Cruel Addiction: CONFESS – Album Review

30th December 2024 0 By Oli Gonazlez

Anybody who knows me and my music taste knows that the genres of doom, black, and post-metal are in my frequent/daily rotation, and I rarely venture out of this comfort zone. However, this is one occasion where I do, and this time for Manchester-based glam metal act Cruel Addiction, taking inspiration from the likes of Wasp, Aerosmith, and Motley Crue. Relatively new in their journey, the band aim to make their mark with their soon-to-be-released EP “CONFESS”, dealing with the themes of “sins, compulsions, and escapism through a modern glam metal lens”, in the words of the band. How will this transpose into a modern glam metal style? Let’s find out.

Riffs? This is all about the riffs. Yes, the album is absolutely packed full of them! From blazing lead solos to chunky palm-muted rhythms, there’s plenty of inspiration here for you to dust off your air guitar and play along. This is a masterclass in guitar-lead anthems and a clinic in the instrument. This remains the melodic focal point throughout the album and the source of an energy that never dips or lags. There are cleverly implemented slower groovier sections to change up the pace and assuming you’ve been headbanging along in your living room, a chance to give your neck a break.

Vocally, this is what you’d expect from the genre. A good solid all-round strong voice with just the right amount of grit and melodic quality. Lyrically is sadly where things go downhill. I’m not sure if naming a song ‘Sick Fuck’ was trying to be edgy, but for me just suggests that there’s a lack of creativity and an inability to produce meaningful lyrics (a thesaurus doesn’t cost much). Also, writing a song referring to a woman as a ‘Sex Doll’ may have been acceptable in the 1980s but nowadays seems to be a little unimaginative or at worst demeaning and chauvinistic.

Production-wise, it feels as though things were either rushed or the inexperience of the band is showing as the mix doesn’t quite display the band members’ individual qualities and the sharpness for each. However, this feels very much fixable and a case of polishing a rough diamond rather than a complete overhaul.

Overall, “CONFESS” is a respectable effort for a band of this size.

Score 7/10
Track List