# Addicted to Pain
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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Addicted_to_Pain.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addicted_to_Pain
> Source revision: 1345507629
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{Infobox song
| name = Addicted to Pain
| cover = Addicted_To_Pain_-_Cover_Art.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = [Alter Bridge](/source/Alter_Bridge)
| album = [Fortress](/source/Fortress_(Alter_Bridge_album))
| released = {{Start date|2013|8|12}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|[Heavy metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music)|[speed metal](/source/speed_metal)}}
| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=16}}
| label = [Roadrunner](/source/Roadrunner_Records)
| writer = {{hlist|[Myles Kennedy](/source/Myles_Kennedy)|[Mark Tremonti](/source/Mark_Tremonti)}}
| producer = [Michael "Elvis" Baskette](/source/Michael_Baskette)
| prev_title = [Ghost of Days Gone By](/source/Ghost_of_Days_Gone_By)
| prev_year = 2011
| next_title = [Cry of Achilles](/source/Cry_of_Achilles)
| next_year = 2014
| misc =
}}
"'''Addicted to Pain'''" is a song by American [rock](/source/Rock_music) band [Alter Bridge](/source/Alter_Bridge). Written by lead vocalist [Myles Kennedy](/source/Myles_Kennedy) and lead guitarist [Mark Tremonti](/source/Mark_Tremonti), it was released as the lead [single](/source/Single_(music)) from the band's fourth studio album ''[Fortress](/source/Fortress_(Alter_Bridge_album))'' on August 12, 2013, in Europe and on August 20, 2013, in the US.[{{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}}] The song peaked at number 4 on the US ''[Billboard](/source/Billboard_charts)'' [Mainstream Rock](/source/Mainstream_Rock_(chart)) 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](/source/Fortress_(Alter_Bridge_album))'', which vocalist [Myles Kennedy](/source/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".[{{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](/source/Blabbermouth.net) |date=September 25, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] According to lead guitarist [Mark Tremonti](/source/Mark_Tremonti), Kennedy wrote the lyrics to the track in response to "somebody close to him ... venting about his problems".[{{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](/source/MusicRadar) |publisher=[Future plc](/source/Future_plc) |date=September 4, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] The song was first made available for [online streaming](/source/Streaming_media) on August 7, 2013, on Alter Bridge's [YouTube](/source/YouTube) channel,[{{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](/source/Blabbermouth.net) |date=August 7, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] before it was officially released as the first single from ''Fortress'' on August 20.[{{cite web |url=https://www.alterbridge.com/music/addicted-pain |title=Addicted To Pain |work=[Alter Bridge](/source/Alter_Bridge) Official Website |publisher=[Caroline Records](/source/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 }}] 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](/source/Isolation_(Alter_Bridge_song))", the first release from 2010's ''[AB III](/source/AB_III)'', which he compared to the ''Fortress'' track as a "more aggressive song ... that's straight to the point".[{{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](/source/Game_Informer) |publisher=[GameStop](/source/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 }}]
==Music video==
The [music video](/source/music_video) for "Addicted to Pain", directed by [Daniel Catullo](/source/Daniel_Catullo), was released on September 5, 2013.[{{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](/source/Blabbermouth.net) |date=September 5, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] In North America, it was initially exclusive to the website ''[Loudwire](/source/Loudwire)''.[{{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](/source/Loudwire) |publisher=[Townsquare Media](/source/Townsquare_Media) |date=September 5, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] 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".[{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/278733/alter%20bridge/chart?f=376 |title=Mainstream Rock Songs: Alter Bridge - Chart History |work=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine)) |publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media) |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] number 8 on the Hard Rock Digital Songs chart,[{{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](/source/Billboard_(magazine)) |publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media) |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] number 12 on the Active Rock chart,[{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2013-11-23/active-rock |title=Active Rock: Nov 23, 2013 |work=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine)) |publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media) |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] number 14 on the Heritage Rock chart,[{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2013-11-23/heritage-rock |title=Heritage Rock: Nov 23, 2013 |work=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine)) |publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media) |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] and number 20 on the Rock Airplay chart.[{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/278733/alter%20bridge/chart?f=1228 |title=Rock Airplay: Alter Bridge - Chart History |work=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine)) |publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media) |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] Outside of the US, the single reached number 150 on the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) on August 24, 2013.[{{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 }}] The single spent 30 weeks on the Mainstream Rock chart, more than any other release by the band.[{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/alter-bridge/ |title=Mainstream Rock |accessdate=November 15, 2024 }}]
===Critical===
Media response to "Addicted to Pain" was generally positive. In a review of ''Fortress'' for ''[Loudwire](/source/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".[{{cite web |url=http://loudwire.com/alter-bridge-fortress-album-review/ |title=Alter Bridge, 'Fortress' - Album Review |last=Oullette |first=Mary |work=[Loudwire](/source/Loudwire) |publisher=[Townsquare Media](/source/Townsquare_Media) |date=October 8, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] 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".[{{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](/source/Loudwire) |publisher=[Townsquare Media](/source/Townsquare_Media) |date=August 7, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] Upon its release as a single, ''[Rock Sound](/source/Rock_Sound)'' magazine called it "a hard rockin' banger",[{{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](/source/Rock_Sound) |publisher=Freeway Press Inc. |date=August 8, 2013 |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] while Irish news website ''[Joe](/source/Joe_(website))'' described it as a "proper head-banger of a tune".[{{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](/source/Joe_(website)) |publisher=MaximumMedia |accessdate=December 12, 2016 }}] ''[Melodic](/source/Melodic_(magazine))'' magazine praised the track as the band's "fastest fist pumping anthem".[{{cite web |url=http://www.melodic.net/?page=review&id=61813 |title=Alter Bridge - Fortress |publisher=[Melodic](/source/Melodic_(magazine)) |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 }}] The song was included on Loudwire's 66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century.[{{cite magazine| url=https://loudwire.com/best-hard-rock-songs-21st-century/| title=66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century| magazine=[Loudwire](/source/Loudwire)| accessdate= October 2, 2020}}]
==Chart positions==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Chart (2013)
!Peak
position
|-
! scope="row"| Czech Republic [Rock](/source/International_Federation_of_the_Phonographic_Industry) ([IFPI](/source/International_Federation_of_the_Phonographic_Industry))[{{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"}}]
| style="text-align:center"| 5
|-
!scope="row"|[UK Singles](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) ([OCC](/source/Official_Charts_Company))