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.
It’s fun, but Manchester, UK, was never exactly a hotbed for glam metal rock music. Well, CRUEL ADDICTION is taking the ’80s Californian sound for the genre and cranking it loud there in 2025. On their new album titled “Confess” these young dudes show the inspiration by the likes of Motley Crue, Lizzy Borden, WASP, etc, – firing catchy vocals over riff driven rock music, this face-painted band take you straight back to the glam metal scene of the first half of the ’80s, with a horror twist.
To call a glam metal album ‘conceptual’ is almost a blasphemy, but “Confess” tells a story as a whole – of course you can enjoy each track standalone. And despite there’s 15 tracks on the CD, 5 are short interludes. “Confess” packs effective rockin’ songs, with a sound reminiscent of early Motley.
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. It happens that CRUEL ADDICTION has an ace guitarist in Ozzy Foxx, a very young talented axeman that had not yet been born when this musical genre was in its heyday.
And let’s not forget Vince Lightborn’s voice, with the right amount of attitude, grit and swagger necessary for this type of rock n’ roll.
The strong guitar work 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.
Titles like Sick Fuck, Play With Fire, Tame Me (I’ll Tame You Too), Kill Her Quick, etc, provide the right indication of what CRUEL ADDICTION are all about: party anthemic glam metal circa 1983 when the genre wasn’t too commercial yet: gritty, raw.
Self-produced and released, “Confess” rocks hard with an old-school vibe very well captured. CRUEL ADDICTION is a band to keep an eye on > they have the songs, the musicianship, the looks.
Highly Recommended
01 - (intro).mp3
02 - Sick Fuck.mp3
03 - Play With Fire.mp3
04 - Tame Me (I'll Tame You Too).mp3
05 - Slave.mp3
06 - (phone call).mp3
07 - Sex Doll.mp3
08 - Back To Life.mp3
09 - (confess).mp3
10 - I'm Your God.mp3
11 - Treat You Right.mp3
12 - (!!!).mp3
13 - Kill Her Quick.mp3
14 - Everybody Wants To Die!.mp3
15 - (outro).mp3
Cruel Addiction – Confess 2025
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