringly rips through their extensive back catalog, with performances of songs from their two early film-sampling mini albums, Babyteeth and Pleasure Death ("Meat Abstract," "Potato Junkie"); their commercial peaks, 1994s punk metal-based Troublegum (their riotous cover of Joy Divisions "Isolation") and 1996s cinematic Infernal Love (their rendition of Hüsker Düs "Diane," here given a menacing metal makeover); and 1999 dark-themed fan favorite Suicide Pact: You First ("Sister") and 2006s highly polished One Cure Fits All ("Our White Noise"). Clocking in at over two and a half hours, Were Here to the End begins to feel like a chore once you get past the halfway mark, as do Cairns continuous midsong crowd interactions, while the muddy recording quality often turns their anthemic driving metal into plodding pub rock. In a case of "you had to be there," fans who attended the gigs will undoubtedly treasure this as a keepsake souvenir, but while its an admirably career-spanning track list, everyone else would be better off with 2007s Music Through a Cheap Transistor: The BBC Sessions if they want to hear the uncompromising headbangers at their best. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 29 Title: A Brief Crack of Light Released: 2012-02-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Living in the Shadow of the Terrible Thing (03:55) 2 Plague Bell (04:11) 3 Marlow (04:36) 4 Before You, With You, After You (03:32) 5 The Buzzing (03:38) 6 Get Your Dead Hand Off My Shoulder (04:07) 7 Ghost Trio (05:19) 8 Why Turbulence? (03:33) 9 Stark Raving Sane (02:36) 10 Ecclesiastes (05:42) |
| A Brief Crack of Light : Allmusic album Review : Determined to hold on to their status as Northern Irelands most raucous rock act, Therapy?s 13th studio album, A Brief Crack of Light, shows that 23 years into their career, they can still pack a hefty punch. Produced by Adam Sinclair (New York Dolls, the Unthanks) and frontman Andy Cairns, the follow-up to 2009s Crooked Timber may be named after an existential quote from Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov and packed with reflections on "the absurdity of human life," but its hard to focus on their poetic intentions when theyre set against such deafening layers of noise. There are times when they threaten to reach the heights of their mid-90s heyday, such as the metallic grooves and rousing chorus of "Living in the Shadow of a Terrible Thing," arguably their greatest lead single since "Stories" and the buzzing riffs and propulsive beats of "Stark Raving Sane," whose venomous lyrics suggest the bandmembers are anything but. But despite a more experimental approach on the likes of "Marlow," which intersperses its percussive prog metal sound with anthemic chants and bursts of distortion, and the unsettling breakneck-speed industrial rock of "The Buzzing," the relentless abrasiveness lessens the impact that the likes of the psych-punk of "Plague Bell" and the anguished "Before You, with You, After You" otherwise would have had, with only the heavily vocodered space rock of closer "Ecclesiastes" coming close to the "Diane" or "Bowels of Love" that the record is crying out for. A Brief Crack of Light shows signs that Therapy? are capable of restoring their former glories, but its overall uncompromising attitude suggests theyll continue to remain a cult moshpit-inducing force for now. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 29 Title: The Gemil Box Released: 2013-11-18 Tracks: 101 Duration: 6:12:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Nausea (03:56) 2 Teethgrinder (03:25) 3 Disgracelands (03:42) 4 Accelerator (02:15) 5 Neck Freak (05:51) 6 Perversonality (03:52) 7 Gone (06:23) 8 Zipless (02:53) 9 Deep Sleep (05:14) 10 Hypermania (02:48) 1 Knives (01:56) 2 Screamager (02:36) 3 Hellbelly (03:20) 4 Stop It You’re Killing Me (03:50) 5 Nowhere (02:25) 6 Die Laughing (02:48) 7 Unbeliever (03:28) 8 Trigger Inside (03:56) 9 Lunacy Booth (03:55) 10 Isolation (03:10) 11 Turn (03:50) 12 Femtex (03:14) 13 Unrequited (03:03) 14 Brainsaw (03:58) 1 Epilepsy (03:50) 2 Stories (03:11) 3 A Moment of Clarity (06:04) 4 Jude the Obscene (03:32) 5 Bowels of Love (02:54) 6 Misery (03:41) 7 Bad Mother (05:47) 8 Me vs You (06:23) 9 Loose (03:02) 10 Diane (05:01) 11 30 Seconds (05:28) 1 Church Of Noise (03:05) 2 Tightrope Walker (03:18) 3 Black Eye, Purple Sky (03:10) 4 Lonely, Cryin Only (02:40) 5 Born Too Soon (03:47) 6 Stay Happy (03:53) 7 Safe (04:01) 8 Straight Life (04:47) 9 Heavens Gate (03:49) 10 Dont Expect Roses (02:44) 11 Tramline (04:52) 12 The Boy’s Asleep (04:24) 1 Bad Excuse for Daylight (2010 rework) (02:55) 2 Prison Breaker (2010 rework) (04:11) 3 Clowns Galore (2010 rework) (05:09) 4 Rise Up (2010 rework) (02:44) 5 Animal Bones (2010 rework) (02:47) 6 Teethgrinder (1992 demo) (03:35) 7 Disgracelands (1992 demo) (03:39) 8 Accelerator (1992 demo) (02:17) 9 Little Tongues First (1999 demo) (04:54) 10 Wall of Mouths (1999 demo) (03:58) 11 Sister (1999 demo) (05:42) 12 This One’s for You (2000 demo) (04:02) 13 Dance (2000 demo) (04:18) 14 Gimme Back My Brain (2000 demo) (02:41) 15 Stand in Line (2003 demo) (03:22) 16 Rust (2003 demo) (02:13) 17 Limbo (2003 demo) (03:00) 18 Deluded Son (2006 demo) (03:01) 19 Sprung (2006 demo) (03:56) 20 Play On (2006 demo) (03:51) 1 Dark Naughty Steps (03:39) 2 All Low No High (04:07) 3 Glamour of Potential (03:50) 4 Pitiless Void (03:55) 5 Muckamore Abbey (06:21) 6 Groovy Stoner (03:22) 7 Bounce (main) (03:41) 8 Bounce (outro) (02:04) 9 Plebians (02:25) 10 Untitled (02:47) 11 Valentines Day 2001 (03:23) 12 Gimme Back My Moog (00:57) 13 Shameless (02:20) 14 Glass On The Beach (03:24) 15 Seven Angels (03:42) 16 Tops Off (02:21) 17 Returns (06:40) 1 Pride of No One (03:21) 2 Armageddon Checklist (01:18) 3 Something to Kill For (04:06) 4 Cello Song (03:44) 5 Bye Bye Buddy (03:22) 6 New Song 01 (01:04) 7 Marie Celeste (full band version) (02:57) 8 New Song 02 (04:01) 9 New Song 03 (03:42) 10 Stay Awhile (06:43) 11 Live Without This (04:39) 12 Mind Body Soul (01:41) 13 Go Where You Go (06:18) 14 Glenn Millar (03:47) 15 Loneliest Place (03:17) 16 Unreleased reh song 1989 (04:08) 17 [untitled] (03:58) |
 | Album: 24 of 29 Title: Stories: The Singles Collection Released: 2014-04-14 Tracks: 14 Duration: 45:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Teethgrinder (03:29) 2 Screamager (02:42) 3 Turn (03:52) 4 Opal Mantra (02:29) 5 Nowhere (02:28) 6 Trigger Inside (03:58) 7 Die Laughing (02:50) 8 Isolation (03:13) 9 Stories (Edit) (02:54) 10 Loose (03:02) 11 Diane (04:01) 12 Bad Mother (Edit) (04:16) 13 Church Of Noise (03:07) 14 Lonely, Cryin Only (02:48) |
 | Album: 25 of 29 Title: Disquiet Released: 2015-03-23 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Still Hurts (02:56) 2 Tides (03:35) 3 Good News Is No News (03:44) 4 Fall Behind (02:55) 5 Idiot Cousin (03:03) 6 Helpless Still Lost (04:40) 7 Insecurity (04:12) 8 Vulgar Display of Powder (03:45) 9 Words Fail Me (02:38) 10 Torment Sorrow Misery Strife (03:17) 11 Deathstimate (07:00) |
 | Album: 26 of 29 Title: Tides Released: 2016-04-15 Tracks: 4 Duration: 17:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Tides (03:35) 2 Smile Or Die (03:22) 3 Slippies (05:23) 4 Insecurity (Pitchphase remix) (05:13) |
 | Album: 27 of 29 Title: Wood & Wire Released: 2016-12-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 38:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 If It Kills Me (03:52) 2 Screamager (02:47) 3 Idiot Cousin (02:51) 4 Die Laughing (02:47) 5 Tides (03:33) 6 Nobody Here but Us (03:28) 7 A Moment of Clarity (04:21) 8 Skyward (02:51) 9 Loose (02:48) 10 Nowhere (02:33) 11 Gone (06:17) |
 | Album: 28 of 29 Title: Communion: Live at the Union Chapel Released: 2017-08-21 Tracks: 29 Duration: 1:50:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Trigger Inside (04:15) 2 Our Love Must Die (02:17) 3 Disgracelands (03:45) 4 Tides (03:18) 5 Living in the Shadow of the Terrible Thing (05:09) 6 Evil Elvis (04:01) 7 Accelerator (03:18) 8 If It Kills Me (04:59) 9 Opal Mantra (03:58) 10 Idiot Cousin (04:17) 11 Gone (07:12) 12 Stories (04:01) 1 Turn (03:39) 2 Still Hurts (02:49) 3 Lonely Cryin’ Only (04:01) 4 Stop It You’re Killing Me (03:59) 5 Knives (02:31) 6 Potato Junkie (05:02) 7 A Moment of Clarity (04:17) 8 Loose (02:57) 9 Diane (04:31) 10 Screamager (04:40) 11 Nowhere (02:48) 12 Die Laughing (04:25) 1 Meat Abstract (03:47) 2 Unbeliever (03:59) 3 Nobody Here but Us (03:17) 4 Skyward (02:30) 5 Jazz Improvisation (00:59) |
 | Album: 29 of 29 Title: Cleave Released: 2018-09-21 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wreck It Like Beckett (03:18) 2 Kakistocracy (02:58) 3 Callow (03:02) 4 Expelled (03:01) 5 Success? Success Is Survival (03:52) 6 Save Me From the Ordinary (02:57) 7 Crutch (03:00) 8 I Stand Alone (04:08) 9 Dumbdown (03:00) 10 No Sunshine (03:15) |
| Cleave : Allmusic album Review : Now long in the tooth, these once-almost-massive Northern Irish rockers have always had a pleasingly blasé attitude, continuing to plug away regardless and churn out albums on tiny indie labels like Marshall Records. For this alone they deserve credit. Throughout their career, they have often struggled to regain the heights of their classic mid-90s output. There have been peaks and valleys, and this effort is, ultimately, one of the middling ones. Andy Cairns never was much of a singer, and on Cleave his voice is showing its age; he spends much of the time shouting. Cleave also contains some of his least successful lyrical efforts: "Everyones living all over each other" and "Its OK not to be OK" are just two of the "gems" on offer here. And there are a few unfortunately filler-ish, forgettable tracks, such as "Expelled" and "Dumbdown," that he could have written in his sleep. But now, the good news. The band reunited with producer Chris Sheldon, who recorded their classic albums Troublegum and High Anxiety. His work here is pleasingly raw, with a gnarly noise-rock edge that at times recalls Helmet or Unsane. Neil Cooper, by this point the bands longest-serving drummer, is now arguably at least as good as the seemingly divinely gifted Fyfe Ewing, who played on Therapy?s first three albums then disappeared into obscurity -- and has the trademark biscuit-tin snare and technoid drum patterns down pat. The febrile social climate of the late 2010s has resulted in some of Cairns most overtly political lyrics ever, as on "Success? Success Is Survival," which also has a nice twangy surf riff. "I Stand Alone" has a hushed, thrumming guitar part that sounds like a swarm of angry bees approaching. The classic rock-esque "Crutch" has one of Cairns most bitter lyrics ever, a portrait of a toxic relationship that recalls the suburban horror of "Unconsoled" off One Cure Fits All. While they have never managed to make another flawless album like Troublegum or Infernal Love, theres always been at least one stone-cold, timeless classic on each album. Here there are two that arguably fit that bill: the single "Callow" rails against the zombifying effects of antipsychotic medication, and has one of those amazing combinations of riff and chorus that Therapy? have always done so well; while "Save Me from the Ordinary" harks back to classics like "Turn" with its grinding dub-funk rhythm, bank of guitars, vocal effects, and stratospheric chorus thats both exhilarating and melancholy at the same time. This has always been Therapy?s gift -- the juxtaposition of the ugly and the beautiful, the upbeat and the melancholy, the sublime and the ridiculous. Long may they play on. | ||