(Epitaph/Heart & Skull/Shock)

Chasing the dragon was never so much fun

Alkaline Trio have long been a band where one album stands out to each particular fan. While other releases are definitely by the same band, your feelings are never as strong in comparison to the one that first grabbed your attention. This Addiction sees Alkaline Trio buck this trend, holding within its musical heart an indefinable quality certain to satisfy existing listeners and no doubt win them a million new ones. Seriously. One of the factors behind this new-found all-round awesomeness is that This Addiction sees the band completely at ease in every sense. Lyrically and vocally, Matt Skiba and Dan Adriano engage in only the subtlest tweaking of the evocative storytelling formula that served them so well on Goddammit! and From Here To Infirmary – and while playing on this strength, they deliver a vocal performance with just the right amount of rawness. On that note, the element most obviously missing from the band’s last few releases has been that rawness. Thankfully the production on This Addiction gives the oft-simplistic yet catchy riffs and signature basslines just the right amount of room to breathe, allowing a little grit to work its way into every song. This relaxed approach to the whole affair has allowed the inherent passion dwelling within Alkaline Trio’s music to shine through without interruption, firmly placing This Addiction at the top of the band’s pile.

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PATRICK PERRIER

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