Search - Therapy :: Troublegum

Rich M. (Legion411) from RIDGE, NY
Reviewed on 12/11/2009...

There are a handful of albums that are brilliant from beginning to end, that are greater than the sum of their parts-this is one of them. This album was recommended to me long after it's release and like most recommendations, I eventually get to it but usually scratch my head at why a person would assume I would like what they are recommending based on what they know I listen to. I have bought more cd's that found their way onto ebay within a day. I am a huge Husker Du fan and this band and in particular this album were recommended to me by another fan at a Bob Mould concert. This album's hooks have hooks. It's edgy, melodic, heavy at times but absolutely no filler. It's like Helmet but good. I say that because I love Helmet's sound and production but feel they lack the songs and fell short of their potential. Therapy? isnt a one trick pony...their other albums are good, diverse and I enjoy them but none are as strong as this one. I also enjoyed "Shameless", "Infernal Love" and "High Anxiety". Alot of people like "Nurse" but I personally can't get into and i've heard good things about "Crooked Timber" which I ordered a few days ago. Unfortunately all of their cd's are only available as imports and they only tour in Europe. Anyway, Enjoy!

Scott B. (scottb211) from GAYLORD, MI
Reviewed on 11/20/2008...

Worth it just for "Screamager" and "Nowhere" alone.

Todd B. from PASCOAG, RI
Reviewed on 6/11/2007...

this cd is essential. hard to find.

A Melodic and Methodic Madness

Andrew McCaffrey | Satellite of Love, Maryland | 05/21/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"TROUBLEGUM is a deceptively good album. Deceptive, because at first listen it sounds quite like a guy screaming his guts out while a rabbit repeatedly runs up and down a guitar that has been turned up to eleven. But after a few plays it started to grow on me. Following a few more listens, I started thinking things like: "Say, those background vocals play really well against the melody the lead is singing", "Oooh, that was a clever bit of guitar there" and "Did I really just think that?"Although TROUBLEGUM superficially sounds like a typically loud collection of noise, there is quite a lot of structure to the songs displayed here. It's not just random and loud guitars; the melodies and rhythm are quite appealing. It has more of a pop sound to it than the average metal album, but Therapy? make these two sounds go together extremely well.Moving on to the lyrics and I honestly can't figure out why I like them. On the surface, they're the standard teenage angst things that one would expect. They involve loneliness, anger, hatred, and getting drunk as a prelude to beating the living daylights out of someone. The fact that I couldn't really quote more than a couple of lines without violating Amazon's family website policy should let you know exactly what sort of words and concepts we're talking about here. But it's not what he screams; it's how he's screaming it. You can't help but want to shout along. The more I listen to this album, the more interesting it becomes. If you don't like metal CDs because you think the style involves nothing more than the sound of an angry young white guy smashing a guitar to smithereens, then you may want to give this disc a spin. TROUBLEGUM is madness tied up in a thick coat of method. It's better than it sounds."

Amazing!

skulliest | Edmonton, Alberta Canada | 08/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember picking up the tape version of this back sometime in '95 as an impulse buy. I'd never heard Therapy? before but I liked the cover and had some coin in my pocket. I started listening to it and was hooked immediately. I'm not sure what it was that reeled me in, but this very quickly became my driving music du jour.Troublegum is chock full of heavy guitar, throbbing bass, furious drumming and angst. Combining these elements with some really great songwriting and some [really angry] vocals/lyrics... you've got a winning combination.Songs like 'Nowhere' and 'Trigger Inside' will have you pulled over by the cops for speeding in no time. Therapy? also knows how to slow it down and really create some dark moods and themes on songs like 'Turn' and 'Lunacy Booth'. Page Nye Hamilton (Helmet) makes an appearance on the fabulous 'Unbeliever'; my personal favorite. Therapy? also turns out an excellent cover of Joy Division's 'Isolation'.I would personally recommend this disc to anyone who's a fan of heavy music. If I were stranded on a desert island, this disc would easily be in my top ten of disc's I'd need to have with me."