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Its been a hot second since the last album by DARON MALAKIAN AND SCARS ON BROADWAY, their last effort was Dictator way back in 2018, and whilst some of still wait (albeit hopelessly) for the the fabled sixth album from SYSTEM OF A DOWN, we have to make do with Daron Malakian’s side project which packs a similar punch with their third album, Addicted To The Violence and has a similar energy to his work with SYSTEM OF A DOWN which shows there is still plenty left in the tank for Malakian and you can’t help but feel he has a lot more to give as this album highlights perfectly.
There is no beating round the bush with Addicted To The Violence, it does feel like SYSTEM OF A DOWN lite. Opening track Killing Spree is as frenetic as any other song by SOAD with its bombastic riffs and enormous blast beats on the guitar and drums. Malakian’s voice is as distinguished as ever but doesn’t feel quite as strong as it does when alongside Serj Tankian, however he does hold his own throughout in what is a huge amount of fun. Satan Hussein follows and offers more of the same and fails to escape the comparisons as it feels like a distant relative of the track BYOB. The pace picks up and slows masterfully throughout which allows Malakian to shine both musically and vocally as it goes from fast paced vocals to a huge chorus with an even bigger and chaotic bounce to it. Done Me Wrong continues the frenzied nature of the record with some classic metal sounding guitars which make your hands ache imagining how Malakian plays so quickly but also signals that this record will not go far from what it knows and is sticking to a similar sound throughout.
After a three track bombardment, The Shame Game slows the album down early on with a track that has an uneasy feel to it, keeping you on edge with it’s unnerving guitars as Malakian’s ghostly vocals echo through. Speeding proceedings back up again is Destroy The Power, another track which can’t help but feel like a SOAD track and is missing the amusing dulcet tones of Serj Tankian. It continues the heavily political themes that feature throughout the record and doesn’t shy from them, taking aim at countries and their despotic leaders warning them that there are more people against them than there are dictators as they warn them that “we can take the power and we can destroy you,” it’s great to hear in these current times but doesn’t quite have the bite that Malakian is capable of when it comes to politics in his music. Your Lives Burn lets Malakian to once again flex his impressive vocals, whilst they aren’t huge and bombastic, they are always distinctive and it is no different here. The fast pace on how he delivers many lines of lyrics in such a short space of time on this track is hugely commendable and you almost find yourself applauding at the end of it.
Imposter begins the road to the end of the album with a track that is easily inspired by the likes of MOTÖRHEAD at the start with a driving riff that gives off similar vibes to Ace of Spades that fills you with adrenaline and makes you yearn to see this track in a giant sweaty mosh pit. You Destroy You is the closest thing to an acoustic track on the record, whilst it is still pacey, the electric guitars are swapped out for what almost sounds like a Tango song. The tinkering guitars and pianos waste no time helping you conjure images of people dancing passionately and shows that this album could have dared be a little different if it hadn’t been played so safely. Penultimate track Watch The Girl is one of the lighter tracks on the album, feeling very radio friendly and lacks the punch that Addicted To The Violence has had on display throughout listening. Final track, Addicted To The Violence brings the record to not a triumphant, but satisfying close. The huge riffs remain until the very end yet don’t feel as heavy or frantic as previous tracks. It does feel like a finale but it’s a finale that doesn’t have you pumped or make you want to start the album again. The political themes that run throughout do wear you down slightly and give the record somewhat of a dour note, but it wouldn’t be a Daron Malakian record without them would it?
Overall, Addicted To The Violence is a decent album. Is it a decent album? Yes it is, but was it worth the seven year wait in between? In some parts yes, there are times when this album really hits the spot and then sometimes where it doesn’t quite live up to the stratospheric heights we know Malakian is capable of. It’s an album that would have benefitted from being an EP as they can hone in the quality of it to a much more condensed space. Who knows, maybe he is saving the really good stuff for the fabled album number 6 for SYSTEM OF A DOWN. We can only hope.
Rating: 6/10
Addicted To The Violence is out now via self-release.
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