Wall of Mouths

What are the chances of ABCOL charting then?

Given its reviews and T?’s 90’s past, do they stand a chance?

Yes, this is a debate of sorts but to answer my own question I think it might stand a chance.

fatboy wrote:

What are the chances of ABCOL charting then?

Given its reviews and T?’s 90’s past, do they stand a chance?

Yes, this is a debate of sorts but to answer my own question I think it might stand a chance.

I don’t think an album needs to sell that all many to chart in the top 40 nowadays, so it could be a perfect opportunity! It might depend how the sales are counted, for example, will the ones ordered direct from Global that we’re sent out early be included? It does seem to be getting lots of exposure in the music press, and I saw it in beside the new releases in a prominent pisition in HMV Glasgow. Plus with the Jagermeister gigs coming up, (and selling well) it could (and should!) do particularly well.

found another good one:
http://www.cackblabbath.co.uk/2012/02/04/therapy-a-brief-crack-of-light/
I just absolutely agree…
good work, good album!
thx!

Getting better with every listen.

I haven’t got it either. It was sent on Sunday, so I’m pretty confident it’ll show up tomorrow… or Thursday at the latest :-S

it had best rock my socks when it arrives.

The following is my translation from album review from Greek website http://www.rocking.gr Excellent review I have to say!

The return of Therapy?, 3 years after Crooked Timber and 21 years from their debut, shows that the Irish trio are still in great form with signs of new elements into their music. Looking into their music progression and listening to ABCOL the first thing that comes in mind is that this band has been so underated throughout their career and secondly they never seem to draught from inspiration for rough and lowtuned riffs.

The nice thing about their new album is that they maintain the raged vocals and sound of Crooked Timber, and this is clearly being shown with the two opening tracks LITSOTTT and PB. Both step on music that has been done from T? before but with no doubt are a powerful and ideal start to the album. And then the big surprise is there. A more melodic sound to the heavy, rough alternative metal they has given us so far. Marlow doesn’t have the thunderous raged lyrics that define Therapy?’s existence, but a more mere, light riff with guitars and high pitched vocals (doubt if Andy could have made those). In a few words these characteristics would more match a song in Muse’s discography without this being sarcastic in any way. It just shows that Therapy? Can indeed include in their sound new effects with a more modern alternative rock pitch and at the same time it shows their flexibility. Both these show that they do tend to evolve and renew. This is shown with Before you, with you, after you which has some nice melodic tunes at parts but also more Therapy? “classic” signs. So after showing us that they are all set for renewal they return to the well known hard side with the acoustic explosions of Why Turbulence (that explains why they have been called In the past the Irish Metallica) and Ghost Trio that travel the listener into darkness. In addition this is the lyrics’ font Therapy? Pick for ABCOL. The darkness mixes excellently with the drums blast that keep the listener in speed rythyms and finally make it sounding beautifuly dangerous.

Overall the new T? work rope balances between their new style and their good old tried steps despite the short duration of the album. But on the other hand why have fillers like others do? ABCOL is easily more genious, catchy and easy listening than Crooked Timber but that doesn’t make it as a commercial one (in the bad way). It is characterized by a raged punk and dynamic rock In the limits of metal riff. Weird combination if you think about it, but this is what Therapy? Have always done!

I adore Ghost Trio.

Mine arrived via Play.com in the post today :-) Deadly, gonna go for a drive and let this MoFo rip!!!

It sounds like it could have come off Nurse IMO - I liked it from the very beginning.

Some reviewers have compared it to Helmet.

Got mine today from Amazon.

I might be weird, but I liked the whole album all the way through, right from the first listen.

The second half of the album kind of blends into one song (but one with ‘movements’) until Stark Raving Sane. I like that.

It’s definitely got the doominess and paranoia of Nurse and the like, but also a clear progression from Crooked Timber. Easier to get into than CT, in a way, but it’s like they took everything that went into that (and anything cool that they heard since) and smushed it into slightly more accessible songs in that weird way that they do.

It’s a circle peg in a square hole. It doesn’t fit, but they made it.

Right, just had my first listen, here are some of my thoughts about it.

First of all, I loved it. This is T?’s weirdest and most original album yet. It has some similarities with Crooked Timber with the dark, gritty sound, but really the songs on here are mostly of a totally different style.

The Buzzing might be my favourite track so far - it sounds totally unhinged, which I love.

Stark Raving Sane was probably my least favourite, but I still enjoyed it. The main problem was the chorus, which really needs a bit more to it. Andy’s crazed shouting of “stark raving sane” in the background towards the end though do make this track totally worthwhile. The vocals throughout the album are great.

Ecclesiastes blew me away. What a way to finish the album. I wasn’t expecting that at all. In fact, to be honest, after hearing LITSOTTT (just once) and reading comments on here and seeing positive reviews all over the place, I wasn’t expecting such a weird sounding album. I’m actually surprised that mainstream mags like Kerrang etc have been so favourable to an album which doesn’t sound very accessible or catchy. It’s pretty freaking weird really.

Just a couple of negatives:
1. Marlowe - I enjoy the track, I like instrumentals, but it just feels out of place. It might have fit better nearer the end of the album, maybe between the last 2 tracks, but I’m not sure… it just feels a bit too upbeat and positive when the rest of the music seems much darker.
2. It’s too short. I was disappointed how short it was before I even heard it and after listening to it, it got to the end and I really was thinking, “is that it?” - not because it wasn’t a great album, but because I could quite happily have listened to another 20 minutes of that. I do tend to like long albums though and to be fair it’s about the usual length for a T? album, so I can’t really complain or be too surprised.

All that’s just my initial impression anyway. Hopefully Marlowe will feel more at place once I get used to hearing it there and maybe Stark Raving Sane will grow on me more too. Other than that, I’d say it’s T?’s most original album and it really took me by surprise. I don’t think it will become my favourite T? album, but I enjoyed it a lot, so after many more listens, who knows?

Good work lads!

Stark Raving Sane has definately grown on me, when I first heard it I thought it sounded like a OCFA b-side but I like it a lot now. The verses are great, the intro riff is cool, even the chorus is getting better, mainly due to Neil’s drumming, I think. The man is talented, no question.

For me I just liked it immediately, whereas CT is a grower and - as much as I like it - has never really caught in my mind.

Is Marlow the ‘brief crack of light’ on the album?
I think it’s very much needed otherwise it’d be pretty bloody unrelenting. I’m pretty excited to hear some of these songs live.