01. Built On A Grave
02. Slaughterhouse
03. Expedition
04. Dark On Both Sides
05. Suicide Song
06. Final Lap
07. After Goliath
08. Origami God
09. Only Shackles To Lose
10. Breathe In. Breathe Out.
Some journeys leave scars. Destination Addiction is the one that fights back.
Confession time! Up until this review, I hadn’t heard of Confess before. They weren’t even a blip on my radar. But then Destination Addiction came along and blew the whole thing to pieces – all thanks to a tipoff from all-around-cool-guy RaduP. And after diving into this beast of an album, I won’t be forgetting them anytime soon. Seriously, this band is as metal as they come…
Because you see, Confess isn’t just any metal band – in Iran, where their story begins, they’re considered a goddamn felony. Yep, that’s right, Iran, that fun-loving place country where playing metal is seen as blasphemy and can land you in solitary confinement, like it’s part of their national tourism programme. Back in 2015, two metalheads, Nikan and Arash, were arrested for the heinous crimes of, checks court notes, making noise with guitars and yelling into microphones about anti-religion, anti-government views, and, gasp, thinking for themselves. Let’s just say the regime didn’t like that one bit, got their knickers in a twist, and handed down a 14.5-year prison sentence and 74 lashes. Naturally, these guys fled, found asylum in Norway, and kept their rage rolling. In 2022, they released Revenge At All Costs (RaduP covered that one too, read here), made some big waves, and landed a spot on Nile’s European Tour the following year. That, in turn, led to a close collaboration with George Kollias, who now delivers jaw-shattering session drumming on Destination Addiction.
Drenched in themes like distress, oppression, exile, and resistance – which are clearly a bit more potent and inspiring than whatever self-discovery TikTok reel about sniffing essential oils is trending right now – it’s no surprise this album goes hard. Very hard. Make no mistake: Destination Addiction is far from a holiday getaway – it’s a one-way ride through rage, ruin, and resilience, leaving a trail of wreckage behind.
Firmly nestled in the sweet spot between groove thrash metal and the new wave of American heavy metal, Confess sound rightfully pissed off and raw around the edges, yet sufficiently accessible. The production is nicely polished but doesn’t sand down the fury, allowing the band’s ferocious instrumentation to thrive while still hitting with devastating intensity. Aside from the topnotch drumming that you’d expect from someone who has 20+ years in Nile on their resume, the roaring riffs and harsh, vengeful vocal delivery are also major standouts on this release.
Fortunately used sparingly and always fittingly, the band even dips a toe into nu-metal territory with some turntable effects and scratches here and there – which, I guess, some purists might indeed call blasphemy… which is a pretty terrible joke, given the context, I know, I’ll take the back-lash in stride…
Clears throat awkwardly.
What’s luckily more tasteful in approach, is the album’s overall pacing. Destination Addiction stays deliberately consistent throughout, though occasionally becoming a bit repetitive. While no single track necessarily towers above the rest, songs like “Expedition”, “Final Lap”, “After Goliath” and “Breathe In. Breathe Out.” bear those minor electric jolts that keep things buzzing.
Confession time! I actually had a blast with this album. Like a steel-toed boot to the sternum, it has a relentless drive forward, offering few chances to catch your breath. Destination Addiction packs a serious punch, hitting with purpose and enough force to deathroll a rabid grizzly bear, which, honestly, is sometimes all you need to get through the day.
 |
Written on 25.05.2025 by
Metal Stormer since 2004. Made my comeback in late 2024. Still don’t give ratings, though. The review will tell you way more than a number ever could. Just read it, disagree if you must, and we’ll yell, fight, kiss, and make up. |