Posted on: August 16, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

“Wrecking Ball” does not give listeners a single second to prepare themselves; Voice of Addiction does not care, and their sing-along style (which is reminiscent of Street Dogs, Pennywise and Rancid) will grasp a listener by their shirt and never give up. With sizzling guitars, splashing drums, and a compelling set of vocals, the first strains of Reduce, Reuse, Resist are good ones.

“Constant Pollution” has Matt Freeman-esque bass lines weaving their way through the beginning, with tribal drums entering into the equation soon after.
“Constant Pollution” showcases that the band has some serious instrumental skills, a trend that is continued throughout “September Remembered”. With a progression that is reminiscent of The Animals and vocals that straddle the line between Against Me and Bad Religion, Voice of Addiction create another track that anyone listening in will eat right up. “Mother” speeds things up considerably, adding little bit of a hardcore punk edge into the mix. With hints of Fear and Agnostic Front, Voice of Addiction are riding high by the time the middle of the disc begins. “Decision Street”, the seventh track on Reduce, Reuse, Resist, is brought to high gear all in the space of a few seconds.

This is due to the inclusion of an absolutely sick bass line that builds itself up quickly, to which ska breakdowns provide a diametrically opposed side. What separates Reduce, Reuse, Resist from the rest of punk albums coming out now is a desire to continually change and innovate what is issuing forth from the speakers. Rather than create a close grouping of tracks, what Voice of Addiction does here is touch upon the many and varied styles of punk music. What results then in Reduce, Reuse, Resist is something that is truly special, and will be something that stands the test of time no matter how far out from the album’s release that it may be.

Top Tracks: Wrecking Ball, U’re All Crazy

Rating: 8.0/10

Voice of Addiction – Reduce, Reuse, Resist (CD) / 2011 Self / 13 Tracks /

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