{{Infobox song | name = Addicted to Pain | cover = Addicted_To_Pain_-_Cover_Art.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Alter Bridge | album = Fortress | released = {{Start date|2013|8|12}} | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = {{hlist|Heavy metal|speed metal}} | length = {{Duration|m=4|s=16}} | label = Roadrunner | writer = {{hlist|Myles Kennedy|Mark Tremonti}} | producer = Michael "Elvis" Baskette | prev_title = Ghost of Days Gone By | prev_year = 2011 | next_title = Cry of Achilles | next_year = 2014 | misc = }} "'''Addicted to Pain'''" is a song by American rock band Alter Bridge. Written by lead vocalist Myles Kennedy and lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, it was released as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album ''Fortress'' on August 12, 2013, in Europe and on August 20, 2013, in the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/alterbridge/posts/10151635476973558 |title=Alter Bridge – Our first single from Fortress, Addicted To... |publisher=Facebook |access-date=September 5, 2013}}</ref> The song peaked at number 4 on the US ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock chart and reached the top 20 of several other ''Billboard'' charts.
==Background and release== "Addicted to Pain" was one of the first songs written during sessions for ''Fortress'', which vocalist Myles Kennedy claimed helped the band to progress with the writing of the rest of the album, as well as encouraging them to be "more experimental".<ref name="roadrunnertbt">{{cite news |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/alter-bridge-new-fortress-track-by-track-breakdown-posted-online/ |title=Alter Bridge: New 'Fortress'Track-By-Track Breakdown Posted Online |publisher=Blabbermouth.net |date=September 25, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> According to lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, Kennedy wrote the lyrics to the track in response to "somebody close to him ... venting about his problems".<ref name="musicradartbt">{{cite news |url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/mark-tremonti-talks-alter-bridges-fortress-track-by-track-583219 |title=Mark Tremonti talks Alter Bridge's Fortress track-by-track |last=Bosso |first=Joe |work=MusicRadar |publisher=Future plc |date=September 4, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> The song was first made available for online streaming on August 7, 2013, on Alter Bridge's YouTube channel,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/alter-bridge-new-single-addicted-to-pain-available-for-streaming/ |title=Alter Bridge: New Single 'Addicted To Pain' Available For Streaming |publisher=Blabbermouth.net |date=August 7, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> before it was officially released as the first single from ''Fortress'' on August 20.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alterbridge.com/music/addicted-pain |title=Addicted To Pain |work=Alter Bridge Official Website |publisher=Caroline Records |accessdate=December 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221055228/https://www.alterbridge.com/music/addicted-pain |archive-date=December 21, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Speaking in a track-by-track feature of the album, Tremonti explained that the band chose the song as the album's lead single due to the success of "Isolation", the first release from 2010's ''AB III'', which he compared to the ''Fortress'' track as a "more aggressive song ... that's straight to the point".<ref name="roadrunnertbt"/> The song was later featured as a playable track on the 2015 video game ''Guitar Hero Live''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/11/11/here-are-all-of-the-currently-available-guitar-hero-live-tracks.aspx |title=Here Are All Of The Currently Available Guitar Hero Live Tracks |last=Futter |first=Mike |work=Game Informer |publisher=GameStop |date=February 12, 2016 |access-date=December 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121055510/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/11/11/here-are-all-of-the-currently-available-guitar-hero-live-tracks.aspx |archive-date=2015-11-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Music video== The music video for "Addicted to Pain", directed by Daniel Catullo, was released on September 5, 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/alter-bridge-addicted-to-pain-video-released/ |title=Alter Bridge: 'Addicted To Pain' Video Released |publisher=Blabbermouth.net |date=September 5, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> In North America, it was initially exclusive to the website ''Loudwire''.<ref name="videoloudwire">{{cite news |url=http://loudwire.com/alter-bridge-addicted-to-pain-exclusive-video-premiere/ |title=Alter Bridge, 'Addicted to Pain' - Exclusive Video Premiere |last=Oullette |first=Mary |work=Loudwire |publisher=Townsquare Media |date=September 5, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> Writing for the website, Mary Oullette described the video as featuring the group performing "on a large stage decked out with three monstrous video screens towering behind [them]", interspersed with footage related to the lyrics of the song including "someone being set on fire in a crowd" and "an antique car [being] left on train tracks only to meet its impending doom".<ref name="videoloudwire"/>
==Reception== ===Commercial=== "Addicted to Pain" peaked on several ''Billboard'' charts in the United States: number 4 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart,<ref name="mainstream">{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/278733/alter%20bridge/chart?f=376 |title=Mainstream Rock Songs: Alter Bridge - Chart History |work=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> number 8 on the Hard Rock Digital Songs chart,<ref name="hardrock">{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2013-09-07/hard-rock-digital-songs |title=Hard Rock Digital Songs: Sep 07, 2013 |work=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> number 12 on the Active Rock chart,<ref name="activerock">{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2013-11-23/active-rock |title=Active Rock: Nov 23, 2013 |work=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> number 14 on the Heritage Rock chart,<ref name="heritagerock">{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2013-11-23/heritage-rock |title=Heritage Rock: Nov 23, 2013 |work=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> and number 20 on the Rock Airplay chart.<ref name="rockairplay">{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/278733/alter%20bridge/chart?f=1228 |title=Rock Airplay: Alter Bridge - Chart History |work=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> Outside of the US, the single reached number 150 on the UK Singles Chart on August 24, 2013.<ref name="UK">{{cite web |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/130824cluk.txt |title=CLUK Update 24.08.2013 (wk33) |publisher=Chart Log UK |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> The single spent 30 weeks on the Mainstream Rock chart, more than any other release by the band.<ref name="mainstreamrock">{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/alter-bridge/ |title=Mainstream Rock |accessdate=November 15, 2024 }}</ref>
===Critical=== Media response to "Addicted to Pain" was generally positive. In a review of ''Fortress'' for ''Loudwire'', Mary Oullette described the song as "a straight-forward screaming rocker with blazing guitar riffs and melody driven choruses", praising it as a "perfect radio-ready track".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://loudwire.com/alter-bridge-fortress-album-review/ |title=Alter Bridge, 'Fortress' - Album Review |last=Oullette |first=Mary |work=Loudwire |publisher=Townsquare Media |date=October 8, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> Similarly, Chad Bowar for ''Loudwire'' noted that it "features first-class riffage and a blazing solo", describing it as "heavy, but still melodic and accessible enough that radio stations will be more than willing to play it".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://loudwire.com/alter-bridge-addicted-to-pain/ |title=Alter Bridge Unleash Single 'Addicted to Pain' |last=Bowar |first=Chad |work=Loudwire |publisher=Townsquare Media |date=August 7, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> Upon its release as a single, ''Rock Sound'' magazine called it "a hard rockin' banger",<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rocksound.tv/news/read/alter-bridge-release-new-single-addicted-to-pain |title=Alter Bridge Release New Single 'Addicted To Pain' |work=Rock Sound |publisher=Freeway Press Inc. |date=August 8, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> while Irish news website ''Joe'' described it as a "proper head-banger of a tune".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.joe.ie/music/exclusive-check-out-alter-bridges-new-music-video-for-addicted-to-pain-only-on-joe/370600 |title=Exclusive: Check out Alter Bridge's new music video for 'Addicted To Pain' ONLY on JOE |work=Joe |publisher=MaximumMedia |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}</ref> ''Melodic'' magazine praised the track as the band's "fastest fist pumping anthem".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.melodic.net/?page=review&id=61813 |title=Alter Bridge - Fortress |publisher=Melodic |accessdate=December 12, 2016 |archive-date=October 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012140619/http://melodic.net/?page=review&id=61813 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The song was included on Loudwire's 66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://loudwire.com/best-hard-rock-songs-21st-century/| title=66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century| magazine=Loudwire| accessdate= October 2, 2020}}</ref>
==Chart positions== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- !Chart (2013) !Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Czech Republic Rock (IFPI)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hitparada.ifpicr.cz/index.php?hitp=R|title=CZ - Radio - Top 20 Modern Rock|website=hitparada.ifpicr.cz|access-date=December 15, 2022|format=select "Top 20 Modern Rock" into the search box, then select "201345"}}</ref> | style="text-align:center"| 5 |- !scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)<ref name="UK"/> |150 |- !scope="row"|US Active Rock (''Billboard'')<ref name="activerock"/> |12 |- !scope="row"|US Hard Rock Digital Songs (''Billboard'')<ref name="hardrock"/> |8 |- !scope="row"|US Heritage Rock (''Billboard'')<ref name="heritagerock"/> |14 |- !scope="row"|US Mainstream Rock Songs (''Billboard'')<ref name="mainstream"/> |4 |- !scope="row"|US Rock Airplay (''Billboard'')<ref name="rockairplay"/> |20 |}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAYrAu-jnMY "Alter Bridge"] music video at YouTube
{{Alter Bridge}}
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Category:2013 songs Category:2013 singles Category:Alter Bridge songs Category:Songs written by Myles Kennedy Category:Songs written by Mark Tremonti Category:Song recordings produced by Michael Baskette