Ade - Spartacus (2013)

Ade - Spartacus

NILE may have cornered the Egypt-themed Death Metal market a long time ago, but judging by the quality of their sophomore full-length, Italy’s ADE could very well end up being the new NILE on the block. OK, their songs revolve around Ancient Greco-Roman history, as opposed to Egyptian history, but their brand of technically proficient and ultra-intense Death Metal bears more than a slight resemblance to that of NILE. Hell, the drumming of George Kollias even found its way onto this album, so that should tell you something.

Italy is fast becoming a hotbed of quality Death Metal, with bands like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, HOUR OF PENANCE and NATRON kicking ass in their own unique way, and ADE can easily go toe-to-toe with those bands. One thing I absolutely appreciate about the songs on “Spartacus” is the fact that the native/indigenous instruments play a pivotal role throughout the whole affair, imbuing the songs with just the right amount of haunting atmosphere and grandeur. It’s very reminiscent of the kind of song-writing the aforementioned NILE displayed on their landmark “Black Seeds of Vengeance” album, and that’s always a good thing. The band deserves major kudos for never allowing the songs to degenerate into soulless blasting, as the multitude of nimble tempo shifts, instrumental interludes and occasionally downright brilliant riffs keep things ticking along superbly. “Sanguine Pluit in Arena” is a great example of their multi-faceted sound, as waves of straightforward blasting gradually give way to a smattering of tribal beats, chugging grooves and eerie background chanting. This tactic is also employed on “The Endless Runaway”, where the band kicks the rapid tempo shifts up a notch in addition to throwing in some well-placed female vocals which effectively juxtapose the brutality of the growls. Elsewhere, there is the slow pounding of “Crixius Flags of Dishonor”, the very HOUR OF PENANCE-like “For Everything To be The Same...”, and the blisteringly fast “Divinitus Victor” (which, in my opinion, should have opened the album).

Barring the rather bland “Six Thousands Crosses” (sic), this album is extremely consistent, and sure to be a treat for any fan of Technical Death Metal. One could perhaps argue that Kollias should’ve been given more free reign (his drumming here is a tad less adventurous than in NILE), but this is a minor gripe. Technically sound, energetic, and atmospheric to the hilt – this is a band to keep an eye on.  

copas from http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&id=19837

Tracklist:
01. Betrayer from Thrace 03:31
02. Sanguine Pluit in Arena 04:34
03. The Endless Runaway 04:28
04. Crixius Flags of Dishonor 04:48
05. Duelling the Shadow of Spartacus 03:32
06. Mars's Unpredictable Favour 03:52
07. Decimate the Coward 03:15
08. Six Thousands Crosses 05:42
09. Divinitus Victor 03:31
10. ...For Everything to Be the Same 05:02

TKP