Published on Dec 7, 2005
Therapy? has always had the influence of 80’s hair-metal in its
music, and the band paid a wonderful homage to this influence by
creating one of the most creative punk records ever (
Troublegum) out of it. With the follow up
Infernal Love, Therapy? takes that influence to a completely
different level, making a mockery of punk music and putting itself
in an inevitable danger of being called punk misfits.
This aside,
Infernal Love is another great record by the Irish trio.
Infernal Love is basically an 80’s hair metal record, with
the intelligence of 90’s rock.
Troublegum was an angst-ridden punk record, with quick
three-odd minute numbers being shot out from the stereo speakers
like bullets from a rapid-firing automatic gun.
Infernal Love, on the other hand, is more structured and
less chaotic.
This record is full of moments of unassured shock for first-time
listeners who have not had previous exposure to the band’s music
through
Troublegum or
Nurse. The first sting of the shock (and a very mild one)
comes with the appearance of saxophones on track two, “Stories.” It
doesn’t get any better and in fact becomes really bad when the
following cut, “A Moment Of Clarity,” starts off with an
atmospheric piano-hook, similar to an ambient-trance number. The
song then develops into a hair-metal number that has its hair
trimmed short and nicely combed, with clothes that are wisely
chosen.
Infernal Love acts and behaves like a moody concept album.
The tracks are interconnected by random sound bites, with the
production work as neat and tidy as it could be. Unlike the ones on
Troublegum, the cuts on
Infernal Love vary in styles and are less agitated. The
violin-driven ballad “Diane” or the semi-industrial “Bad Mother”
are revelations of the band’s talent in belying stereotyped
expectations in a respectable and commendable way. The “faster”
numbers of the record — like “Epilepsy,” “Stories,” and “Loose” —
have similar qualities to the ones on
Troublegum, with the exception that these tracks are more
appealing because of the all the fancy production-work adorning
them.
Therapy? has honestly tried its best to create a follow up to
Troublegum that is completely different from it in every
respect.
Infernal Love is an enfant terrible of punk music and is
even a disgrace to punk. It is also the worst possible kind of
follow-up to any phenomenal punk record – but is, however, truly an
amazing rock album. It is undeniable that Therapy? can never create
another record of the brilliance of
Troublegum, but an album like
Infernal Love assures that the band is still capable of
making great music.