WHEN Therapy? clawed their way into the mainstream back in 1993, they were a joy to behold - bristling with snarling attitude, ingenious lyrics and crashing guitars. Tracks such as Screamager and Going Nowhere were chart-friendly rock, easy on the ear but expansive on the mind. Five years in, the band was nearly swallowed in the sinking of A&M Records. Cast adrift, Therapy? churned out hard, non-commercial rock and toured ceaselessly through their wilderness years. Which brings us to now, the band's first album with Spitfire, and at last there are glimpses of magic. Glimpses only, however. For every cracking track such as Watch You Go, there's a heavier, not-so-palatable alternative. But still, this is the best Therapy? have sounded in years, and that puts them a cut above the rest.

Updated: 10:45 Thursday, June 12, 2003