Formed by guitarists Steve Wray and John Slater (formerly of Blaze), this band consists of quite some experienced musicians. And it shows! What we have here is a combination of grooving heavy metal, grunge influences and riffs as strong as concrete. Every single song is strong on its own but still fits on the album as a whole. The sporadically present guitar solos can only add up to the joy of listening this album. And if you still had your doubts about Rise To Addiction being an amateur band or something; Andy Sneap himself produced their album!

 

Vocal wise I’m just not so sure whether I like it or not. I guess I do but after a while it seems a little too much of the same to me. It’s a strong, melodic yet raw-edged voice, that’s for sure, and it’s not even that high (considering most heavy metal vocalists) but the thing is that I would have liked some more risks now and then. Just throw in a real raw scream or something like that. I think it would have done the album good.

 

Still this is music for a lot of people. It’s quite accessible because of the many different approaches used in the songs and the music stands as a rock. One song might be catchier than the other (check for example the fast-paced 'This Ride') but in the end the entire effort could considered to be a very nice debut album. Two thumbs up for Rise To Addiction!

 

One more recommendation: play this stuff loud! Really loud! You’ll like it even better.