Dead Addiction – ‘…Of Vice And Men’ (Self-Released)

By Monk

When is a new album not a “new” album? Perhaps when it’s been gathering dust for almost four years, which is the case with this, the long-delayed debut full-length offering from one of my favourite up-and-coming (if I can still use that phrase) Norn Iron acts. Yes, this album was first mentioned in these (un)hallowed pages away back in January 2020, by which stage the band had released an EP and two singles, and had a launch show and festival dates lined up help propel themselves forward… then, the world went to hell in a handcart as everything got extremely Covidicated 🙁

A concept album is a brave choice for a debut offering, but this is just that, telling a story set in the city of San Vector, a dystopian metropolis on a downward spiral to anarchy and chaos and which follows the story of a police detective, who after being betrayed and left for dead by his partner, awakens from a four year coma with a new edge to his defiance and a thirst for revenge! And it is a defiant thirst which characterizes this effervescent and charismatic album, which, despite its dark theme, bubbles and fizzes, enervates and energizes, drawing you deep into the dark, seedy underworld which it accentuates and brings to life.

Taking us immediately to the scene of the crime, the opening track sets the tone for what is to come: big crunching riffs combined with massive melodies and huge harmonies, mainly thanks to the twin guitar attack of Chris Van Engelen (formerly of Maverick) and Ciaran Lyttle, who bounce off and around each other like seasoned tag team champions. The rhythm section of Danny Haughey and Stephen Engelen drive the songs forward with vigour and precision, the former taut and precise in his thrumming bass work (hell, he even gets his own solo spot on ‘White Line’), the latter accentuating little highlights with exactitude and enthusiasm while holding down the bottom end of the sound with the solidity of a non-RAAC foundation.

Overtopping all of this is Joe Murphy’s precise vocal. By no stretch of the imagination a screamer or a screecher, Murphy’s laconic vocal style is beautifully suited to the crunching grind of the instrumentalizations, his poppier delivery accentuating the darker undertones which poke through the roaring riffs and crafted connotations. That’s not to say, he can’t let rip, ‘cos he can, but his restraint adds so much more to the overall performance and its ultimate delivery.

A concept album is a brave choice for a debut outing, especially outside of the prog genre, but this serves to give ‘…Of Vice And Men’ a cogent, confident cohesion. The songs not only provide the narrative but each one also manages to stand apart in its own right, delivered via performances that, individually and collectively, are strident and stringent, filled with huge harmonies and massive hooks, but backed up with more gristle than a well-cooked T-bone and enough muscle to take down any so-called WWE superstar (although, I must admit, I prefer the AEW alternative…)

This album may have been lying in its own coma for nearly as long as its subject, but it has reawakened with just as much vigour and determination to seek justice as its protagonist. Prior to all the aforementioned Covidications, this young band had been making big waves on the Northern Ireland music scene. Now, with the album finally out in the public domain, hopefully 2023 is eventually shaping up to be the year in which they take it to the next level.

If you have even a sneaking admiration for the likes of latter day Skid Row, or any of the “hair metal” bands at the heavier end of the spectrum, then I highly recommend you check into Vice City’s cheapest and sleaziest motel before you find yourself in handcuffs for not doing so…

Welcome to San Vector. It’s vice to meet you.

• ‘…Of Vice And Men’ is released on Saturday (30 September). The band officially launch the album at Voodoo, Belfast, the same night, with support from Dirt Cheap and Mindsweep.