It’s been seven years since System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian released a Scars On Broadway album. As it turns out, he recorded and mixed Addicted to the Violence twice. After being dissatisfied with the first version, he scrapped everything except his vocals and started over. But Malakian’s perfectionist tendencies have paid off. Addicted to the Violence is a metallic whirlwind of musical precision and lyrical freeform that explores the theme of violence and its effects. Whether it’s terrorism, gang warfare, or domestic violence, Malakian hypothesizes, the fallout is the same. “Insanity, controlling me/Society, the kids are on a killing spree,” he sings on leadoff track “Killing Spree,” a track that seesaws in a whiplash fusion of djent, punk, and black metal. With a delivery that recalls Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra, Malakian name-checks the Ayatollah, serial killer Richard Ramirez, and the bloody Afghan poppy trade on “Destroy the Power” before asking, “Can’t you see the abuse creates strength for us? We take the power, and we can destroy you.”