Search - Therapy :: Suicide Pact: You First

Different, but well-executed

punkviper | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 08/31/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It seems like Troublegum was both a blessing and a curse. On the good side, it was the album that gained Therapy a worldwide following, and rightfully so. But it has also been a curse, as people constantly expect "Troublegum 2" with every album that Therapy releases. Well, if you are one of those STILL waiting for said record, you may leave now, as this is still not it. But the good thing is that Therapy aren't interested in making the same record over and over again, as this CD exemplifies.Different from Semi-Detached, as SD was more of a refinement of Infernal Love (which was downright poor) and a sharpening of their previous abilities. Suicide Pact is so akin to a rocknroll Black Sabbath record that it really stunned me the first time I heard it. Very bass-heavy, very murky, very rambling in a classic rocknroll style. The raging alt-metal has been replaced by a chugga-chugga, swinging, dense, dark sound that seemingly has no history in Therapy's back-catalog. Though there are a couple of slower moments, one a decent folky ballad, the other a grumbling attempt at a Tom Waits style delivery. But the rest of the CD is filled with a straightforward rambling bombast that bears little resemblance to the agile, lean, mean, cutting machine that Therapy used to be tied to.Make no mistake, there is quality stuff here, you just wouldn't think it would be the kind of quality stuff that Therapy would make. Give em credit for not being as obsessed with Troublegum as their fanbase apparently is."

Best Therapy? Album Since TROUBLEGUM

Taylor Sapp | Los Angeles, CA USA | 09/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album was a welcome surprise after the decent (but unexceptional) SEMI-DETACHED. However, Therapy? have really veered off into a new direction again. The style of this album seems looser, funner, less structured, but also a little less consistent than much of their earlier work. While this album is different, it is also their strongest since TROUBLEGUM (if you're reading this and don't own that album, buy it now! It is THE definitive post-modern metal album of the 90's). While this album lacks the hooks and punch that made TROUBLEGUM both catchy and heavy at the same time, and the stylistic diveristy that made INFERNAL LOVE interesting, it manages to kind of take a middle ground, and come across as a deeper album. "Jail Jar Jail" is a great punchy rocker. "Six Mile Water" is an effective ballad. "Sister" is also a great mid-tempo rocker. Any fans of bands such as Soundgarden or Stone Temple Pilots should like this album, although it could drive away many of those that loved TROUBLEGUM (as is the case with every Therapy? album, it's totally different than those before it). Therapy? fans: this is a great return to form for a insanely underappreciated rock band. For new fans however, TROUBLEGUM is really the album that should be bought first, as it is more tuneful and accessible."

They're the Devil's Playthings. Baby!

coperalcrap | 04/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Suicide Pact - you first! Can you go wrong with a title like that?Let me say that this is definitely Therapy?'s weirdest album ever and the fact that it is released after albums like "Troublegum" and "Infernal Love" makes it even weirder than it already is.Starting off with "He's not that Kind of Girl", your first listening impression of this record will be granted painful or at least very suprised. Where are the Therapy? you know and love? you will ask. Right here Baby! Andy's sounds better than ever, his vocals aren't harmonized at all, it's like listening to them live. "Wall of Mouth" comes next. That song alone rocks more than anything that was released in a LONG time! Since there are no Lyrics printed in the booklet, you can only guess what they mean by screaming "SIX SIX SIX" right in the middle of the song. "Jam Jar Jail" is in the same vain, containing noisy guitar solos en masse, based on a very cool bass riff. You should have got used to the fact that this record isn't for the faint of heart, so hopefully, "Hate, Kill, Destroy" won't damadge you seriously. It does anyway, this song is like having your head trashed against a stone wall numerous times. Definitely unlistenable to many people out there, but I wouldn't want to live without it. The mayhem goes on with "Big Cave In" a tension-filled instrumental piece. At the End of this song, you expect the world to come down. What you get is "Six Mile Water", a beautiful, non-bombastic ballad. Andy seems to sing about his youth in Ireland ("we come from across the border, we drink the six mile water, this morgue needs new hope" - as far as I understand ), in the chorus, he is helped by beautiful female vocals. The song ends with a tearjearking noisy guitar solo, Andy repeating the words "I'm sorry". What a moving song. "Little Tongues first" follows, it's the most Troublegum-like song, but more edgy. Nothing to say about this one, just how great it is. Same goes for "Ten Year Plan", a straight-rocking song with nods to "Paranoid" at the Riffs. "God Kicks"... well, "God kicks". Just listen. "Other people's Misery" is a fast, hardcore/noise/punk song than would make Black Flag proud. The last Track "Sister" has Andy lighten his voice to a great effect, a haunting chorus and kicking guitars. The album ends with an eleven-minute, lyrical Acid-extravaganza called "Whilest I pursuede my way unharmed" Buy this record if you're a Therapy? fan. If not, this will make you one!"