Album Review: Hangman’s Chair – Saddiction (Nuclear Blast)

Parisian doom rock band, Hangman’s Chair will release their brand-new album, ‘Saddiction’ on February 14th, 2025, via Nuclear Blast.

Rightfully considered a giant within the melancholic doom rock and metal world, Hangman’s Chair return with an album that embodies their inherent heavy beauty. An album that is unflinchingly honest, as most would expect, and an album that stares into the darkness, refusing to blink.

Beginning with the crashing sound of guitars and drums, there’s an immediate feeling of gloom, but as is so often the case with this band, this transforms into something more epic quite quickly. The vocals, which are immense, arrive with power and poise. Yet, it is the dramatic mournful drop and heavy rise that leaves the deepest mark. It’s an incredible start to an album that sets the senses aflame.

Stoking that fire too is The Worst is Yet to Come, a track with rivets of moody melody and echoing heaviness running through it. It has got a slight goth-vibe to it, mainly because of the guitar tone, and feels more ‘classically’ doom, but the biggest takeaway here is the melodrama that is so heavily present within. It, alongside the following In Disguise, is sensationally moody. With the latter having some of the thickest bass thrums, incredible clean singing, and a thrilling methodical beat that transforms impressively as the track goes on.

The cherry on top? An ending that is dazzlingly bright.

With immense layered vocals, powerful doomy riffs and pounding drumbeats, Kowloon Lights keeps the misery front and centre. Before psychedelic rockers, Dool, join Hangman’s Chair on a deep, moody, and dark piece of music that oozes thick feeling and atmosphere. It’s 2 AM Thoughts, and it is another fabulous example of how heavily textured this album is.

It’s not just this track, but the album as a whole, that has a vibrancy and even though it comes from the darker shades of colour, it exists none the less. It’s this, and the anticipation of new and glorious wonders, that keeps the mind so focused on what comes next. Which just so happens to be deep layers of melancholy, where the tears fall like rain, and no matter how much heaviness is dished out by the guitars and drums, a sombre feeling is all that remains. It is a feeling most will want to wallow in that and makes this track so special.

However, if you really want to feel sad, then Neglect is the one you need to hear. Beginning with a couple of minutes of laidback, emotive guitar melody that is thick with gloomy atmosphere, and breathy vocals. Then, with an immense raising of the voice, the track transforms into something so much more powerful. Culminating in the doomiest of endings.

Misery loves company, and it’s near impossible to deny the pull of Hangman’s Chair and something as beautiful as 44 YOD. This penultimate track is heart-wrenching and soul-rendering, but in a uniquely comforting way. It’s a personal favourite of the album, even if the finale of Healed comes mighty close too. Here, Hangman’s Chair go all out as far as doom goes. Delivering one of their chunkiest sounding tracks, while infusing layers upon layers of glorious darkness within. It’s a doom epic, on an album that is simply brilliant from beginning to end.

A high like no other, Saddiction is up there as the very best that Hangman’s Chair has produced so far.

Hangman’s Chair – Saddiction Track Listing:

1. To Know the Night
2. The Worst is Yet to Come
3. In Disguise
4. Kowloon Lights
5. 2 AM Thoughts (feat. Dool)
6. Canvas
7. Neglect
8. 44 YOD
9. Healed

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