 Therapy? - High Anxiety [Spitfire Records - 2003]A couple of years ago I sold my old Therapy? albums, the classics Troublegum and Infernal Love. I still don't really know what I was thinking, I didn't need the money and the albums certainly weren't bad. Actually, over the years I've been thinking a lot about them. I've had some great (high-school) years with their music. So last year I bought the albums back and I've been enjoying them like they were just released. With these two perfect albums in mind I also decided to check out some of Therapy?'s more recent releases. The Irish quartet released three other albums after Infernal Love and they've been a bit of a different experience. I just wasn't as impressed as before, although they aren't awfull either. It might have been nostalgic feelings that drove me back to Troublegum and Infernal Love, but those two have a special aura which makes them classics in my book.Over the years Therapy? haven't been featured a lot in the press, their later albums didn't sell insanious amounts but their fans have always been there to support the band. Now Therapy? released their newest album High Anxiety and I'm impressed. The band sounds energetic and fresh and they've written 11 powerfull songs. Songwriting is the key here, don't expect any experiments, just rock 'n roll. Therapy? went back to their roots of Troublegum and added some of their current ideas to the mix, the end result is High Anxiety. Opener Hey Satan - You Rock is a basic but powerfull rock song and has this terrific riff and great chorus. A fantastic opener and it just get's better. Who Knows and Stand In Line show you the album it's current direction: heavy sometimes punky rock. Nobody Here But Us could easily be their next succes single. With rock being as popular as now in mainstream circles Therapy?'s current single If It Kills Me should do well. It's a bit darker than most of the other tracks but catchy enough to give the band some credits on music television and radio. Watch You Go and Voodoo Doll are maybe their punkiest tracks ever. They are quite basic songs and in punk-traditions pretty short, but also really tasty. High Anxiety ends with Last Blast and Rust. The first one being a short, fast and catchy track while the latter is their most different song on the album and ends it with another terrific powerfull guitar riff. High Anxiety is a very strong album, from beginning till the end the album stands as a brick house. I'm happy to say that Therapy? haven't started their swansong yet. I knew they still had it in them, it just had a hard time coming out. Previous albums like Shameless, Suicide Pact-You First and Semi-Detached have their good songs, but fail to deliver the full experience. High Anxiety is what everyone was waiting for, another classic Therapy? album. Almost ten years after Troublegum the band sounds just as energetic and driven. And me, I hope that in ten years I will not have to buy this album back from the store. I won't make the same mistake twice.   Niels van Rongen
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