‘I need to find a place where bridges build not burn’.
Therapy? my friends are back, armed and dangerous as ever, cut-throat and silver tongued, giving the devil himself a run for his money. Their latest album sees you warming the cockles of your broken and betrayed heart in front of the ‘Hard Cold Fire’ the after- effects in the aftermath of an horrendous few years that has left us choking on the dregs of lockdown.
Riffs and choruses to lighten the load and brighten your day and give you something to smile about. Therapy? are Andy Cairns – guitar/vocals, Michael McKeegan – bass, and Neil Cooper on drums, firebrand and torrential, a persistence that is unmatched in quality and calibre.
The contrasting, polar opposites of ‘Woe’ and ‘Joy’ sit prettily next to each other, dying to be heard and held close, two simple words that contain such heaviness and ask that you ponder their presence and activity on this record.
We are part of the ‘Bewildered Herd’ confused, and scared to even question what is happening, we follow, we bow, we obey, when in fact we should be circulating cease and desist letters to break the chain of insubordination.
Therapy? have ascended this musical carousel a fair few times, they have watched, learned and consequently tweaked their trade to see them at pole position amongst their peers. Always mouthy, always unafraid these fellas know a thing or two about life and are happy to share their thoughts and musings.
The utterly brutal and punishing experience that is ‘Ugly’ discusses gender dysmorphia, an extremely debilitating condition where a person feels they are unattractive. This song can relate to the wider problem of people feeling inadequate and clutching to their foibles and frailties, a seismic fracture of the human mind and body, told here in a way that no stone is left unturned.
Our ‘Days Kollaps’ into nights that are filled with dread, we emerge into the daylight once again with the same fears, we move on, tired and distraught, to fold once more at the end of another day. A song that reflects our lives, set to the music generated by this band who continue to produce classic tunes, short and sharp, you willingly nail yourself to their cross.
Trying to contain a sickness unmanaged, you can count on some cold hard therapy to see you right.
Azra Pathan
Therapy? – Hard Cold Fire out now via Marshall Records.