''This Addiction'' is the seventh studio album by
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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-based rock band
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals).
Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Do ...
, released February 23, 2010 as the first release by their newly formed record label Heart & Skull, a joint venture with
Epitaph Records. Described as a return to the band's punk rock roots, it was recorded at Atlas Studios in their hometown of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
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, subdivision_name ...
with Matt Allison, the same location and producer used for much of their early material. The album draws lyrical inspiration from the band members' personal lives, addressing themes such as love, addiction, death, divorce, grief, suicide, politics, and war. It became the highest-charting album of the band's career, debuting on the
''Billboard'' 200 at #11 and also reaching #1 on the Rock, Independent, and Alternative Albums charts.
Formation of Heart & Skull
Following the touring cycle for their 2008 album ''
Agony & Irony'', Alkaline Trio left
Epic Records due to personnel changes within the record label. Singer and guitarist
Matt Skiba explained in a May 2009 interview with ''
Billboard'' that "Everyone who signed us to Epic, all of the people we trusted there, were let go. And that's not to say the people running it now aren't cool, we just don't know them and we don't like to work generally with people we don't know. We had a bunch of material and wanted to do a record sooner
atherthan later, so we called them and asked them if we could leave and they said, 'Yeah, that’s cool.
Rather than signing a recording contract with another label, the band decided to release their next album themselves, a move Skiba explained as partially inspired by the independent releases of
Nine Inch Nails' ''
Ghosts I–IV
''Ghosts I–IV'' is the sixth studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by The Null Corporation on March 2, 2008. It was the band's first independent release following their split from longtime label Interscope Recor ...
'' and ''
The Slip'' and
Radiohead's ''
In Rainbows
''In Rainbows'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 10 October 2007 as a pay-what-you-want download, followed by a physical release internationally through XL Recordings and in North America ...
'':
With the way that everything is being done, with people like Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...
and Radiohead, it was very inspiring to us that when you're doing things on your own you can do whatever you want. Not that we're going to give records away but this time we're starting a label, we want to build it up first and have the freedom to release exclusive things whenever we want. That's something we've always been able to do until we were on Epic, so it's nice that we're able to do that again.
In November 2009 Alkaline Trio announced the formation of their own
independent record label, created as a
joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and economic risk, risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four rea ...
with
Epitaph Records in a manner similar to
ANTI- and
Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an offshoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, w ...
.
Epitaph had previously released ''
Patent Pending
"Patent pending" (sometimes abbreviated by "pat. pend." or "pat. pending") or "patent applied for" are legal designations or expressions that can be used in relation to a product or process once a patent application for the product or process ...
'', the 2006 album by Skiba's side project
Heavens. Named Heart & Skull after Alkaline Trio's logo, the new label would be inaugurated by the release of their new album.
Skiba remarked that "We made the decision to form Heart & Skull to put out our own records after having been through every kind of label deal in the industry, big indies, small indies, majors. We knew it was time to adapt to the shifting tides of the music industry and we could not be more thrilled about doing that in conjunction with the team at Epitaph."
Singer and bassist
Dan Andriano
Daniel Michael Andriano (born June 27, 1977) is an American singer and musician. He is best known as the co-lead vocalist and bassist of the punk rock band Alkaline Trio, with whom he has recorded nine studio albums to date.
Andriano also rec ...
added: "For our band at this time it really makes sense to release our own records, but we wanted to make sure we could partner up with good people who we would want to share in something very special to us. When
Brett ">urewitzcalled and said he wanted to be involved, that was it. Epitaph is a label I've admired and supported for more than half of my life."
Background and recording
During their Spring 2009 tour, Alkaline Trio tested new songs including "Dine, Dine My Darling" (a title derived from the
Misfits
Misfits or The Misfits may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift
* ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...
' "
Die, Die My Darling
"Die, Die My Darling" is a song by the American horror punk band Misfits. It was released in May 1984 on singer Glenn Danzig's label, Plan 9 Records, seven months after the band's breakup. The song is titled after the 1965 horror film ''Fanat ...
"),
"Dead on the Floor", and "
This Addiction".
Skiba explained that "we used our
soundcheck
A sound check is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance to adjust the sound on the venue's sound reinforcement or public address system. The performer and the audio engineers run through a small p ...
basically as pre-production" and stated that the band would choose the ten best songs and "record them lickety-split in July".
Reflecting a desire to return to their
punk rock roots, the band chose to record at Atlas Studios in their hometown of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, where they had recorded much of their early material including their first two albums, 1998's ''
Goddamnit
''Goddamnit'' is the debut album by the Chicago-based rock band Alkaline Trio, released October 13, 1998 through Asian Man Records.
Artwork and title
The album cover has 3 red alarm clocks, each set at 6:00, representing 666. "I used to set my a ...
'' and 2000's ''
Maybe I'll Catch Fire''.
They also chose to record with Matt Allison,
producer of both of those albums as well as 2001's ''
From Here to Infirmary
''From Here to Infirmary'' is the third album by American rock band Alkaline Trio. It was their first album for Vagrant and their only album with Mike Felumlee, who replaced their previous drummer, Glenn Porter. When Felumlee left the band shortl ...
'' and much of their other early material.
"Matt has a really great ear and some really great ideas, so he engineered the record and co-produced it", said Skiba. "The official production credit is ours though. We went in with a very strict idea of what we wanted to do."
During the Summer and Fall of 2009 both Skiba and Andriano worked on solo projects: Skiba recorded a solo album entitled ''Demos'' for the band's early label
Asian Man Records, which was originally scheduled for a February 2010 release but was pushed back until after the release of the new Alkaline Trio album. Meanwhile, Andriano performed and recorded as a solo project titled The Emergency Room. That October Alkaline Trio played the
Riot Fest
Riot Fest is an annual three-day punk rock music festival based in Chicago, Illinois, at Douglass Park. It is known for booking reunions, guest performances, and full album performances. Riot Fest remains one of the largest independently owned m ...
, an annual Chicago punk rock festival, alongside older Chicago bands including
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben Weasel (vocals), Mike Kennerty (guitar), Mike Hunchback (guitar), Zach "Poutine" Brandner (bass) and Pierre Marche (drums). Screeching Weasel is originally from the Chicago subur ...
,
Pegboy
Pegboy is an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois with a relatively large cult following. They were founded in 1990 by John Haggerty (ex-guitarist for Naked Raygun), along with his brother Joe Haggerty (drums, formerly of The Effigies), Larr ...
, and
Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun was one of the first, one of the longest running, and one of the most recognized Chicago punk bands. They are considered by many to be the most important band in the history of Chicago punk rock and credited with creating “the Chi ...
.
Skiba noted that reconnecting with these and other friends in the Chicago music scene allowed their punk rock influences to seep into the new Alkaline Trio album even more.
On December 1, 2009 the album's title was announced as ''This Addiction'', which is also the title of its opening track.
Of the eleven tracks selected for the album, eight were written by Skiba and three by Andriano ("Dine, Dine My Darling", "Off the Map", and "Fine").
Skiba explained that both members came up with an equal number of songs during the writing process, but that "it was pretty easy to pick out the ones we wanted to use. There are three of us that have equal say in the creative process, so you gotta leave your ego at the door. Dan and I are best friends and we're not competitive with each other at all. We're partners and we try
odo everything for the better
entof the band and for the better
entof the record."
Style
Prior to recording ''This Addiction'', Skiba expressed a desire to return to the band's
punk rock roots: "That's how we started as a band, and over the years I think we evolved into kind of more of a rock band with punk roots."
Elaborating on the album's sound in a November 2009 interview, he called it "a rock record but our punk rock upbringing definitely shines through, more so than our last few records. The vibe is similar to our humble beginnings. It's a step forward but I also think it has glimmers of our past in it."
He also described the album as more straightforward, with a "less is more" approach that included reducing the number of guitar
overdubs
Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...
, with many of the songs including only one guitar track: "We wanted a record that we could easily play live. For the most part, it's pretty bare bones while still sounding full and big."
The album does, however, include some
synthesizer as well as a
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
solo in the style of
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie roc ...
.
Musically, Skiba has cited the influence of fellow Chicago punk bands
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben Weasel (vocals), Mike Kennerty (guitar), Mike Hunchback (guitar), Zach "Poutine" Brandner (bass) and Pierre Marche (drums). Screeching Weasel is originally from the Chicago subur ...
,
Pegboy
Pegboy is an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois with a relatively large cult following. They were founded in 1990 by John Haggerty (ex-guitarist for Naked Raygun), along with his brother Joe Haggerty (drums, formerly of The Effigies), Larr ...
, and
Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun was one of the first, one of the longest running, and one of the most recognized Chicago punk bands. They are considered by many to be the most important band in the history of Chicago punk rock and credited with creating “the Chi ...
on ''This Addiction''
's sound.
He has also cited the influence of the
Ramones and
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing voca ...
, saying of the latter that "They've never put out a bad album, in my opinion. I remember being like 'Wow, this sounds like old Social D'
uring recording It's got that melodic yet melancholic kind of mean guitar lead. It sort of reminds me of ''
Mommy's Little Monster'' and some of the older stuff and like how psyched I was to hear that."
Themes
Lyrically, the themes of ''This Addiction'' were heavily influenced by the band members' personal lives. Skiba remarked that "The whole record is really personal, all three of us have been through quite a bit since our last album and it is all expressed through this, all the songs are about the relationships we've been in and so the record has a constant theme."
He cited this as another way in which the album recalls the band's earlier material:
Another thing that makes it resemble our earlier records, especially our first record, is that it's really personal. A couple of us have gone through some pretty serious life changes. We had a good friend of ours pass away since the last record. There's a song on the record, "Dorothy", that was really influenced by the film '' Blue Velvet'' but it's a metaphor for someone and something else. Everything on the record is stuff that definitely hits close to home for us and we tried to communicate that in the songs.
Discussing other specific songs on the album, Skiba mentioned that the title track uses
heroin and
methadone
Methadone, sold under the brand names Dolophine and Methadose among others, is a synthetic opioid agonist used for chronic pain and also for opioid dependence. It is used to treat chronic pain, and it is also used to treat addiction to heroi ...
addiction as a metaphor for love, stating that "It's a human condition that I think we all, in one way or another, fall victim to. It's not to say that people can't be happy or find bliss in a relationship. It's just amazing to me how unhappy most people are and they can't shake it and can't fix it, much like an addiction."
He also discussed the politically themed "The American Scream", a song inspired by the
suicide of a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
soldier after his return from the
War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to:
*Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC)
* Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709)
*Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...
: "For a long time we were afraid to write overtly political songs but I read this article about a US soldier that came back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and blew his head off on his mother's grave and I wrote a song about that."
He has described the lyrical style of ''This Addiction'' as "thinking-man's punk": "We wanted to do something that's fun but also interesting and lyrically, something that will be fun for people to read along to and hopefully understand."
Promotion and release
On December 30, 2009, the album's track listing and artwork were posted online. The lead
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, "
This Addiction", was made available for listening as
streaming audio
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
through a dedicated website on January 5, 2010, using a marketing technique in which listeners were required to post an advertisement about the album to
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
or
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
in order to access the song.
It became available as a download through digital retailers on January 12, and was released as a
7" single
In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separat ...
exclusively at
Hot Topic
Hot Topic, Inc. (stylized as HOT TOPIC) is an American retail chain specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming ...
stores on February 9.
"This Addition" impacted radio on February 2. The song's
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
premiered February 8. Alkaline Trio went on a US with
Cursive, with support from
the Dear & Departed, to promote the album.
On February 18 ''This Addiction'' was made available for listening as streaming audio through the band's
MySpace profile. ''This Addiction'' was released February 22, 2010 in the United Kingdom through Heart & Skull and Hassle Records, and the following day in North America through Heart & Skull and Epitaph Records.
It was released in several versions, including a standard eleven-track
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Oc ...
and
digital download, a limited Deluxe Edition with six bonus tracks and a full-length concert
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
recorded at the
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at Ha ...
in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
in 2008, and a gatefold
LP.
On March 10, 2010, the band appeared on ''
Late Show with David Letterman''. In May and June 2010, the band went on a UK tour. "The American Scream" impacted radio on June 29, 2010. Following this, the band performed on the
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touri ...
and performed at the
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fe ...
in the UK.
Sales and reception
''This Addiction'' became the highest-charting album of Alkaline Trio's career, debuting on the
''Billboard'' 200 at #11 and reaching #1 on the Rock, Independent, and Alternative Albums charts.
It was also #8 in digital album sales and #51 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
.
Critics' reviews of ''This Addiction'' have generally complimented the album's production and Dan Andriano's contributions, while criticizing Matt Skiba's vocals and lyrical themes. Both Drew Beringer of
AbsolutePunk and Scott Heisel of ''
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' noted that the production effectively blends hints of the band's early sound with the more polished rock style of their later years, with Beringer remarking that it "captures the vibe of the album nicely" and Heisel commenting that it "still sounds like a slick, polished Alkaline Trio album, mainly because the band have evolved to a point where they ''want'' their sound to come off as slick and polished."
Both praised Andriano's writing and singing, with Beringer noting that he "only leads on three tracks, but sounds fantastic in each, especially in album closer, 'Fine'."
Heisel stated that "His three cuts (including the spectacular "Off the Map") are sufficiently poppy without being dumbed down."
Skiba's vocals received more criticism: Beringer stated that "some of
isweakest material shows up here" and that he "sounds awesome on the title track and 'The American Scream',
utfalls flat on blunders like 'Draculina' and 'Piss and Vinegar.
Heisel criticised Skiba for "
alling
Alling () is a municipality in the district of Fürstenfeldbruck, Bavaria, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia ...
back too frequently on his well-worn lyrical themes of drugs (the title track) and death ('The American Scream'). It's moments like these where it feels like he's trying too hard to keep up appearances with his band's more fairweather fans."
Corey Apar of
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
felt similarly, saying that "it would have been nice to hear
ndrianomore, especially since Skiba's lyrics leave much to be desired."
Michael French of Punknews.org shared this sentiment, saying that Skiba's lyrics "aren't necessarily bad, but they've been significantly dumbed down; Matt once turned cliché into clever and cunning commentary--now they just lack personality and the clichés are just, well...cliché."
Opinions were divided on the band's use of trumpet in "Lead Poisoning" and synthesizer in "Draculina" and "Eating Me Alive". Rob Hope of Rock Lifestyle said of these elements that "At first you may jump back and scratch your head, but after a few listens you realize it's pulled off well and is quite likeable."
Beringer remarked that the horns "fill the background nicely", while Heisel felt that "The goofy,
NOFX-esque trumpet solo
..turns a decent song into a throwaway track".
Similarly, Beringer felt that the use of synthesizers in "Eating Me Alive" "puts a little glam into the band's gothic style", while Heisel called them "awful", stating that they "completely ruin" the song, and that "Draculina" should have been left off of the album and relegated to a
B-side: "seriously, the sooner this band stop playing around with keyboards, the better off we'll be".
Both had praise for specific songs on the album, however: Beringer called "The American Scream" "the ideal Trio song; it's totally dynamic and enthralling, and should be a quick fan favorite."
Heisel said that Andriano's "Dine, Dine My Darling" "is exactly what makes the Trio a compelling punk band–it's loaded with a huge hook, honest lyrics and a wink to their forefathers".
He singled out "Dead on the Floor" as the album's finest track, calling it "a not-too-distant musical cousin from ''
Goddamnit
''Goddamnit'' is the debut album by the Chicago-based rock band Alkaline Trio, released October 13, 1998 through Asian Man Records.
Artwork and title
The album cover has 3 red alarm clocks, each set at 6:00, representing 666. "I used to set my a ...
s 'San Francisco', with some of Skiba's most heartbroken lyrics."
Jon Dolan of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' remarked on the band's return to their "bleak-
Blink-182
Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their sound has ...
roots" after the "
power-ballad overreach" of ''
Agony & Irony''.
Final opinions on the album were mixed. Hope called it "an easy listen with the same soothing vocals and clean cut sing-a-long choruses we've grown to love. Overall a great offering but not overly addictive."
Beringer praised the band's growth in musicianship in the years since ''
From Here to Infirmary
''From Here to Infirmary'' is the third album by American rock band Alkaline Trio. It was their first album for Vagrant and their only album with Mike Felumlee, who replaced their previous drummer, Glenn Porter. When Felumlee left the band shortl ...
'', but also commented that ''This Addiction'' "could be polarizing to fans, splitting them into three groups: fans who love the album because it goes back to the band's roots, fans who dislike this album because they may think it's a cheap imitation of older days, and the fans who might think this is a step backwards from the previous album."
Heisel concluded that "while ''This Addiction'' might not be perfect, it's a more than respectable entry into the band's already sizeable canon, proving that though they may be in that rarified group of punk-rock lifers, Alkaline Trio aren't done evolving yet."
Apar stated that although the album was purported to be a return to the early sound of ''Goddamnit'', he found it more comparable to ''From Here to Infirmary'' "since the end result is still the same polished album full of vaguely gothic and bloody references where characters like Draculina live -- no real bitterness, sore-throat defiance, or endearing heartache to be found."
Though complimenting "This Addiction" and "Off the Map" as strong songs, he felt that the album failed to live up to its expectations as a return to roots: "Alkaline Trio just can't seem to recapture the spirit of their early days, when purpose and emotion fueled every note. Instead, one is left with totally competent -- and at times, yes, catchy -- songs that ring just a bit too hollow compared to the urgent leave-it-all-on-the-floor guts of those earliest releases
..despite the polished and punchy singalong choruses, ''This Addiction'' is really just more of the same recycled melodies from the Trio rather than any sort of rebirth."
Andrew Kelham of ''
Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'' agreed that the album did not succeed in recapturing the band's early sound, but was a strong effort nonetheless: "Alkaline Trio aren't naïve punk rockers from the Chicago suburbs anymore, as a result this album fails to recapture that innocence but succeeds in creating another strong body of work that the group can be proud of."
Mikael Wood of ''
Spin'' remarked that the "cozier confines" of an independent label "appear to have put the band at ease" and that their "hooky, blood-soaked bad-love allegories
..satisfy like heartburn-inducing comfort food."
French concluded that "''This Addiction'' isn't so much a 'return to form,' but rather a summary--a sonic scrapbook of sorts that carefully documents their entire career, from sour home Chicago to the dressing rooms of ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
''."
Track listing
Bonus tracks
Personnel
;Band
*
Matt Skiba – guitar, vocals
*
Dan Andriano
Daniel Michael Andriano (born June 27, 1977) is an American singer and musician. He is best known as the co-lead vocalist and bassist of the punk rock band Alkaline Trio, with whom he has recorded nine studio albums to date.
Andriano also rec ...
– bass, vocals
*
Derek Grant – drums
;Additional musicians
*Jason Flaks – trumpet
*Ruth Rosenburg – saxophone
;Production
*Matt Allison –
recording engineer, co-
producer,
mix engineer
A mixing engineer (or simply mix engineer) is responsible for combining ("mixing") different sonic elements of an auditory piece into a complete rendition (also known as "final mix" or "mixdown"), whether in music, film, or any other content of a ...
*Ted Jensen –
mastering
*Cameron Webb – recording engineer of acoustic bonus tracks
;Artwork
*Dan Field – cover photography
*John Yates – design and layout
*Derek Grant – design of "7" logo (refined by Mark Penxa)
*Matthew Reeves and Tyler Curtis – band photography
Charts
References
External links
''This Addiction''at
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
(streamed copy where licensed)
{{Authority control
Alkaline Trio albums
2010 albums
Epitaph Records albums
Albums produced by Matt Allison (record producer)