Shameless

Therapy? is one of this band who has seen the spotlight in the 90's, when Nirvana & Co were somehow the new leaders of the rock'n'roll scene. Also called "The next generation" by rock 'n' roll magazines (at that time of course), it was evident Therapy? will be part of this new wave of punk-metal-rockers. However, life is not always so predictable ... nor is the success. The opening track, Gimme Back My Brain sounds like a classical Offspring punk song, with a nice chorus, driven by guitar melodies reminding me Thin Lizzy (proving once again that everybody is influenced ... by everybody). The Offspring "touch" (other will mention the Ramones) stays from the first track 'til the last one. Well I know Therapy? did a hit before The Offspring, but this the impression I got while listening to Shameless. Songs like Gimme Back My Brain, Joey (sounding like the 1966 Batman TV series), Dance or Wicked Man (both reminding me Kiss, Carnival Of Souls ... normal as Kiss tried to sound grunge on this record) and finally This One's For You (The Offspring again !) are really cool, but the overall is too "flat". Even though the production is well done (recorded in Seattle and produced by Sub Pop's Jack Endino who has worked with Nirvana), these songs have been heard a thousand time before. Although the America input hasn't turned Therapy? into a Seattle band ... it has turned the Irish band to a clone of the Offspring, beta version of course. Therapy? needs ... a therapy for sure (I know this one is very easy) as Shameless is .... very tasteless (hummm ... this one is not better too). After their big success in the previous decade, the Irish band is suddenly tired (as grunge is dead) ... and they try to follow the path of Backyard Babies or the Hellacopters. Of course if you like these bands, you might appreciate this one. Personally, I like Backyard Babies ... but I don't like Shameless. No sorry, the only words that goes with this Shameless (what an awful cover by the way) is ... "déja-vu" and "tasteless".