Back in the late eighties, death metal band Killing Addiction formed and quickly released their debut album Omega Factor (which is to be re-released this year). This paved the way for many other fan-favourite death metal bands, especially in the Florida area.
In 1994, the band decided to call it a day. Twelve years later the band reformed and have been busier than ever releasing their sophomore album and two EP’s. The newest of which is titled Shores of Oblivion, and is unfortunately founding member and guitarist Chad Bailey‘s last after passing away.
The four-track EP starts with Engine of Ruin and a deathly growl by frontman (and Chad’s brother) Pat Bailey. Engine of Ruin has an old-school death metal sound and feel to it, and it starts the EP off well.
Up next is the two minute Cult of Decay. A song which is (according to their Facebook page) about the negative consequences of unbridled political and military consequences. “Men dividing man / loyal to their land / in honour’s name we die / corpses of the empire,” Pat Bailey growls.
Extinction Agenda is the penultimate track on the EP and it takes Bailey’s voice into a darker tone and style. He changes between death growls and a heavier singing style to change this track up from the previous two. His brother and other guitarist Chris Wicklein shine through on this song as does drummer Chris York.
Into Shadow is the final, and longest at almost six minutes, on the EP. It starts slower than the previous songs with a more classic heavy metal style-guitar before Bailey’s growls break through.
Killing Addiction are a band that prove death metal doesn’t need to have kick drums going at a hundred miles an hour, nor do their songs need to be quick and brutal. For whatever reason – unlike fellow Floridan death metallers Deicide and Death, just to name a couple – they never really broke out of the underground scene, but don’t let that stop you from checking them out!
