Metal Discovery - November 2006
Rock Haven - Sunday 29th October 2006
Lincoln
I first saw Rise To Addiction a couple of months back at Junktion7 in Nottingham and was very impressed with both their energetic performance and fresh-sounding varied style of metal. Tonight, their set commences around 10:15pm and as they launch into the opening number the sound is strikingly LOUD. This is perhaps Rise To Addiction at their rawest, seemingly playing direct through their amps with only vocals using the PA.
Despite the small audience, it is evident right from the start that the band means business as they perform with forceful intent and dynamic enthusiasm - such professionalism has to be admired. Second song in the set is a very heavy sounding cover of Black Sabbath's 'Children of the Grave' which, although true to the original, is made their own through the sheer intensity of its delivery. The remainder of the set comprises a deluge of quality, original material, with each song sounding as strong as the last.
Rise To Addiction's diverse song writing make them a difficult band to classify generically as their music has discernible elements of various metal sub-genres - heavy; stoner; thrash and even progressive. However, their songs have a very contemporary metal edge and the band have a distinctive sound of their own. They are also individually very talented musicians. Leigh Oates is a charismatic frontman and has a wide vocal range - his powerful singing is both melodically aggressive and fervently moving. John Slater and Steve Wray's accomplished guitar playing is dextrous and intelligently purposeful - subtly inventive and technically versatile. Joel Graham's creative bass lines lend the songs further depth while Aynsley Dickinson's relentlessly arduous drumming is dynamically impressive.
Collectively, Rise To Addiction convey a good reciprocal vibe as a band - both with each other and the audience - and look like they're having a whole lot of fun. Their set closes with the anthemic 'Falling As One', a truly awesome composition which achieves a good balance between emotive melodies and raw metal aggression.
After tonight's stunning performance, I'm once again left with the overwhelming impression that Rise To Addiction are a band destined for big things and with the planned release of their debut album early next year (mixed by none other than prolific metal producer, and ex-Sabbat guitarist, Andy Sneap), I'm sure that greater success is just around the corner. With a plethora of strong material, a fantastic live show and professional attitude, they certainly deserve it. Rise to Addiction have the potential to be huge.
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Metal Discovery - October 2006
Junktion7 - Saturday 26 August 2006
Nottingham
The audience are treated to a slickly performed set of technically proficient catchy metal tunes. The dual guitar work of John Slater and Steve Wray (both formerly of ex-Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley's band BLAZE, and founding members of Rise To Addiction) covers a range of playing styles - crushing melodic riffs, emotive arpeggios, and virtuoso leads - lending the songs a sense of depth and sustaining interest throughout.
Vocalist Leigh Oates both sings and performs with a passion. His expressive vocals range from powerful serenity to compassionate aggression, but always melodic, and seemingly never missing a note. Add to those elements the tight rhythm section of Joel Graham's solid bass playing and Aynsley Dickinson's energetic drumming, you have a great sounding live band that puts on a very polished, professional show.
Rise To Addiction are very well received and I'm sure it won't be too long before they're playing in bigger venues to larger audiences.
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Rise To Addiction make only good and original music. The three TRACKS on offer centre around the two former Blaze men and are original and difficult to describe.
The opening to "Falling As One" is one of the best I have heard lately and gets even better when the singing begins. The singers voice reminds me of Chris Cornell (soundgarden) - although somewhat heavier sounding.
The music is a heady mix of traditional Metal, Alternative, Post-grunge and various other influences.
Is Nickelback goes metal an accurate description? Maybe!
The CD contains along with the already mentioned opener "Everlasting Wave" and “To A God Unknown" these songs fit perfectly. All 3 tracks are great and will win you over straight away.
As well as the 3 tracks on offer there is also the promo video for "Falling As One" included on the disk, this also succeeds and is a good video for the song.
An all round success then, the production is also great, I’ve never heard a badly produced album that Andy Sneap had a hand in.
A big fat eight! - 8/10
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Metal-Archives - November 2005
This is a great start for a promising band, I was into B L A Z E when John Slater and Steve Wray left, and it highly disappointed me. But now B L A Z E is going to continue on with a new line-up and while I'm waiting for the new album, I decided to check out John and Steve's band. To my surprise, it rocks!!
Track by track review:
Falling as One: Favourite song, I love the guitar intro on it, starts out slowly and then you get all the other instruments at once. Vocals on it are great!
Everlasting Wave: A great song as well, has some awesome lyrics and is pretty heavy. I wonder if this is a song I could listen to over and over again, but it is good every once in a while.
To A God Unkown: Love the riffs on this song. I feel the chorus could use a little bit of work but all in all, this song is good. Other than the tad repetitive chorus the lyrics are well done.
Falling as One (music video): Had cool scenes of Steve and John, hopefully we'll get another commercial video with the full-length album with the new vocalist Leigh Oates and drummer Aynsley Dickinson.
A great start 94%
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Overdrive Radio Show: November 2005 (Belgium)
Fresh, Heavy, Compelling and a band that we should seriously keep in mind for the future! Of course,
RTA will get a lot of airplay on Overdrive!!
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I Bloody love Rise To Addiction!!
Just added 'Falling as one' to the playlist and will make them featured artist later today!
Nigel
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Bloodstock - Saturday 3 September 2005
The Assembly Rooms, Derby
Christ!, who'd like to be Rise To Addiction? It's not even noon, the venue's foyer is populated with Friday night revellers cradling their pounding heads and yet the band are expected to hit the main stage and do it. Much to their credit they work the audience hard and by song two or three have people who haven't even eaten yet screaming their lungs out. Not remotely power metal, their music is difficult to catergorise, but the quality speaks for itself.
(D)
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Bloodstock 2005
The room fills, few people know the band but they’re all very surprised by their sheer quality. The band perform powerful almost neo prog metal really well and are an excellent surprise.
Rise To Addiction are really at ease, which makes the show even better. The crowd is packed and headbang in satisfaction. For my part I stood a bit further back and watched the whole performance. They really convinced me to check out their discography as soon as possible.
I strongly advise you to check this band out. Their music makes me think of Threshold crossed with Linkin Park.
This mixture is extremely successful. A very good discovery. The show is finished on a thunder of applause and the room begins to empty.
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Clarence Park:
My favourites of today were Rise To Addiction, a lively band that had the largest pit of the weekend (the stewards were struggling to hold the small barriers up). Individually, their members have around ten albums under their belts along with countless tours (I also heard that one of them was once in Iron Maiden but I haven't got any proof). Imagine Chris Cornell had started a super group with Metallica and not Rage Against the Machine for their sound.
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Saturday saw Rise To Addiction given the daunting task of opening up the day's proceedings on the main stage, and they proved themselves to be more than up to the task.
New vocalist Leigh Oates (formerly of Ninedenine, who played Bloodstock in 2003) is a huge improvement, and with the current line-up, the band have all the ingredients necessary to make a big impact.
Such is the quality of the band that it didn't matter, and even the new material that was unfamiliar to the audience went down well. The highlight was "Falling as one", and I'm expecting big things from this band in the future.
4/5 - TET
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Raised Horns Webzine: October 2005
Rise To Addiction have a hard job to do today! After last nights magnificent show on the main stage, and also being the first act on today, before midday even, they're going to have to do a lot to impress this crowd.
There’s little response as the band comes on stage. One might think that this band isn't worth seeing, if the crowd is anything to go by.
You'd be wrong. Rise To Addiction have great deal of talent, they sound incredible and they work hard. Within two songs the crowd is clapping along vigorously!
'Falling As One' is a song to listen out for. The band are very much metal, and very much have their own unique style, but hidden within there is shades of early Manic Street Preachers and Therapy?
Luke Hayhurst - 8/10
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Rise to Addiction take to the stage with authority. The guitars begin pounding into "Cold Season" and the singer takes a swig of water and sprays the stage. Why are these men playing at The Boardwalk? Surely they should be signed and playing their debut Sheffield gig at The Octagon at the very least? The guitarists are powerful and the drummer doesn’t miss a beat. This is a tight and accomplished band. The front man really knows how to involve the audience, and the crowd love it - people begin moshing. They even play an encore, "God Unknown", to their new fanbase. This band should really have been the headliners; they’re in a class above the rest.
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Sandman Magazine: October 2005
To be honest, I was really gearing up to not like this – with it’s artsy apple and nails motif, I was expecting something a bit pretentious. I guess you shouldn’t judge a book or demo by its cover because it transpires that I was wrong on both counts. Rise To Addiction quite simply rock. Their sound ranges from the radio-friendliness Nickelback (excuse my French) through Alice In Chains to The Obsessed, with multi-layered vocals that are comparable to Wino or Ian Astbury. Every mother’s son of them shines instrumentally, but special mention must go to the guitars, soloing just this side of indulgence, often intertwined, and bringing to mind, style-wise, Zakk Wylde and Joe Satriani. The sound is full, flawless and as tight as my wallet the day before payday and I would love to see if they could pull it off live. Any time they are in Leeds, I am most definitely there.
(R/W)
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Rockers Digest: September 2005
Bloodstock - Saturday
3 September 2005
The Assembly Rooms, Derby
On hearing vocalist Harry Armstrong had departed Rise To Addiction I had thought that the band would struggle to find someone with a suitable set of lungs to replace him. When Leigh Oates strode onto the main stage I still had my doubts until he opened his mouth. Oates possesses an incredibly strong voice with similarities to both Armstrong and Chris Cornell.
Oates also proved to be a great front man, making sure the Bloodstock crowd was awake with an obsession that they should be clapping along at every opportunity. Playing Sabbath’s Children Of The Grave as a second song certainly helped in that respect. Elsewhere the whole Rise To Addiction EP made an appearance with new songs similarly big on riffs and hooks.
Rise To Addiction set list included:
Cold Season / Children Of The Grave / Everlasting Wave / I Follow / To A God Unknown / Falling As One
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Sheffield, Thursday Sept. 8th, 2005
Now here’s a band that guarantee a hot and sweaty night of Metal !!
Filling the room with their gracious heaviness, the Rise' treated us to cookin' versions of ferocious songs like 'Low' 'Everlasting Wave' and 'Falling As One' and a few other gems as well such as a blasting cover of Black Sabbaths 'Children of the Grave' . 'Get those hands in the air' bawls Leigh and how can you refuse as these guys know how to bring a topping overflow of emotion from the crowd here on a wet Thursday night.
They are one of those acts who know how to excite from the stage with their constant up-tempo presence and blinding arrangements both musically and vocally. They pose and gyrate like they are playing to umpteen thousand...
Can't wait to hear the new album. Steve, Rob Leigh, Aynsley and John prove that Metal in the UK is alive and well for a long time to come.
Fusing together so tight I can't see it being too long before Rise to Addiction are supporting someone pretty big...
10/10
GLENN MILLIGAN
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It's ten to twelve, Saturday morning. Last night, Bloodstock was rocked by the some of the greatest metal acts around. I'm not ashamed to say I am expecting a come down in the quality of acts; surely there's no way the excellent first day can be topped?
Rise To Addiction storm on stage and immediately the crowd stand up and take notice. It's fascinating to watch a band who aren't hugely known totally surprise an audience, but this morning Rise To Addiction perform exactly that task. With an uplifting mix of strong vocals, impressive stage presence and some guitar work to be reckoned with, Rise To Addiction are an outright success immediately. Thankfully, a decent amount of metalheads turn up to watch the show, and it's something the band are genuinely thankful for. Between every song there's a request to the crowd to make some noise, a request that is met with a hearty roar of approval from a historically excellent crowd.
Rise To Addiction have been presented with an awesome challenge; open the second day of undoubtedly the most important event on any British metal fan's calendar. Rather than shy away from the task, the band pour every ounce of energy into the show, with vocalist Leigh Oates visibly coaxing the crowd into chanting along, but quickly following through with an impressive bout of strong vocals. Guitarists Steve Wray and John Slater are notably excellent in their personas on stage, making sure there's never a time when someone in the crowd isn't showing them the horns of metal.
Rise To Addiction have proven themselves as an excellent band with a ferocious live set. Furthermore, they've won over a vital fanbase. Now it's time to see them play a larger set.
11 out 13
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RE: Bloodstock:
Next up were Rise To Addiction, a band that showed great future potential with an energised performance behind Leigh Oates strong vocal and Steve Wray and John Slater’s fine guitar work, no slouches in the rhythm department either with Rob Naylor (bass) and Aynsley Dickinson’s robust drumming holding the act together.
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RE: Bloodstock: The charismatic vocals and energetic performance of singer Leigh Oates gave a great front to the excellent lead guitar work from John Slater and Steve Wray, and the awesome bass of Rob Naylor, with Aynsley Dickinson really giving it some on drums. Definitely a rising band to watch in the future.
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The Underworld: September 2005
Rise To Addiction (9/10): I had my doubts that new singer Leigh Oates would live up to the last, as on the EP and last year's support for Edguy but these were dismissed from the very first song. Their new songs are excellent and Children of The Grave owned. Oates is a sound frontman and did a great job of getting the crowd going.
Jackcake
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The Underworld: September 2005
When someone asks me to come along and see 'a great new rock band' I am usually fairly sceptical, so when I got an invitation to see RISE TO ADDICTION at the Underworld in Camden, I went with an open mind, and no expectations.
I discovered that guitarists, Steve Wray and John Slater, had previously played in ex ' Iron Maiden stalwart, Blaze Bayley's band, so I began to think I was in for a night of somewhat change my mind rather rapidly.
Of course there is always the obligatory, fanatic 'head banger' or 'we are not worthy' fan who is right at the front of the stage, and tonight was no exception, some slightly less Within minutes of the opening song, most were nodding their heads along in approval to the heavy but hypnotic bass and drum beats emitting from the stage.
After the first song it was obvious to any observer that this audience had been converted.
Rise to Addiction have taken Slater and Wray's dual heavy rock guitars and mixed them up with the fast paced rhythms of Naylor's bass and Dickinson's drums, to create something that is a unique cross over between traditional guitar led heavy metal, new metal, Indie and punk, and then added meaningful interesting lyrics, with a subtle layer of melody on top, and finished the whole thing off with Oates' distinctive and authoritative vocals.
Leigh Oates' physical appearance belies his ability to really get to grips with a rock song and There is no doubt about it, these guys put as much sweat and effort into their gutsy performance as any legendary stadium rock band would. They create a scorching atmosphere, which really uplifts the audience and makes for great listening. These guys are definitely a band worth seeing live. They all have, which is certainly going to help them make a mark in the UK if not internationally.
Each musician's solid musical apprenticeship in touring bands is apparent in their established skill with their instruments and it is clear that, together, they have found a sound that makes them stand out from the crowd.
In a world filled with new bands trying hard to make it in the business, Rise to Addiction's secret weapon is that they are a band packed with class and talent, who still manage to retain their sense of raw, dirty, heaviness - and they really can rock. them favour with all types of audiences from traditional heavy metal fans to grunge rockers and beyond.
Rise to Addiction stood out head and shoulders above all the other new bands on the bill, and were very clearly the most popular act of the evening. Oates and the rest of the guys thoroughly deserve the success that will surely be heading their way shortly. They work hard, gig hard and play hard and are not afraid to brag a little about themselves with good reason. They, unlike a lot of new bands, actually have something worth getting excited about. Don't be surprised in a few years if they are picking up awards left right and centre, and appearing on a rock magazine cover or two!
© Chrissie Hamlin 2005
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Although I only ended up watching this band as they happened to be the first act on the main stage, I was certainly glad to have caught them. With bags of personality [stage-kicks included!], Rise To Addiction played a set full of bouncing rock rhythms with a catchy metal underpinning, and worked the audience well in the interim. I think the majority of those watching were also new to this band, but by the end of their set most – if not all – of Bloodstock’s main hall were happy to be enjoying this by-product of the ‘Blaze’ enterprise that failed to wow Bloodstock two years ago.
[7.5]
Metal Monk UK
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"Right now, the UK is awash with good bands. What separates those in with a shot at the bigger time than the ones who will inevitably falter is a combination of drive, focus, belief, as well as talent and energy. Rise To Addiction have all of these qualities. It gives them a fighting chance, with a classic hard rock sound that bursts its way into the modern era. This album is a sturdy springboard into what should be a very exciting future."
MALCOLM DOME
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Classic Rock Magazine: April 2005
I would urge you to give Rise To Addiction a try. Each of the three songs is a slow-burner that wears its influences on its sleeve, but a grumbling Brit-rock undercurrent always offers a distinctive edge. "Falling As One combines anthemic Metallica elements with Terrorvision-type melodic eccentricities and Rise to Addiction has been born from the ashes of Blaze’s former band. Steve Wray and John Slater have been reunited with bass guru Rob Naylor to start a very promising career if this release is anything to go by. The three are also joined by Ben Calvert on Drums
From the opening tune, “Falling As One” the album shows how tight the band are. First class guitar riffs, rocking, dirty and heavy as hell itself, accompanied by amazing bass and drums and vocals that are reminiscent of Chris Cornell with a touch of James Hetfield thrown in for good measure.
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The vocals are simply incredible, powerful and deep and provide the perfect balance for the guitar licks. “Everlasting Wave” has more of an epic quality with slower vocals and the melodic yet heavy trademark sound that the Wray/Slater guitar combination has always been able to conjure. “To A God Unknown” is back to furious start and again showcasing the bands dynamic and thick sound, racing along at a furious pace. As an added bonus a video of “Falling As One” is also found on the CD, just adding to the value of this already classy package.
Rise to Addiction are sure to be the next big thing. this is easily the best independent release I’ve ever heard or reviewed.
Glenn Butler
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With frontman H Armstrong completing the line-up who happens to be a harsh, full-throttle throater if ever I heard one.To put it bluntly, 'Rise To Addiction' have placed together the earthy elements of Creed with the supercharged in-your-face blasting of Machine Head forming a workable original sound that you wouldn't expect from a UK act. been produced by the famed Metal Maniac behind the mixing desk who goes by the name of Andy Sneap at Backstage Studios, Derbyshire.
Supreme musicianship reigns throughout that comes with compliments from John Slater and Steve Wray (Guitars); Rob Naylor (Bass) and Rob Calvert
(Drums). The opening track 'Falling as One' is both powerful and atmospheric that concerns a man who is losing is mind and control on what is around him. The lyrically mysterious female related 'Everlasting Wave' is up next (that happens to be my fave of the 3), especially when the guitar solos take over around four minutes which completely take you by surprise. Then believe it or not, the last offering here, 'To a God Unknown' came together in the studio - a hard-hitting ditty with an invite to a high and mighty one.
Already, several record companies have shown interest in the band and there's little wonder either. It'd be a crime not to give this top marks. Also included is the video for 'Falling as One' shot in a dangerous disused building in Sheffield plus some wallpaper to decorate your screen with.
10/10
GLENN MILLIGAN
