ALBUM REVIEW: Hard Cold Fire – Therapy?
Even with a career that now spans 34 years THERAPY? show absolutely no signs of slowing down and the band sound completely reenergised on their new album Hard Cold Fire. The band blast through the tracks on this record (their sixteenth) with a such vivacity that it would shame bands who are decades behind them career wise. THERAPY? have also always been a band who have ignored trends and simply got on with bringing out vital music, and nothing has changed on that front here either.
With longtime cohort Chris Sheldon on production duties again (he handled the band’s last album, 2018’s Cleave, as well as the Troublegum and Semi Detached albums), THERAPY? sound both focused and ferocious from the get-go as they start Hard Cold Fire off with They Shoot The Terrible Master. As opening tracks go, it makes a hell of an impact; Michael McKeegan‘s instantly recognisable bassline comes straight in just before the same can be said for Andy Cairns‘ riffs and vocals and Neil Cooper‘s drums and there is no doubt that THERAPY? are back and back with a serious vengeance.
From then on in it’s a nonstop barrage of intensely great songs, with the swirling anthem Woe and Joy, the track that was the first released from the album, and a fine representation of it, up next and both songs certainly continue the quality. The noise-laden but melodic Bewildered Heart and the discordantly soaring Two Wounded Animals follow quickly and it really reminds you just how good THERAPY? are at writing and executing brilliant and memorable songs. This is something they have always done and this time around it just sounds so vibrant and vital.
The bruising punk noise of To Disappear is up next and segues into the menacing bite of Mongrel before the brilliantly and perfectly titled second single Poundland Of Hope And Glory introduces itself with its instantly memorable riffs and hooks and a catchiness that is undeniable; this is a song that is sure to become an instant live favourite when THERAPY? tour in support of the album. The record concludes with the powerful Ugly before the initially melancholy but ultimately completely uplifting Days Kollaps finishes things off on a sheer high and signals the end of a superb album, one of the best that THERAPY? have ever made – it is that good.
Hard Cold Fire is an album packed full of killer hooks, riffs and clever and biting lyrics and there is both a heaviness and a catchiness in the tracks on show here throughout, something that THERAPY? have always done so well, and they are all combined into short sharp shocks of songs that salute the band’s past whilst constantly looking to the future. This album is jam packed full of memorable songs that will become firm favourites with the THERAPY? faithful and demonstrates without doubt what a band they are. It is great to hear their triumphant anthems in all their glory once again.
Rating: 9/10
Hard Cold Fire is set for release on May 5th via Marshall Records.
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