Suicide Pact – You First

Suicide Pact — You First was the fifth full length album by the band Therapy?,^[3] and the first to be released by their third record company Ark21, following the demise of the band's previous label. It was released on October 18, 1999 and recorded at Great Linford Manor in Milton Keynes from July 13 to August 15, 1999.

The album was a move away from the pop sensibilities of their previous album, Semi-Detached, and was considered a dark and twisted effort, seemingly as a retort to the conditions and restrictions imposed upon them and other bands on major labels. Although the album garnered very little radio airplay,^[4] and only reached number 61 in the UK Albums Chart,^[5] it received very positive reviews in the press and still rates very highly among Therapy? fans. The live shows accompanying the album's release are regarded by the band as "unforgettable".^[6]

The US released limited edition CDROM included the video of "Little Tongues First".

The album was released on CD only.

Track listing

All songs written by Therapy?

1. "He's Not that Kind of Girl" – 3:25
2. "Wall of Mouths" – 4:08
3. "Jam Jar Jail" – 4:45
4. "Hate Kill Destroy" – 3:33
5. "Big Cave In" – 5:46
6. "Six Mile Water" – 6:22
7. "Little Tongues First" – 4:25
8. "Ten Year Plan" – 5:13
9. "God Kicks" – 2:41
10. "Other People's Misery" – 1:53
11. "Sister" / "Whilst I Pursue My Way Unharmed" [hidden track] – 18:34

The Japanese edition featured two live tracks as bonuses, with album closer and hidden track "Whilst I Pursue My Way Unharmed" moved to the end of the second bonus track:

1. "He's Not that Kind of Girl" – 3:25
2. "Wall of Mouths" – 4:08
3. "Jam Jar Jail" – 4:45
4. "Hate Kill Destroy" – 3:33
5. "Big Cave In" – 5:46
6. "Six Mile Water" – 6:22
7. "Little Tongues First" – 4:25
8. "Ten Year Plan" – 5:13
9. "God Kicks" – 2:41
10. "Other People's Misery" – 1:53
11. "Sister" – 5:06
12. "Little Tongues First (live)" – 5:00
13. "He's Not that Kind of Girl (live)" / "Whilst I Pursue My Way Unharmed" [hidden track] – 21:35

Personnel

• Andy Cairns – vocals/guitar
• Graham Hopkins – drums/backing vocals
• Michael McKeegan – bass/backing vocals
• Martin McCarrick – guitar/cello/vocals
• Kimberley McCarrick - violin
• Head – producer/guitar
• Nigel Rolfe - photography
• Steve Gullick - photography
• Therapy?/Insect - design

Singles

• "Hate Kill Destroy" was released March 6, 2000 with "Six Mile Water (Live)", "Sister (Live)". This single was released in Germany only and a limited edition of 2000 copies. Live tracks recorded in Brussels, Belgium on December 8, 1999.
• "Six Mile Water" was released in 2000 as a radio promotional single, featuring album and radio edits, as well as a live version, of the title track.

Promo Videos

• "Little Tongues First": Directed by Nigel Rolfe

Trivia

• The sample in "Hate Kill Destroy" (“Was, meint Ihr, wird aus diesem Kindlein werden? Gutes oder Böses?”) is taken from the 1979 film Die Blechtrommel.
• The title of the album comes from a t-shirt in Rupert Thomsons book "The Five Gates Of Hell".^[7]
• "God Kicks" was recorded in a wood in the Milton Keynes countryside at 2AM.
• "Whilst I Pursue My Way Unharmed" was 666 seconds of ambience recorded in a shopping centre in Milton Keynes.
• The noise at the beginning of "Jam Jar Jail" is the sound of a butterfly that became trapped in the window of the recording studio.
• "The Speedo Menace" was a 30 minute horror film shot by the band during the recording of the album that to date remains unreleased despite being regularly mentioned and touted for release by the band. It is believed that Graham Hopkins currently has the tape.

References