Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~81 minutes
Release: 28 April 2025
Therapy by Therapy question mark. Troublegum. February 1994. Nobody seems to know these albums existed, Neil explains to anyone who will listen at work, but this is one of the greatest records of the nineties. A Northern Irish three-piece escaping The Troubles through music, creating anthemic punky hard rock that sits nowhere near Britpop or grunge but defines an entire underbelly of UK alternative rock. Neil hasn't listened properly in 20 years, puts it on, knows every single word. Screamager. The energy just, you turn it up louder and louder before you're screaming away like a nutcase in the car. With a face like this I won't break any hearts, thinking like that I won't make any friends, screw that forget about that, your beauty makes me feel alone I look inside but no one's home. The lyrics spoke to teenagers, the music itself was anthemic, how can something so grungy and spiky and punky be so anthemic, that's the song craft. Produced by Chris Sheldon who did Feeder Swim, Gun Swagger, Biffy Blackened Sky, Ocean Size, My Vitriol, this British sound with bite, crunchy guitars, snare that cuts through properly out of place then the song goes off, all adds to the chaos and liveliness. Kerrang voted it best record of 94, shortlisted for Mercury Prize, sold a million copies worldwide but should have sold ten million, pockets of the world got it but not everywhere.
Screamager opening statement three riff sets before vocals brilliant not standard rock song structure, Turn major key jumps out album quite minor lots minor keys, Going Nowhere heaven kicked you out privileged people circumstance breaking circle hippie only have yourself control losing friends worth it Oasis connection motor car Jaguar plane fame millionaire, Lunacy Booth probably favourite super short packed no filler. Chris Sheldon production techniques quite dry little reverbs vocal effects unusual flanger airplane jet engine phasing comb filtering extreme strangely placed in your face effects lack confidence vocals James Hetfield hated voice early Metallica constantly trying another vocalist double tracking Bob Rock Black Album stopped doing it confidence thing guitars fine singing didn't feel good enough tricks studio.
This isn't just Trouble Gum, it's an entire forgotten scene. UK nineties hard rock underbelly sitting between grunge and Britpop, bands nobody talks about anymore but defined teenage years for generation. Therapy Gun Almighty Wildhearts Terrorvision Thunder phenomenal records blink miss it if weren't there forgot about them. Neil team at work who question mark never heard, Chris never listened album through until this week some songs never heard became favourites. Music as literal therapy Northern Ireland Troubles escape wet room making noise away from world bombs papers news visits countries oh that's where bombs are, three guys getting together disconnect sanctuary meditation. Commercial journey matters too, A&M funded properly back then major labels supported knew going somewhere million copies worldwide should been ten million pockets world got it Ireland UK Europe tours when could tour Europe pre-Brexit unviable now Charlie Benante double headline tours connect multiple fan bases. Album belongs to you not band anymore, create art goes into world takes life own people connecting what means them, student union bars placing back times relationship with it you created not them you own that relationship they created it different things. Kerrang masterclass aggression melody 31st best British rock ever Page Hamilton got it, lost fans after because Infernal Love didn't sound same intelligent people can't just Trouble Gum part two would split bored exploring valid musician not formula comfortable ACDC Motorhead Ramones admire them but like explore studio. This album if don't like it unfriend me now can't understand wouldn't feel same because we're all same, listen once know everything off this album next time comes on screaming, that's what makes special simple punk simplicity easy remember anthem generation forces you make time relationships memories time machines.
Perfect for: screamager screamers, crunchy guitar tone enthusiasts, Chris Sheldon disciples, snare sound fetishists, Northern Ireland Troubles escapees, music as therapy believers, UK nineties alternative rock archaeologists, Britpop underbelly explorers, scene that needs name definers, not Britrock rejectors, Ben Lyons older brother respecters, less than teenagers survivors, off the roof phenomenal appreciators, fruit pastel throwers, escape room Derby survivors, Dad's old man music sufferers, chopping onions screamers, Alexa trouble gum commanders, Pacific Northwest dour avoiders, energy drive fillers, tank invading Surrey planners, student union bar veterans, vomit on shoes rememberers, Doug Aldrich bar beer sharers, Amorettes sound check watchers, tape technology nostalgics, Walkman skip song marvelers, vinyl flipping over ritualists, getting up sitting down hard workers, Andy Cairns wisdom admirers, dissonance public persona professors, Chris Sheldon bite appreciators, LA sweet versus Seattle thick versus British punky comparers, snare out of place chaos lovers, drummers zonked jaw open transfixers, hand pan hypnotic disappearers, punk band starters, tennis racket mirror dreamers, Kerrang NME Rolling Stone magazine readers, working musician professionals, A&M Records supporters, Page Hamilton masterclass quoters, Ricky Warwick raspy voice adorers, Almighty Soul Destruction anticipators, Gun Gallus Swagger choosers, Wildhearts Thunder Three Colours Red seekers, poll ignorers, relationship owners, unfriend me now threateners, listen once know everything screamers, anthem generation definers, time machine travelers, forgotten scene rememberers, blink miss it survivors, phenomenal record discoverers, underbelly dwellers