DEVIN TOWNSEND — Addicted (review)

DEVIN TOWNSEND — Addicted album cover Album · 2009 · Alternative Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
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Some artists release an album that sounds radically different from the rest of their catalog. Nine out of ten times the fandom rejects the new sound. If the album is significantly pop-oriented, this tendency to bash the new sound drastically increases. However, Addicted is an album that should be praised as the ultimate exception to the rule.

That's right, Addicted is a pop album (as well as a metal album). Now Devin definitely had pop elements in his music before, just check out Biomech and Infinity. But this album blatantly abuses the pop elements. And quite frankly, it could hardly get better. The painfully simple beats are danceable, the stupidly straightforward background synths are catchy, and the whole damn thing is filled with blatant pop hooks. So to state, Addicted is just plain fun.

The album is not only filled with well-made pop elements, but it is graced by the vocals of Anneke van Giersbergen. If familiar with the doom-metal turned alternative rock band The Gathering, you will know that the songs will be filled with soaring female vocals that are sung passionately, and Anneke certainly co-stars this album well with Devy.

She even gets her own highlight song. "Hyperdrive!" is a reworked piece from Ziltoid the Omniscient, and it's probably the best song on the album. It's energetic and Anneke belts out the inspired lines like there's no tomorrow. In my personal opinion it is easily the perfect pop song, and the metal elements are certainly present too.

The rest of the album is filled with highlights. "Supercrush!" is pounding and the spacey choral backing voices and blasting chords in the chorus make for an emotional song backed by a simple chuggy riff. "Bend it Like Bender!" is a fun and catchy dance song with a chorus that is likely to stick in anyone's head. "Numbered!" is a powerful song that is probably the only one that can be called the least bit sad, and is again led by Anneke's vocals. Really, all the tracks are great and have their own little quirks and hooks that make them all worth listening to.

Okay, so metalheads aren't supposed to love poppy, catchy, synth heavy, fun music. Some will not get passed that. However, metalheads generally enjoy fantastic musicianship, well written riffs, and intelligent songwriting, all of which feature on Addicted. Make no mistake, this pop metal album is probably the pop album metalheads won't regret buying.
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Pekka wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Great review of a great album! Made me cut my Krautrock spree to put on Supercrush.

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