(Album Review) HEAVY METAL ADDICTED - Criminal Ways

Release Date: June 30, 2021 (murder Records)

Written by Jeff Tighe

Criminal Ways is the first release by Brazil's Heavy Metal Addicted since their 2017 founding. This short 8 track, 26 minute album is an eclectic compilation of songs, and that isn't a bad thing.

Overall the band plays a brand of speed and traditional metal, with English language vocals that (unfortunately) take on a monotonous, talent-less blackened gurgle that detracts significantly from the final product.

The first two songs, "We're Heavy Metal Addicted" and "Criminal Ways" are speed metal numbers to show the band's chops. "It's Your Time to Say Goodbye" and "NS is Good, Only Under the Ground" are a touch slower, but by no means slow and come across as more traditional metal. "Fuck the Cops (A.C.A.B.)" is pretty much a punk song with chaotic tempo and attitude. "One More Road, One More Fight" is a slow chugger, with an almost blues feel to it. And there are not one, but two acoustic guitar instrumentals rounding the album out.

This is an odd collection of various styles of music and all of it is well written and performed. The bass work of founding member and vocalist Hellish....The Killer could be higher in the mix, and the vocals are also low down, but, for reasons mentioned above, this reviewer won't complain about that. The guitar work of Hellslaught and the drumming of Drugbeats are both top notch. All in all an excellent effort....now if they could only find an actual singer.....

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